Santa Monica Pier & Pacific Park

Plan your visit to Santa Monica Pier & Pacific Park

Researched from the venue and public sources, not a first-hand visit. How we write these

How long to spend

A walk out to the end of the pier and back is quick, but adding Pacific Park rides, the 1922 carousel in the Looff Hippodrome, and the small Heal the Bay Aquarium under the carousel building easily fills a morning or afternoon. Pacific Park charges per ride or by wristband rather than at the gate, so the ride count drives the length of the visit.

Best time to go

Weekdays and early weekend mornings are the calmest; warm weekends and July bring the heaviest crowds. Afternoons and evenings are livelier if the kids want the busy carnival feel.

Parking & getting there

The beach-level Lot 1 North beside the pier fills quickly on busy days, so the downtown Santa Monica city structures near Third Street Promenade (the closest is at 2nd and Colorado, one block from the pier) are the usual backup, with a free first stretch at most of them. The Metro E Line ends at Downtown Santa Monica Station at 4th and Colorado, about a 10-minute walk to the pier.

Best ages

Pacific Park's Kid's Cove has family-share rides for young children, and most rides let kids 36 inches and up ride alone, with smaller kids allowed alongside a ticketed adult. The West Coaster requires 42 inches, and the Pacific Wheel allows children under 3 with a ticketed adult but requires 42 inches to ride without one.

Food

The pier has sit-down spots like Bubba Gump Shrimp, Pier Burger, and Marisol at the far end, plus snack vendors along the planks. Pacific Park does not restrict outside food, though outside items are limited in its food court and event areas.

What to bring

Layers for the ocean breeze, comfortable shoes for the long wooden deck, and a compact stroller, since Pacific Park does not rent strollers and space is tight on crowded days.

Rain or heat plan

Rain showers rarely last long here, but Pacific Park may pause individual rides in bad weather. The Heal the Bay Aquarium and the indoor carousel are covered options on the pier, and Cayton Children's Museum is a short walk away.