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Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica

4.1

#1 of 73 in Things to do in Santa Monica

Pier / Boardwalk Historic Walking Area Must See

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Experience the vibrant, timeless energy of southern California with a walk down Santa Monica Pier. The 100-year-old wooden wharf serves as the area's hub of entertainment and culture. This spot is home to the Pacific Park amusement park, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, an array of shops and eateries, and plenty of street artists. Rent bikes and spend the afternoon exploring the carnival-like atmosphere while enjoying the oceanside scenery. Kids love visiting the Playland Arcade, which has more than 200 games and attractions. The pier also is home to California's only over-water Ferris wheel. For Santa Monica Pier and beyond, use our Santa Monica trip itinerary planner to get the most from your Santa Monica vacation.

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Santa Monica Pier Reviews

Rate this attraction

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

18,859 reviews

Google

4.6

facebook

4.5

199 likes

• By eostrows

  Fun to walk around, see the nice view. Very touristy, only touristy shops on the pier, but a must see for visitors.  more »

• By GeorgeyPorgeyPandP

  This pier is full of people any time of the year or any time of the day. But you will enjoy the vibe and the atmosphere near the beach with people doing random things on the street. You can find...  more »

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Google

• By Kevin Tu

  Amazing ! Views, beach, atmosphere. All of it was great. And weather was good too. Definitely recommend. The area where people work out is really cool and fun too. They have monkey bars, swinging rings, swings, those tapes where people balance on... sorry dont know the names... but a really nice chill place to go see.

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• By Rodney Curl

  This is one of the most fun beaches in my opinion in Los Angeles. Between the amusement park, sunny beach, shops, and interesting people of Santa Monica the Pier is pretty cool. The water at the beach won’t be the clearest or cleanest but it’s still a beach worth checking out and there are plenty of things to do. Also, everyone seems to be in a good mood while there so that makes it enjoyable too. Def a place to check out whether you’re visiting or from LA.

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