Santa Monica Pier Carousel – Pacific Park® (2024)

Published on January 3, 2020

The Santa Monica Pier Carousel: A Historical Landmark

For over 100 years, the Santa Monica Pier Carousel has remained a popular entertainment destination for visitors seeking family-friendly amusement. Guests love the rare chance to ride one of the few original merry-go-rounds left from the golden age of seaside entertainment. Many also enjoy photographing the unique Looff Hippodrome building that houses the carousel, with its whimsical blend of Byzantine arches, Spanish Colonial turrets, and Moorish windows.

Most guests, however, do not know the carousel’s complete story. Here, we’ll take at the story of the Santa Monica Pier Carousel and discover how visitors can enjoy this historic landmark.

The Santa Monica Pier Carousel Ride Experience

Originally built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, a company famous for crafting incredibly detailed carousels, the Santa Monica Pier Carousel is an inspiring sight. The structure features 44 hand-carved horses, 2 sleighs, 1 rabbit, and 1 goat lit up by 1100 electric lights. Festive band music makes riders feel like they’ve been transported to another time. The carousel also offers an ADA accessible chariot with a portable ramp for wheelchair users.

With rides priced at $3 per rider, the carousel offers very affordable entertainment. Some guests, however, love the carousel so much they rent the merry-go-round for birthday parties, photoshoots, or luncheons. Rental rates for these experiences include:

  • 1-99 guests for $300 per hour
  • 100-199 guests for $420 per hour
  • 200-299 guests for $480 per hour
  • 300+ guests for $540 per hour

These fees include tables, chairs, and wristbands for rides, as well as help with clean up and loading riders. Guests can rent the carousel from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on open days. Interested parties should contact info@santamonicapier.org.

Operating hours for the Santa Monica Pier Carousel are:

  • Monday and Thursday: 11m. to 5pm
  • Tuesday and Wednesday: Closed
  • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 11m. to 7pm

Helpful tip: Children who want a more exciting ride should choose the middle row horses that go up and down rather than the outside stationary horses!

The History of the Santa Monica Pier Carousel

Carousels have been an important part of the Pier ever since 1916, when entrepreneur Charles Looff bought land near the Santa Monica Pier. Looff once built carousels for Coney Island and constructed the Looff Pleasure Pier, the Pier’s first amusement park. A master carousel builder, Looff crafted the Pier’s first merry-go-round himself.

Looff housed his carousel in the Pier’s Looff Hippodrome, named after the ancient Greek hippodrome stadiums used for horse and chariot racing. Children loved the “Pier’s Carousel” horses so much that workers added an extra row of horses!

While most of the amusement park’s rides disappeared during the Great Depression, the carousel survived and continued making families happy. In 1943, Venice banker Walter Newcomb bought the Pier from its owners and renamed it “The Newcomb Pier.”

In 1947, Newcomb replaced the Hippodrome’s carousel with his Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #62—built in 1922 for Venice Pier. This beautiful, hand-carved merry-go-round has been the Santa Monica Pier Carousel ever since.

The Looff Hippodrome, Santa Monica Pier, and carousel make up some of the most gorgeous and popular backdrops for Hollywood movies and TV shows. Films such as Forrest Gump (1994) and Iron Man (2008) both showcase the Santa Monica Pier in famous scenes.

In particular, the Santa Monica Pier Carousel features prominently in the classic movie The Sting (1973), where Paul Newman’s character lives in the Looff Hippodrome and operates the carousel. Amusingly, while the Hippodrome and its carousel are located in Santa Monica, California, The Sting is set across the country in Depression-era Chicago!

Californians treasure the Santa Monica Pier and view its carousel as an important landmark. Park guests and community members even enjoy calling the Hippodrome the “Merry-Go-Round Building.”

In the 1960s, fishermen, artists, and activists formed an active community with the Pier as their free public gathering space. At the time, folks started renting apartments on the second floor of the Looff Hippodrome. One particular young woman enjoyed spending hours in the Hippodrome watching the carousel’s horses spin around and around. That woman’s name? Legendary Hollywood actress, Marilyn Monroe.

In 1972, the city of Santa Monica proposed a plan to tear down the Pier and Hippodrome to make space for a bridge to a man-made resort island. In response, preservationists and protestors formed the Save Santa Monica Bay activist group. Their grassroots effort proved successful and even helped pass an initiative to preserve the Pier forever. In 1987, the U.S. government designated the Looff Hippodrome a National Historic Landmark.

That devotion was tested in 1983 when a massive storm destroyed over one-third of the Pier. True to their commitment to appreciating and preserving history, the community rebuilt the Santa Monica Pier and restored it to its former splendor.

Today, guests enjoy a new family amusement park on the pier, Pacific Park, full of modern rides and games. The Pier also regularly hosts free music festivals, dancing events, and other live entertainment, recapturing its status as a safe, fun entertainment venue for the entire community.

