Santa Monica Pier
A historic oceanfront pier and entertainment landmark at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Santa Monica Pier is a historic public landmark extending into the Pacific Ocean at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California. It is recognized internationally as a symbol of the city and as a destination combining seaside recreation, amusement attractions, fishing, dining, entertainment, and popular culture. The structure is administered as public civic infrastructure rather than as a conventional commercial brand, with the City of Santa Monica as owner and the Santa Monica Pier Corporation supporting operations, tenants, promotions, events, filming activity, and public programming. The present pier is the result of two adjoining structures that originally had different purposes and owners. The Municipal Pier opened on September 9, 1909, primarily to carry sewer pipes beyond the breakers. It was a utilitarian structure without the amusement facilities now associated with the landmark. In 1916, amusement entrepreneur Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur built the shorter, broader Pleasure Pier, also called Newcomb Pier, immediately to its south. The Pleasure Pier developed into a major entertainment destination, with rides, a roller coaster, a funhouse, organs, and other attractions. Its best-known surviving historic feature is the Looff Hippodrome, which houses a carousel with hand-carved wooden horses and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the 1920s, the pier complex expanded its entertainment role. The Philadelphia Toboggan Company’s Carousel PTC No. 62 was installed in 1922, and the La Monica Ballroom opened in 1924. The ballroom was once among the largest dance venues on the United States West Coast, later serving as a television venue, automobile exhibition space, and roller-skating rink before its demolition in 1963. The amusement business declined during the Great Depression, and most of the park’s facilities closed or were sold. A 1934 breakwater temporarily supported docking for fishing and pleasure boats. The pier has repeatedly faced threats from storms, deterioration, redevelopment proposals, and changing municipal priorities. A 1938 Works Progress Administration project created the approach bridge and entry gate. During the 1960s and early 1970s, proposals contemplated removing the pier as part of a large-scale redevelopment scheme. Local preservation activism, including the Save Santa Monica Bay campaign, helped secure its survival, and the City Council revoked the demolition order in 1973. The city acquired the privately owned Newcomb Pier in 1974, bringing the adjoining structures under public ownership. Severe winter storms in 1982 and 1983 caused extensive damage. The protective breakwater was swept away, the lower deck was destroyed, and a crane being used during repairs was pulled into the ocean and damaged additional pilings. More than one-third of the pier was lost. The city undertook reconstruction, preserving the landmark while adapting it for contemporary public use. Pacific Park opened on May 25, 1996, becoming the first major new amusement attraction on the pier since the 1930s. Its solar-powered Ferris wheel is now the pier’s most recognizable visual feature. Today the pier includes Pacific Park, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium operated by Heal the Bay, the historic carousel and Hippodrome, shops, concession stands, restaurants, pubs, an arcade, street performers, fishing areas, and a trapeze school. It also hosts concerts, film screenings, civic activities, and seasonal events. Its location within the Los Angeles studio zone has made it a recurring filming location for motion pictures and television productions, while its visual identity has also appeared in music, books, and video games. The pier’s enduring positioning is that of an accessible, family-oriented California seaside landmark blending historic preservation with recreation and entertainment.
History
Santa Monica’s current pier complex grew from two separate structures. The Municipal Pier opened in 1909 as a practical sewer-outfall project. In 1916, Charles I. D. Looff and Arthur Looff added the privately owned Pleasure Pier, which introduced amusement rides and entertainment. The Looff Hippodrome became its architectural centerpiece, and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel installed in 1922 remains one of the complex’s defining historic attractions. The 1920s brought additional cultural and commercial development, including the La Monica Ballroom, which opened in 1924 and accommodated thousands of dancers. The amusement district weakened during the Great Depression, while the 1934 breakwater supported fishing and pleasure-boat activity. In 1938, the Works Progress Administration built the bridge and entry gate that improved the pier’s connection with the city. The landmark’s survival was uncertain in the postwar decades. Plans during the 1960s and early 1970s proposed removing or radically redeveloping the pier. Preservationists organized through Save Santa Monica Bay, and the city withdrew a demolition order in 1973. The city acquired Newcomb Pier in 1974, consolidating public control of the adjoining structures. Storm damage was particularly severe in 1982 and 1983. The breakwater disappeared, the lower deck was destroyed, and repair work was interrupted when a crane was dragged into the ocean and struck the pier. More than one-third of the structure was destroyed. Reconstruction restored the pier as a public landmark and created the basis for later recreational development. Pacific Park opened in 1996 after construction that began in 1994. Its solar-powered Ferris wheel established a new contemporary icon while the city retained historic elements such as the Hippodrome and carousel. The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation was created to help manage restoration-related operations and daily activities; it later became the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. Current operations encompass events, tenants, promotions, filming, street performers, and public programming. The pier remains both a working recreational facility and a prominent cultural image of Southern California.
