Have classic seaside fun on Santa Monica Pier
Dividing Santa Monica State Beach from Venice Beach to its south, this is a dream of an old-school seaside pier – home to the Pacific Park amusement park with the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel alongside rollercoasters, bumper cars and a classic games arcade, and don’t forget the Looff Hippodrome Carousel, built in 1922 and beautifully preserved.
Constructed in 1909 and the west coast’s only pier with an amusement park, this is where the iconic Route 66 ends (having begun in downtown Chicago, 3,940km away), and its neon gateway sign is a southern Californian landmark. Guided walking tours of the pier include amusing anecdotes from its history, such as the local origins of cartoon sailor Popeye. Don’t miss a look at Muscle Beach, an outdoor gym established in the 1930s, beside the pier.