Tips and Tricks for Your Visit to the Santa Monica Pier

Jayne Elliott April 12, 2024

If you’re visiting L.A., I highly recommend visiting the Santa Monica pier because you’ll most likely recognize it from movies and TV shows since it’s a popular filming location. I also recommend visiting the Santa Monica pier because there are a lot of fun things to see and do on and near the pier.

The Santa Monica Pier is the official end of Route 66. If you’re traveling to California on a Route 66 road trip, you can take a picture with the end of Route 66 sign on the pier.

The Santa Monica Pier has multiple restaurants and gift stores, scenic views, an amusement park called Pacific Park, and a historic carousel that has been used as a filming location in multiple TV shows and movies.

Parking

A dad and his children walk through an almost empty parking lot on the Santa Monica Pier

Parking at the Santa Monica Pier is really easy and there are several options. There is a parking lot located right on the pier, which is very convenient; although, sometimes this parking lot is closed for special events. There are also beach parking lots located just below the pier, and there are stairs that you can use to walk up to the pier. Another parking option is to park along the street (if you can find a spot) or in a parking garage in Santa Monica and walk onto the pier. There is a crosswalk right at the pier, so it is easy to access if you’re visiting the mall or the outdoor shopping area on the Third Street Promenade, for example.

Restaurants

A plate of Mexican food at the restaurant Maria Sol on the end of the Santa Monica Pier

As far as restaurants, there are three that I recommend. One is called Bubba Gump. This is a chain restaurant that you can find in lots of touristy locations. It’s themed after the movie “Forrest Gump.” If you like seafood and “Forrest Gump,” this is a fun place to eat.

A quick service restaurant we like is called Pier Burger. They have delicious burgers and ice-cream.

The view of the ocean, beach and pier from the restaurant Mario Sol at the end of the Santa Monica Pier

Our favorite restaurant on the Santa Monica Pier is called Maria Sol. This is a Mexican restaurant located at the very end of the pier. The food is good, but honestly, it’s not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. What makes this restaurant my family’s favorite on the pier is the location and the view. Like I said, it’s at the very end of the pier!

Pacific Park

The Pacific Park sign at the Santa Monica Pier

Pacific Park is free to walk around, but you’ll need to buy tickets to go on any of the rides. You can also buy an all-day wristband if you’d like to enjoy all the rides or ride some of them over and over again.

Ride ticket information at Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier

The most iconic ride on the pier is the ferris wheel, which is called the Pacific wheel. It is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel.

Another iconic attraction is the Santa Monica Pier’s rollercoaster which is called the West Coaster. This is the only oceanfront, steel roller coaster located on a Pier on the Pacific coast.

Pacific Park also has an arcade and multiple games you can play, again, for a small fee. It’s a very fun place to spend a few hours for some family fun!

The Carousel on the Santa Monica Pier

A little girl sits on a horse on the carousel at the Santa Monica Pier

The Carousel is a historic landmark that has been on the pier for over 100 years. The horses were hand-carved out of wood. The carousel building also has birthday parties. You can buy tickets to ride the carousel inside the carousel building. It’s a fun ride, and a classic experience.

What’s Under the Santa Monica Pier?

Just under the pier is a small aquarium where you can see sea animals that live in the Pacific ocean. One time when we were there we saw small stingrays, and we even saw shark embryos. It’s a very small aquarium, but it’s a great spot to get out of the sun for a few minutes and enjoy something educational.

A toddler points at jelly fish in the aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier

shark embryos at the aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier

If you decide to go down to the aquarium, I recommend walking down past the carousel and walking down the stairs on the north side of the pier. There’s a sand area there with a dragon and a boat that look like they’re made out of sand. It’s a great photo spot, and a fun place for kids to play. There’s even a button in the boat that makes it look like smoke is coming out of the dragon’s nose (it’s really water).

A dragon head that looks like it's made out of sand near the Santa Monica Pier

If you’d like to go for a walk, The Strand is the name of the pedestrian and bicycle path that goes along the beach for miles and miles. Turn south, and you’ll be on your way to Venice. Turn north, and you’ll be heading towards the Pacific Palisades.

A little girl dressed in pink plays in the sand on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier

Obviously, there is also a huge beach under the Santa Monica Pier. Bring your sand bucket and a beach towel to enjoy the beach. If you didn’t bring one, there are plenty of places selling beach essentials like these on and near the pier. Pro tip: the beach on the north side of the pier tends to get more crowded, probably because that’s where the beach parking lot is located. If you want more space, go to the south side of the pier. You’ll also be able to watch some talented beachgoers try their gymnastic and acrobatic skills at the original Muscle Beach.

See more of what the Santa Monica Pier has to offer in this video of one of my family’s visits to the Santa Monica Pier. In this video, we eat at Bubba Gump, ride the carousel, play on the beach, explore Pacific Park, and more.

For even more information about the Santa Monica Pier, visit their official website here.