- 2011
Restoration corporation changes name
[1]The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation adopted the name Santa Monica Pier Corporation.
- 1996
Pacific Park opens
[1]Pacific Park opened on May 25, introducing a major new amusement destination and its solar-powered Ferris wheel.
- 1983
Major storm destruction
[1]Winter storms destroyed the lower deck and more than one-third of the pier, prompting extensive reconstruction.
- 1974
City acquires Newcomb Pier
[1]The City of Santa Monica acquired the privately owned Newcomb Pier.
- 1973
Demolition order revoked
[1]Following local preservation campaigning, the city council revoked an order to demolish the pier.
- 1938
WPA bridge and entry gate completed
[1]A Works Progress Administration project built the approach bridge and entrance gate.
- 1924
La Monica Ballroom opens
[1]The large La Monica Ballroom opened as a major dance and entertainment venue.
- 1922
Historic carousel installed
[1]The Philadelphia Toboggan Company’s Carousel PTC No. 62 was installed in the Looff Hippodrome.
- 1916
Pleasure Pier is built
[1]Charles I. D. Looff and Arthur Looff constructed the adjoining amusement-oriented Pleasure Pier, also known as Newcomb Pier.
- 1909
Municipal Pier opens
[1]The narrow Municipal Pier opened on September 9 as a sewer-outfall structure with no major entertainment facilities.
Products and positioning
A civic and cultural destination combining historic California seaside character, family entertainment, ocean views, recreation, and a highly recognizable film-and-television setting.
amusement park · 1996
Pacific Park
Pacific Park is the pier’s contemporary family amusement park. Its rides, games, food outlets, and brightly illuminated Ferris wheel provide the principal modern entertainment offer. The wheel uses solar panels and has become a widely recognized part of Santa Monica’s coastal skyline.
historic attraction · 1922
Looff Hippodrome Carousel
The carousel is housed in the historic Looff Hippodrome and features hand-carved wooden horses. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making the ride both an operating attraction and an important preservation feature.
aquarium and education
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
The aquarium is operated by Heal the Bay and presents marine life and environmental education connected with the Southern California coast. It adds a conservation and learning function to the pier’s recreational role.
recreation
Oceanfront fishing access
The west end of the pier is a popular location for anglers. Fishing is one of the activities that connects the modern visitor destination with the pier’s long-standing maritime and recreational use.
Marketing campaigns
- 1973Save Santa Monica Bay
United States
A local preservation campaign opposed proposals to remove or replace the pier with large-scale redevelopment. The campaign helped build public support for retaining the landmark, after which the city council revoked the demolition order.
Outcome. Pier preserved
- Twilight Summer Concert Series
United States
A recurring Santa Monica Pier Corporation concert program using the pier as a free or public-facing outdoor entertainment venue during the summer season.
Outcome. Recurring public programming
- Santa Monica Pier Paddle Board Race
United States
A paddle-board sporting event produced by the Santa Monica Pier Corporation as part of the pier’s event and recreation programming.
Outcome. Recurring public event
Brand decisions
2011
Rename the pier operating corporationStrategyBackground
The nonprofit created to support restoration and day-to-day pier activities had expanded into event, tenant, promotional, filming, and performer management.
Action taken
The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation changed its name to the Santa Monica Pier Corporation.
Aftermath
The renamed organization continued supporting operations and public programming.
1994
Develop a new amusement parkStrategyBackground
The pier had not received a major new amusement attraction since the decline of its earlier park facilities, while reconstruction had restored the structure after severe storm damage.
Action taken
Construction began on Pacific Park, a contemporary amusement park designed to renew the pier’s entertainment role while retaining historic features.
Aftermath
Pacific Park opened in 1996 and became the pier’s principal modern attraction, with its solar-powered Ferris wheel serving as a new visual icon.
Recent events
- 2023
Santa Monica Pier evacuated after bomb threat involving Pacific Park Ferris wheel[1]
Other
A section of the pier was evacuated after a man claiming to have a bomb climbed onto the Pacific Park Ferris wheel. Authorities arrested him and took him into custody.
- 2009
Fish caught near Santa Monica Pier covered by state safe-eating advisory[1]
Regulation · Other
California’s environmental health authority issued an advisory covering fish caught between Santa Monica Pier and Ventura Harbor because of elevated mercury and PCB levels.
Sources2 sources
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