I grew up visiting the Santa Monica Pier on road trips to California. I spent many summer vacations on the beach and hanging out at Pacific Park during my youth. I have memories of riding the roller coaster and playing games at Playland Arcade. I still enjoy visiting Santa Monica from time to time to relive my childhood. Seeing the iconic sign and walking around the pier brings back many fond memories. The Santa Monica Pier is a large 1,651 feet wooden pier in Santa Monica, California that has been featured in many movies, television shows and video games. It is over a hundred years old. Pacific Park is located on the pier and opened in the mid-90s. The park itself is "non-gated" and there is no charge for admission. You can see the Pacific Wheel - a solar-powered Ferris Wheel from a distance. Rides include a steel roller coaster, a drop tower, a swinging Sea Dragon, bumper cars and a bunch of kiddie rides. There are also carnival games and food and snacks. It has been some time since I have been on one of these rides. I recently stopped by here to walk around and people watch. Santa Monica Pier is still very crowded and touristy. Pacific Park was full of people as usual and they all looked like they were having a good time. In front of Pacific Park is the Route 66 sign that people like to take their photos in front of. Santa Monica is the end of the road for that historic highway and this sign pays tribute to it. read more

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Beautiful park overall, but unfortunately I don't feel comfortable returning after what I witnessed during my visit. While I was looking for directions I noticed a tall skinny guy with tattoos name tag Byron was screaming at a young lady, calling her names and cursing at her while I tried to interfere he told me to back off of he would beat me up too... while he had his attention on me the lady just walked away. I dont know what happened after. I hope management reviews how employees conduct themselves while in uniform and on duty, especially when it comes to professionalism and public safety. read more

love the wheel and beautiful crowded beach. best time to be there is during sunset. best $14 i had spent there. read more

One of the most photographed parks out there as everyone knows of its iconic skyline on the beach! I've been to too many piers and boardwalks across the country and this one right here remains one of my all time favorites as it's just got a whole vibe here that can't be found on any of the other ones across America! This park is more geared towards kids but don't count out West Coaster as it really does provide some great fun for anyone kids and coaster enthusiasts alike as it totally rides like one of the huge Morgan's out there but with it being a quarter of the scale making for just an awesome ride on both laps! This park really does pack a good amount of rides on top of the pier making for just a super cool time all around and one of the best sunsets you could ask for! Overall it's Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier you really can't go wrong it's for this and the super fun times I've always had here that I hope to get back here again at some point because even the views alone are totally worth the trip! read more

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Have been coming here since I was a kid, and Pacific Park is a Santa Monica classic. It's definitely changed over the years (especially since COVID), but there are still so many wonderful things about it. Restaurants, rides, performers, an arcade, beautiful views... Off the bat, if you want the experience of eating on the pier, go for it. Otherwise, I usually eat nearby (my favorite being Uovo) and then walk over to the pier afterward. You can park at the pier, but, as I said, I usually park elsewhere and walk over. If there is one thing you do at the pier, you have to ride the iconic Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel. It's $17/person, but totally worth it. Beautiful views over the city and the ocean. They have a bunch of other rides, and it can really add up. But the roller coaster is always a fun second pick. You have to walk to the end of the pier and enjoy the views - take a look for some wildlife in the water. It's also the symbolic end to the famous Route 66, and you'll find the sign signaling the end. Stop for a quick picture. Enjoy the performances all around. They're always so fun to watch, and you'll enjoy yourself. Overall, this is a great stop, especially if you've never been to Santa Monica or Los Angeles. read more

Pacific Park is a mini amusement park located at the Santa Monica Pier. They have a handful of rides that includes a roller coaster, ferris wheel, and lots of more mellow kid friendly rides. They also have a handful of carnival games where you can win various prizes. We opted to visit Pacific Park vs. Disneyland as this provided enough entertainment and fun for the kiddos without having to pay for all the adults just to enter the park. We got unlimited wristbands for the kids which was $20 for 7 and under and $40 for 8 years and over. They were able to ride the roller coaster twice, and 3 or 4 of the other rides in the short time we were there which seemed pretty worth it! They probably could have ridden more if we timed/planned the rides out better, but all in all they had fun. We also tried our hand at some of the carnival games like the ring toss. That seemed to be the most 'affordable' of all the choices, but no luck for us. We still enjoyed our time here though and were especially glad the kids had fun as it was their first time riding rides together. read more

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While exploring Santa Monica Pier with some friends, they wanted to go on the ferris wheel in Pacific Park. A single ticket to ride the ferris wheel was $17, which seems outrageous. The duration of time on this ride was about 15 minutes, which I think was longer than usual just because it was a weekday morning and no one else was really riding it. There are nice views from the top of the ocean, the beach down the coastline, and inland toward the city. Nice but not worth the price to me. read more

