Annenberg Community Beach House

The Annenberg Community Beach House is a City-run public beach facility at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, on the north end of Santa Monica State Beach. It has a heated historic pool open in summer, a splash pad, a playground, beach volleyball and soccer courts, a café, and tours of the Marion Davies Guest House. The grounds open at 8 a.m. year-round. Its own parking lot costs $4 an hour.

What Is There

The Beach House sits on the site of Marion Davies' Gold Coast estate, built in the late 1920s. Today it is a public facility run by the City of Santa Monica, made possible by a gift from the Annenberg Foundation in partnership with the City and California State Parks.

• The pool, one of the remaining pieces of the Davies estate, with marble around the deck and hand-restored tiles. It is heated to about 82 to 85 degrees.
• The Marion Davies Guest House, open for tours.
• A splash pad, playground and open seating, plus free wi-fi.
• Beach courts and fields: 3 beach volleyball courts and 1 beach soccer court.
• A gallery and view deck with views over Santa Monica Bay.
• Back on the Beach Café, run separately; call (310) 393-8282 for its hours.

Hours

• Grounds (playground, volleyball courts and sand): 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. from April to October; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from November to March.
• Gated area (splash pad, courtyard, view deck and gallery): 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to October; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November to March. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
• Guest Services: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from mid-June to Labor Day; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Labor Day to October and from May to mid-June; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November to April.
• Parking and beach access stay open year-round.

From September to mid-June, the City says access can change on short notice. Call Guest Services at (310) 458-4904 to confirm.

The Pool

The pool opens for Memorial Day weekend, then daily from mid-June through Labor Day, then weekends through September. It closes for the rest of the year apart from occasional "Pop-Up Pool Days" between October and May, announced up to three days ahead on the Beach House's social media and newsletter.

How passes work:

• Passes go on sale in person at the Guest Services window one hour before the pool opens. There is no advance purchase.
• Everyone in your party must be there when you buy.
• A pass covers all-day access to the pool deck, changing rooms and lockers (locks are free). Bring your own towel.
• When the pool is full, staff start a text waitlist. You get 15 minutes to gather your group once you are called.

Pool rules: children under 8 and under 4 feet tall need an adult in the water with them; children under 12 need adult supervision. No glass, bikes, scooters, skateboards, outside toys, or masks, fins and snorkels during recreational swim.

Marion Davies Guest House Tours

Tours run Friday to Monday, noon to 2 p.m. From September to mid-June the times can change on short notice, so call ahead.

Courts, Canopies and Events

The 3 volleyball courts and 1 beach soccer court can be reserved online through the City's ActiveNet system; otherwise they are first-come, first-served. In summer you can also reserve a canopy on the sand for a small gathering. The Beach House hosts private events for groups from 10 to 280 people. See beach volleyball.

Parking

The Beach House lot is pay and display:

• April to October (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.): $4 an hour or $15 a day; $2 an hour or $7.50 a day with a disabled placard.
• November to March (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.): $4 an hour or $10 a day; $2 an hour or $5 a day with a placard.

The lot has two EV charging spaces. When it is full, the City suggests Beach Lots 8 and 9 to the south or the Will Rogers State Beach lots to the north. More on parking and Will Rogers State Beach.

Dunes Next Door

The City and The Bay Foundation planted their first restored dunes, about three acres, near the Beach House in 2016. Rope and thin posts mark the dune areas; walk around them.