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Bargain
Travel West guide to unique destinations, sight-seeing, budget travel
vacation ideas for the independent traveler in the U.S., Canada and
Caribbean.
Los
Angeles Tour and Attraction Discount Tickets
Travel
destination in Los Angeles
SANTA MONICA PIER
Historic Amusements of the Pacific
The glowing neon sign
which arches over the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier is a nostalgic
wish, a dream - it says “Sport Fishing, Boating,
Cafes ” but the last sport fishing boat left the pier in 1958.
There are no real cafes on the pier, but a few bars and restaurants and
the pier with its arch is still the symbolic heart of Santa Monica. Located
at the end of Colorado Boulevard, the vestigial end of the famous Route
66 where it meets the shining Pacific, seen in countless movies with
lovers kissing in the waves and dead bodies among the piers in TV detective
stories, and Oscar winning conmen planning a caper on the carousel.
The Santa Monica Pier
was first opened on September 9th, 1909, California’s
Admission Day. In 1916, an amusement park entrepreneur Charles Looff,
who had built New York’s Coney Island saw the potential for the
west coast and added a wider section of pier to the original to support
entertainments. Over the years the pier had been nearly destroyed by
waves in heavy storms. The Pier Carousel with its Byzantine fantasy horses
first carved in 1922 moved into the Looff Hippodrome building at the
shore end of the pier in 1947. Most famously featured in “The Sting” with
Robert Redford and Paul Newman, doubling for a rundown Joliet Illinois
whorehouse, the ride’s colorfully whimsical 44 horses and chariots
were completely restored in 1990, with merry-go-round rides for a dollar
for kids and and two dollars for adults. The historic carousel house
is also very popular for private parties.
The
carnival rides of the defunct Pacific Ocean Park where moved onto the
pier in 1967,
with several rides located on the spot where the La
Monica Ballroom, the world’s largest dance ballroom in the world
once stood, now called Pacific Park. The sequential neon of the Ferris
Wheel spokes, recently replaced with a brand new energy saving version,
lights up the Pacific coast waters when the sun goes down. Twilight Dances
are held every Thursday during the summer months to recall the dance
marathons of the 1920’s for which the long gone ballroom was famous.
The pier is one of the most popular tourist spots on the Sounthern California
Coast with millions of visitors a year, though a new smoking ban may
cut the crowds a bit.
The
Santa Monica Pier now is home to several restaurants, including a Bubba
Gump Shrimp House, the SM Seafood House and the Mariasol Mexican
Restaurant all the way to the end. Several souvenir shops, the Playland
Arcade of games and arcade amusements and assorted vendors distract the
crowds enjoying a sunny afternoon. Have your name carved into a grain
of rice or face sculpted in sand. Though no fishing boats or bay cruises
can be found at the Santa Monica Pier, locals will sometimes fish in
the waters of the Pacific from the sides of the pier. A tackle and bait
shop is at the far end under the Harbor Office in case you want to try
your hand. Bike rentals are available next to the city of Santa Monica
tourist office. The Santa Monica Pier is even home to a trapeze
school,
where you can learn to fly through the air and follow your circus dreams.
Occasionally a film crew can be spotted, featuring the famed pier in
another production.
The
Santa Monica Pier has no admission charge as a public pier. There is
some parking on
the pier itself, but can fill up, with larger city
beach parking lots below. City beach parking is $8 for the day. In the
heyday of the 20’s and 40’s the Los Angeles Red Car Trolley
line would run from downtown straight to the pier, but now long gone.
By public transit from Hollywood or Los Angeles, catch a city bus on
Santa Monica Boulevard or Wilshire Boulevard and ride all the way west
to the end at Ocean Avenue. The pier is two a blocks from the 3rd Street
Promenade area of shopping, bars & restaurants, with additional metered
parking structures. Just blocks to the south of the Santa Monica Pier
are the luxury beach hotels which host the American Film Market every
year. © Bargain
Travel West
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Santa Monica
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