Ok, this is how to do it. First off, there is free parking on a Sunday if you hunt for it. I'm not giving away my secrets though here. ;) Also, prep for an expensive parking day if you take one of the Santa Monica public spaces. Over $20 depending on how long you stay, but at least they are plentiful. Walk down to the pier where you pull out a Groupon!! Please check groupon, Pacific does a unlimited ride pass there sometimes which makes this worth it. Rides one by one are way too overpriced. Even a day pass is kinda crazy expensive for what you get. However, if an unlimited wrist bad for roughly 21 dollars is what you grabbed, you're good for a day of fun. I like to get my kids wrist bands and let them loose while I enjoy happy hour with a friend at a nearby bar. The ferris wheel is pretty epic. Views are spectacular and if you can grab it at sunset--chef's kiss. The roller coaster is....not great. But it is nostalgic and classic and pure SM and you've got an unlimited wristband, so go have fun. Bumper cars are actually my kids fav and they ride those repeatedly. Scrambler, small drop tower, a pirate ship. All the classics. Lots of rip you off carnival games, although I won a prize with the basketball hoops right after watching 3 teen boys fail at it. There you go, my moment of showing off. read more

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I've coming to the pier since I was a little girl. I've brought my kids here and they also love it. I'm a big rollercoaster junkie, so I love experiencing rides. My favorite is the coaster. I love the view of the ocean you get to witness while on the ride. The prizes you win by playing on the game stands are cheap, but you can't expect very much. There's plenty of parking available, however, this is a popular spot so try to arrive in the morning. There's also a parking structure across the pier that's accessible. There's an arcade, other kid rides, a burger spot, an ice cream shop, and a few other restaurants. There's a Mexican restaurant at the end of the pier that offers amazing ocean views. I've been there a couple of times. Overall, I recommend this place. Great for families, fun date nights or to grab a quick bite. read more

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My first time coming here was pretty cool. Prices are affordable. It was very cool nights so definitely bring a jacket if you come tonight. They have multiple photo booths and I love their games. Rollerball is my favorite. You should definitely try it if you come here! The Ferris wheel lights up at night and it is super pretty, definitely romantic or place for a group of friends. read more

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DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY tourist trap, way over priced, not even worth it at all, employees need more training, read more

Today was foggy. Can't even see the ocean but still it's a great place to hang out with friends and family. Food and entertainment read more

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Santa Monica Piers is always a cool place to enjoy the beach, rides, various games, souvenirs, and sweet indulgences, not to mention plenty of great food. The breeze from the ocean, along with the warm sun, palm trees, really made the visit great! read more

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I came back recently and was so excited to spend some time here in the evening with the family. However, with inflation, we expect that prices would have gone up especially at places like Pacific Park. I am so disappointed that they got rid of the pay for what you ride model and instead they're charging an all day wristband for $25 with unlimited rides. It just isn't worth it if you have 2 little ones along and just want to ride on the Ferris Wheel. So we skipped out and just enjoyed the vibe. It gets really crowded and if you have a stroller along, get ready for a bumpy ride in the pier. They've added a plastic cover in some area of the pier so that helped a little bit. There are other things you can do if you're not into the rides. The arcades are still there and there are still some vendors for churros, funnel cakes, and burgers. read more

When I come to Santa Monica I mostly like to come and ride the rides. It's not a full park n rides however, they seem to have a few that can make me scream still. The views from the top ferris wheel were miraculous. Prices can be pricey if there's children or if you just enjoy riding. There is plenty parking , games, food options. Oh before I forget I would like to give a huge shout out to all the workers yesterday. I had a senior with me who has Dementia. We wanted to go on a ride . But we send stairs it's a bit much for her. Well low and behold the staff said there was an available elevator. Within minutes we were heading up for our roller roster ride 52 and 76 living like we're 20 today lol. read more

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I have been, wait... how many times at Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier? Dozens and dozens for years, lost track of it. I realized recently that I never got in the Ferris Wheel for all the years I have been living here. So we decided to be tourists for 1 day in our own town. On top, this was gonna be my birthday outing fun! $15 to ride the Ferris wheel, short line for tickets and to get on the actual wheel. You do spend some time up there and get to enjoy the views of Santa Monica, the Pier, the Ocean and the mountains with snow on top. It is a bit vertigo inducing and a tad scary (for me anyways), but it's fun and I am glad I finally got the idea to try it! We spend $15 for a roller coaster ride, we decided to go all the way, baby! Once again, we put more money on the card at the ticket booth and off we went! Short line and wait. You get to ride it twice, no phones out! Not the craziest ride, which is fine with me, but you get your thrills and you can scream your head off! We did! There are other rides, clean restrooms, places you can gran funnel cakes, drinks, ice-cream. Loads of fun! The Ferris wheel is pretty lit at night, this past weekend, they had hearts on it for V Day and a dragon for Chinese NYE! Fun and festive! read more

