Experience thrills and chills overlooking the Pacific.

by Contributor

The Background
Marking a return to the California pleasure piers of the early 1900s, this old-fashioned amusement park sits right on the historic Santa Monica Pier, offering unbeatable views of the coast. During the peak summer season, Pacific Park is always hopping with families, teens and tourists. The rest of the year, it's more of a weekend destination, with only a limited number of attractions operating on weekdays.

The Experiene
Though smaller than most SoCal fun parks, it wins the location contest hands down. (Imagine what you'll see from the top of the nine-story Ferris wheel.) Recent additions include the La Monica Swing, which sends riders flying above the deck, and Pier Patrol, a kiddie truck romp. The sizable roller coaster is a marvel in itself, considering it's standing on a bunch of wood planks and some stilts. There's also your typical boardwalk fare--shooting galleries and loads of cotton candy.

08/29/06

All the fun of an amusement park at a fraction of the price

by dkfoltz

This place is great for young children! There are enough rides and games to keep kids really interested- and you only have to spend a fraction of the amount you would spend at a big amusement park. (and you only need a fraction of the time).

• Pros: good prices, great rides for kids, not that crowded
• Cons: bathrooms are not so clean

05/01/03

pacific park

by julie_mija

We went to pacific park not too long ago. The park was close, there was no signage and no reason as for why the park was closed. We were not very happy at all.

11/25/02

Dangerous and Ugly Rip-Off

by thtathy

I took my granddaughter and she noticed gang signs and there was so much trash and SOOO many homeless people. The games were a rip off

and the rides were short and boring. It is ugly and the design is not friendly. The staff was rude and stupid and made us so mad. NEVER GO AFTER DARK I don't know who wrote the other reveiws - maybe SOME PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE! The Pier is known for gangs and drugs and this place is a joke!

• Pros: Empty, Don't have to pay, Parking
• Cons: Gangs, Expensive, Rip Off

08/15/02

fun place!

by erin

There's so much to do here at the Santa Monica Pier. Rides for adults and kids, arcade games, etc. The food is good. You can choose fast food or a sit down restaurant. There's many things to look at along the pier like artists, performers, and shops. But most of all, you have the beautiful beach right there at your toes, and it's breathtaking. It's true there's a lot of homeless people around, but they're homeless, and there's a police atation on the pier, so there's really nothing to worry about. You really don't see LA unless you go to the pier!

• Pros: exciting, lots to do, beautiful beach
• Cons: bathrooms kinda yucky

06/11/02

Fun at the Beach

by bp12

The pier is a great way to spend the day on the weekends. Games are always fun no matter how old you are. It's also not a bad place to take a date and do some smooching on top of the ferris wheel or at the end of the pier.