Santa Monica Pier, Pier and amusement park in Santa Monica, United States.
Santa Monica Pier is a pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue made of two adjoining decks: the long, narrow Municipal Pier of 1909 and the short, wide Pleasure Pier of 1916. A blue steel arch with white lettering reading "SANTA MONICA" and "YACHT HARBOR" marks the road entrance. The wide deck holds Pacific Park, with a white-spoked Ferris wheel, a blue-and-yellow roller coaster and a yellow arched structure above low buildings with striped awnings.
The Municipal Pier opened on September 9, 1909, built mainly to carry sewer pipes beyond the breakers; the adjoining Pleasure Pier, later called Newcomb Pier, was added in 1916 by carousel builders Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur. The Pleasure Pier thrived in the 1920s but faded in the Great Depression, when most of its amusement facilities closed and the attractions were sold off. A 1934 breakwater gave docking for up to 100 fishing and pleasure boats.
The Route 66 end marker stands at the entrance and draws travelers who want to capture this milestone of American road history on camera. Locals come to fish from the tip or gather on the beach beneath the pilings, while street performers appear along the walkway.
The pier is reached from the foot of Colorado Avenue, where the 1938 Works Project Administration bridge and blue entry arch mark the start. The deck runs west over the sand to the anglers' end; the amusement rides sit on the wider southern section. Expect strong sun and wind offshore, and check the safe-eating advisory before keeping any catch.
The Ferris wheel runs entirely on solar panels and displays evening light shows using over 170,000 LEDs. Beneath it, an old carousel from the 1920s continues to operate on some days with hand-painted wooden horses.
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