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Walk to the end of the Santa Monica Pier and you'll find Pacific Park with its iconic giant Ferris wheel. Lit up at night, it's visible up and down the Santa Monica Bay coast. The Park also has a roller coaster, arcade games, and other rides. I love the stunning views from Pacific Park of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu to the north, and south along the coast -- especially from the top of the Ferris wheel. The Park is a great place to experience fabulous sunsets. Parking near the Santa Monica Pier is expensive and difficult. I like to park in one of the Santa Monica parking garages near the Third Street Promenade, about a 15-minute walk to Pacific Park. The LA Metro Expo line western terminus is also nearby, and city buses stop at the top of the Pier on Ocean Blvd. read more

This place was not worth the cost. Half of the rides were closed but there wasn't any kind of discount. And it's a lot smaller than boardwalks where I grew up. I picked up a glass jar in one of the shops, got a shard in my hand, and when I asked about tweezers to get it out, the guy just kind of shrugged. If you want the touristy feel, have at it but you will be disappointed in what you get. read more

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My eldest daughter and I were at Santa Monica Pier for the CHLA 5K walk fundraising event a couple months ago. Pacific Park is located on the pier. It is full of many roller coaster rides, a ferris wheel, outdoor games, indoor video games, specialty restaurants, and seaside shopping. I am actually surprised how much is here considering the space, but it's all nicely packed together. We didn't get on any rides, but we did enjoy some foods while overlooking the beach and ocean. It was really nice! It's such a great place for family and friends to enjoy throughout the year. If you haven't been here before and are curious about this place, plan for a full day on the weekend or weekday to come on over and have some fun. It can get really busy and crowded as the day goes by. I would recommend you come here early in the day to avoid most of the crowds. Enjoy your visit! Btw, Lot 1 parking is where you want to park at as it is right where the pier is located. read more

We enjoyed Pacific Park for mostly strolling around on the pier. It has a lot of little stores and eateries and a huge Ferris wheel. It's like a little amusement park attached to the pier. We were mostly sightseeing, so we didn't really get a chance to stop at the shops or do the wheel. Extremely crowded on the weekends. Fun place. read more

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pacific park is located inside the Santa Monica Pier, but youll easily find it by locating the ferris wheel. the rides are nice, the ambiance is friendly and its a healthy way to enjoy los angeles and expand your Santa Monica Pier experience read more

Pacific Park - air hockey boss - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The park in general is just overpriced. All the rides are approximately $15 per turn just to be on them for 2 minutes really. The only thing that I think was worth the money is the Ferris Wheel. The employees? 0/10 They did not seem happy to be here. Alex in particular that works at the cashier is super rude and there is another young lady that was sitting next to him on 11/7/2025 that was also very rude. They made my friends and I feel unwelcomed and honestly if it wasn't for my friend really wanting to experience the ride, I would have said NEVERMIND and left. Visually the park looks nice but it is not a vibe! read more

Great place to hangout with the family. Got all day passes for rides...kids had a blast! Everything was conveniently connected eg rides, arcade, live music, and food/meals. Great day to spend and walk on the pier with the family. read more

Pacific Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Located at the Santa Monica Pier, this family friendly spot offers more than 16 rides, 10 midway games and 7 new branded eateries in the oceanfront food plaza. If you can, avoid the busy times which are evenings and weekends. If you have a week day off and the kids are out of school, I would suggest coming early morning 11am and staying just before 3pm, This would avoid any traffic coming in and out of Santa Monica. Or you can go green which is what we did, rode the Expo line in Los Angeles straight to 3rd st. its about a 45min ride but well worth it. The unlimited wrist bands are priced $20 for 7- and $40 8+ . Eateries include; burgers, pizza, ice cream, coffee, funnel cakes, dippin dots. read more

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I think Pacific Park is mostly for tourists. It is always crazy out here. Parking is horrible. All parking spots are ridiculously small. There is no way you can park without worrying that the car next to you will not hit your car. You do not pay at the gate anymore, now you self-pay at the kiosks and then have to walk back to your car to display your parking ticket. Up on the pier you cannot walk around without bumping into someone, especially near the rides. I did like that they have a Coffee Bean (not sure how long it has been here because I do not come here often). The second to last time I was at Pacific Park we did not even go up to the pier because of how packed it looked. They do have a lot of arcade games still, although some were out of service. They have the same rides, but I think they added a few more rides for kids. My boyfriend wanted to ride the Pacific Wheel, but we decided not to after seeing how long the line was and the prices were ridiculously high for these types of rides. We decided to just walk around instead and made our way back to the car within 15 minutes. The beach and even the pier are dirty and not as nice as they were back then. If you want a nice and clean beach, make the drive to Malibu. Getting out of the parking lot took forever, so be patient. After this last time, I highly doubt we will be back because of how busy it is and how inconvenient the parking situation is. read more

