Pacific Park

Pacific Park is the amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier, at 380 Santa Monica Pier. There is no admission fee: you walk in free and pay for the rides and games you choose. It has 12 rides, including the Pacific Wheel, which the park calls the world's first solar-powered Ferris wheel, and the West Coaster roller coaster. Rides cost about $5 to $15 each.

Rides

Pacific Park lists 12 rides. Six are family rides that parents can share with small children. The two best known are:

• The Pacific Wheel, the park's Ferris wheel. It is gondola-style, and the manufacturer's rules do not allow single riders, so bring a companion. You can apply to have it lit in a special color for an occasion, though the park cannot meet every request.
• The West Coaster, the park's roller coaster.

The Gyro Loop is an extra-charge attraction on top of the regular rides.

Tickets and Prices

• Entry: free. Walking through the park costs nothing.
• Rides: pay per ride with individual tickets, generally $5 to $15 each, or buy an all-day unlimited-ride wristband. Prices change without notice.
• Games: midway games cost $3 to $8 a play.
• Where to buy: at the ticket booths on the Pier or online through the park's ticket page.

Hours

Pacific Park is open 365 days a year, weather permitting, but its hours change by season and by day, and it sometimes closes for private events. The park posts a day-by-day calendar on its hours page; check it the day you go, or call 310-260-8744. Some rides close in bad weather.

Rules Worth Knowing

• Height: every ride has a posted minimum or maximum height, between 36 and 48 inches. Some rides let smaller children ride with a ticketed chaperone.
• Pets: not allowed inside the park; service animals are.
• Smoking and vaping: not allowed anywhere in the park.
• Food: outside food is fine in the park, but its use is limited in the food court and event areas.
• Drones: not allowed.
• Lockers, strollers and wheelchairs: the park has no lockers and does not rent strollers or wheelchairs. Some rides accommodate guests with mobility impairments.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: families with young kids (six share-a-ride family rides and free entry, so grandparents can walk along without paying), and anyone who wants a Ferris wheel view of the bay.

Maybe skip if: you only have a free hour on a summer weekend evening, when the deck is at its busiest. A walk out to the end of the Pier and the beach beside it costs nothing.

Getting There

Pacific Park is on the Pier deck, a short walk from Ocean Avenue. Park in Beach Lot 1 North or Lot 1 South below the Pier; see parking for rates.