Those who seek the joys of the past can visit both the Hippodrome and Santa Monica Pier Carousel, which have been restored to their full glory. Today, new generations can relive the timeless fun of the truly historic merry-go-round.

A true historical landmark, the Santa Monica Pier Carousel continues drawing in millions of guests every year with its old school charm. Visitors enjoy celebrating events and taking photos of the carousel and Hippodrome to post on Instagram and YouTube! Thanks to the Santa Monica community, new visitors can enjoy these classic experiences for many years to come.

Feature image courtesy of @xochiltboughtacamera.

Santa Monica Pier Carousel – Pacific Park® (2024)

FAQs

How long is the Pacific Wheel ride? ›

Measuring 85 feet, the wheel moves at 2.5 revolutions per minute with intermittent stops to pick up passengers. Features more than 174,000 energy-efficient LED lights that display dynamic, eye-popping computer-generated lighting entertainment in the evenings.

Is Santa Monica Pier worth it? ›

Many beachgoers say the Santa Monica Pier is a must-visit spot and fun to see. Travelers recommend riding the Ferris wheel. Visitors can also zip around on a roller coaster, catch lively street performances, play carnival games and grab a bite to eat from one of the food vendors or at a sit-down restaurant.

What is the famous 1920s style carousel on the Pacific Ocean? ›

The earliest surviving entertainment from the Pier's history is the Santa Monica Pier Carousel, built in the 1920s by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and made famous when it featured in the 1973 film The Sting.

How many roller coasters are at Santa Monica Pier? ›

Pacific Park
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Attractions
Total13
Roller coasters1
Websitepacpark.com
10 more rows

How many people can ride the Pacific Wheel? ›

Yes - riders on the Pacific Wheel are seated with their group. Gondolas can accommodate 2-6 people, so if you are just a couple, you will be seated in your own gondola. Please note, there are no solo riders permitted on the Ferris Wheel.

What time is best to visit Santa Monica Pier? ›

Late afternoon is a great time to head out to the Santa Monica Pier, with no shortage of things to do or see. Take the time to watch a street performer, or see how the pros fish at the end of the pier. Grab a drink and an appetizer at one of the many restaurants as you ease into the evening in Santa Monica.

Can you go on the Santa Monica Pier for free? ›

You do not have to pay to go on the pier. You will pay for parking and any ride you go on.

What is so special about Santa Monica Pier? ›

Constructed in 1909, the storied Santa Monica Pier was the first concrete pier on the West Coast. It quickly gained a reputation as the best fishing spot in Santa Monica. Santa Monica Pier fishing remains a popular activity to this day.

Where is the oldest carousel in the United States? ›

Flying Horses – Oak Bluffs, Mass., built in 1876

The nation's oldest carousel is housed in a fairly nondescript building on the lovely island of Martha's Vineyard.

What country invented the carousel? ›

In mid-19th-century England, the carousel became a popular fixture at fairs. The first steam-powered mechanical roundabout, invented by Thomas Bradshaw, appeared at the Pot Market fair in Bolton in about 1861.

What is carousel known for? ›

History of Carousels - Merry-go-round and Amusement Rides. Carousel is an amusement ride that has a rotating platform on which are placed seats for riders in the shapes of different animals (but most commonly horses).

What amusement park in California has the most roller coasters? ›

The world's roller coaster capital is in the United States…for now. CNN Travel reports that with 20 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA has the most roller coasters than any other amusement park in the world.

Who owns Pacific Park? ›

Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park, the amusement park on stilts that has been featured in films like Forrest Gump and Iron Man and in the opening titles of Three's Company, has sold to SC Holdings. The investment firm, which specializes in sports, entertainment and hospitality bought it for an undisclosed sum.

Who owns Santa Monica Pier? ›

The Pier is owned and maintained by the City of Santa Monica. Lease and vending inquiries should be sent to the Office of Pier Management.

How long does the Seattle Great wheel take? ›

Q How long is the ride? Ride time varies based on how large the crowd is and how many gondolas we are loading for each ride. During Summer operations with larger crowds, we typically have ride times between 12-20 minutes. During Winter operations with smaller crowds, we typically have ride times between 10-15 minutes.

How long does it take to go around the big wheel? ›

“how long does it take the whole ride in the wheel?” Takes about 10 minutes,great views on a Sunny clear day,works out a pound a minute but great views.

How long is the longest Ferris wheel ride? ›

CHICAGO — An employee of Chicago's Navy Pier has met his goal, breaking the record for the longest Ferris wheel ride and bringing the record to the birthplace of the amusement park favorite. Clinton Shepherd spent 48 hours, 8 minutes and 25 seconds riding Navy Pier's Ferris wheel over the weekend.

How long is the ride at Dream wheel? ›

Our 27 climate-controlled gondolas offer thrilling views of the Manhattan Skyline, VIP services and more. Entry to the Dream Wheel includes space for up to 16 passengers at a time during a 30-minute rotation.

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