Pacific Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This is my playground! If I live here, I would come by here every day, to ride the ferris wheel, and eat some funnel cakes & hot dogs! I would skip the roller coaster! I was traumatized at 13 1/2. read more

Pacific Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

After entertaining ourselves with games at the park. My friends and I got a funnel cake with ice cream. It was refreshing and boot up our energy. We were thinking about take some ride, but the line was too long, so we just had to pass that. read more

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Rather small amusement park located on a pier. I thought the price was ok, kinda pricey but not terrible. The selection of rides were good, everything was up and running. Lines were present on some rides and nonexistent on others. It didn't necessarily feel super clean, felt as though I needed a shower and hand sanitizer after. Some of the employees were great, others were not caring. I'd probably come back but don't know if I'd pay the price again. read more

This is the amusement park at the Santa Monica Pier! I actually didn't realize there was a separate yelp page for the amusement park, otherwise I would have checked in here too! I also talked about the amusement pack in my review for the Santa Monica Pier (oops lol I failed haha) Anyway- I'll give a recap so it's hopefully not too repetitive. This is a fun boardwalk like amusement park! Lots of games and fun things to do. You can win prizes and take fun photos! And eat all the foods! It's a good time. :D read more

Horrible experience at the pacific park and would never come back. I wanted to ride the pacific wheel and bought my ticket at one of the ticket-venting machines. It turned out that I was unable to ride alone and it had to be in a group of two which is misleading because it didn't say on the ticket. I went to the ticket office and asked for a refund. They refused it but I insisted they had their manager come over. She refunded my purchase and I said thank you but she rolled her eyes which was the most disgusting demeanor I have ever encountered. It's like I was causing them trouble. Moreover, at one of the game sections, I told the operator, an African American man, who was extremely rude that I wanted to play twice but he just ignored me. It's an overrated, gross and dirty tourist spot. Do not come here. read more

Pacific Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Came on a Saturday, spontaneously Parking at the pier is $10 They had 2 options when purchasing for rides: Wristband (unlimited rides): 7 & under for $20; 8 & above 40 Price per ride per person is stated on the board, you can load up how much you want and it all goes on a card you use for all and any rides My 2 kids enjoyed the rides; I personally rode the Pacific Wheel and it was a relaxing ride especially after sunset Such a cute little amusement park; will definitely be back! read more

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My family and I went and had a great time there. We purchased the bands and had so much fun. The lines weren't too long and we were able to ride most of the attractions (my kids are older so we didn't try the rides intended for the younger kids). We will definitely be repeating customers. read more

Unlimited rides deal from Groupon was so worth it. Super fun and the view was awesome!

Who doesn't love a good amusement park!!! This park, at least the rides here, remind me a little of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk or Belmont Park in San Diego. All three have old school rides, arcades, carnival games and similar junk food. Located on the Santa Monica Pier, it's not the biggest amusement park, but it's fun nonetheless. The Ferris Wheel and the Roller Coaster are the main big rides here. We would have rode the Roller Coaster cause it looked fun, but that line was crazy long!! We hit the arcade and carnival games and had a good time, plenty of fun here!!! read more

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Super crowded Sunday afternoon. I usually don't come here on weekends for this reason. Omg there was no space to walk. I convinced my son to go on one ride and leave. So he chose his most favorite, the roller coaster. Overall it's a great place to hang out but not on weekends. read more

Pacific Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

yoyoyo oza back with another review :3 came here last night with some friends on a spontaneous plot. only my friend aniah and i hopped on the west coaster tho. last time i rode it i was like 12 so i barely remembered it, just knew i liked it. line looked long but moved quick, we were up next before we knew it. lowkey side eyed each other at first cause $15 for a ride is wild, but we did it for the plot. honestly worth it tho cause the ride goes around twice and they snap two pics so u get a backup if u look chopped. last pic i completely mogged. overall solid lil coaster, def worth it. read more

Very cool and a must visit when in the area! Make sure to plan for the weather appropriately!

I loved seeing the roller coaster and Ferris wheel. Wasn't too happy about the prices however but it was so cool seeing these in person. Once I get back to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Imma get on GTA. And ride the coaster and drive vehicles off the pier. read more

This business raised their unlimited price from $25 to $50. Doubled up on a holiday week. I guess they think people are stupid. They deserve the empty rides. This is a ridiculous price for these carnival rides. Working class and fixed income people cannot afford these prices. read more

Pacific Park - Pacific Park Santa Monica - Amusement Parks Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Loved their dragon ride (don't know if they still operate it,) and their funnel cakes and pizza! Food can be expensive but it's worth it.