Santa Monica Pier

산타모니카 피어

A wooden pleasure pier reaching into the Pacific from Santa Monica Beach, opened in 1909. Its 1938 entrance arch, the Looff Hippodrome carousel building and Pacific Park, with the solar-powered Pacific Wheel and the West Coaster, make it one of California's best-known sights, and the symbolic western end of Route 66.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: United States
Location: Santa Monica, California, USA
Built: 1909
Height: 40 m
Type: Infrastructure

Quick answers

Where is Santa Monica Pier?

Santa Monica Pier is in Santa Monica, California, USA, United States.

When was Santa Monica Pier built?

Santa Monica Pier was built in 1909.

The Santa Monica Pier is a wooden pier in Santa Monica, California, at the foot of Colorado Avenue. It reaches out into the Pacific Ocean and has a small amusement park, snack stands, places to fish and views of the coast.

The pier is made of two joined piers. The long, narrow Municipal Pier opened in 1909, and the shorter, wider Pleasure Pier was built in 1916. Its solar-powered Ferris wheel, seen from far away, has become a symbol of Southern California. Pacific Park, a small amusement park, sits on the pier, and many films and television shows have been shot here.

What can you do there?

Pacific Park is a family amusement park on the pier. Its brightly lit Ferris wheel has solar panels, and it has even been switched off for Earth Hour. The pier also has an aquarium run by Heal the Bay, a video arcade, a trapeze school and restaurants.

The western end of the pier is a popular place for people to fish.

What is its history?

The Municipal Pier opened on 9 September 1909, mostly to carry sewer pipes beyond the waves. The Pleasure Pier was built by Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur, amusement-park pioneers. It later got the Looff Hippodrome building, which now holds a 1922 carousel with 44 hand-carved horses.

The La Monica Ballroom opened in 1924 and was the largest dance hall on the west coast, with room for 5,000 dancers. The pier has also appeared in many films and TV shows.

Fun facts

It marks the symbolic western end of Route 66.
The first long pier opened in 1909 mainly to carry sewer pipes out past the waves.
The carousel has 44 hand-carved horses and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ferris wheel is solar-powered.