Things to do at Santa Monica Pier for Families
Santa Monica Pier is one of Los Angeles’ most thriving and family-friendly piers. Located near the Third Street Promenade and due west of downtown Los Angeles, it’s easy to get to and has a lot of fun for all ages!
To get to the pier, you will want to park either on the pier itself by coming down Colorado Avenue, or park on the beach by entering off of Appian Way.
The pier is great for families and people of all ages because there is so much to do and see! You could easily spend half a day at the pier and then the rest of the day in the water or vice versa!
Things to See at Santa Monica Pier for Families
One of our favorite things to do at Santa Monica Pier is people-watching! There are street performers all along the pier singing, dancing, performing magic, painting and more!
You could have a caricature drawn to celebrate your trip or have your family name painted by one of the artists. Or what about having your name put on a grain of rice? Fact or fiction?!
The street performers at Santa Monica Pier change by the hour, so you never know what you’ll find!
In fact, I would love for you to come back and comment below with what types of street performers you saw! I can’t wait to hear about it!
We also love to watch the water and the fishermen at the end of the pier. You can often see fishermen get a catch and gut it.
But of course, my favorite thing is to simply watch as the waves roll in and take in the views! It seems that Spencer agreed with me!
Trapeze School New York at Santa Monica Pier
Have your children dreamed of being the next great acrobat? Do they love the movie Greatest Showman?
You’ll definitely want to enroll them in Trapeze School on Santa Monica Pier! Classes range from an hour to two hours and there are a lot of slots depending on the day and time!
Kids must be age 6 and above and adults can take part too!
Classes include from flying trapeze, trampoline, silks, static trapeze and more.
To check out your travel dates and take a class, visit here.
Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier for Families
One of the biggest draws to Santa Monica Pier for families is Pacific Park. Pacific Park has amusement park rides and arcade games.
You can purchase tickets for individual rides if there are just a couple you want to go on, like the ferris wheel. Or you can purchase a wristband for the day to ride the rides as much as you’d like! For current prices check here.
There are rides for all ages. From bumper cars for the kids to a roller coaster and tower ride for those who are a little more adventurous!
Our kids are 2 and 4 and were able to do quite a few rides with the kids pass, so it’s truly a park for everyone!
Rides for the younger crowd include mini bumper cars, flying airplanes, swings, a very small tower ride, spinning sharks, hot air balloons and more!
Rides for families with older kids include a roller coaster, a taller tower drop, bumper cars, ferris wheel (good for the whole family!), whiplash rides and more.
Even if you don’t want to ride a lot of rides, you really need to ride the ferris wheel!
There is just something about riding a ferris wheel on the beach with the mountains in the back! Such a gorgeous view!
You can see all of Santa Monica and up to Malibu and you get a really fun view of the rest of the pier!
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
The Heal the Bay Aquarium is located under Santa Monica Pier and is a great little aquarium for the fish lovers in your family!
The aquarium has more than 100 local species and features hands-on activities for kids, while keeping the welfare of the animals as a high priority.
The aquarium is run by an organization called Heal the Bay that focuses on the health of California’s beaches by focusing on trash clean up, environmental protection and water preservation.
This a great way to spend time on the Pier when the weather gets too hot or too rainy to be out on the beach! For hours and more information click here.
Eating At Santa Monica Pier for Families
Santa Monica Pier has everything from five-star dining to food vendors so you are bound to find something for your family!
Some of our favorites:
This restaurant is very family-friendly! We love the popcorn shrimp and the fun milkshakes that come in fancy cups! And of course, you’ll recognize it from Forrest Gump! Kids will love the themed decor and service from the movie.
Another family-friendly restaurant located right on the pier! Pier Burger offers great American fare if you have a pickier eater or someone who doesn’t like seafood!
If you are looking for something a little fancier, you should definitely check out the Albright, which serves upscale seafood from oysters to lobster. Never fear though, they do have a kids menu with grilled cheese, quesadillas and corn dog bites among others.
Lastly, if you are having too much fun to sit down at a restaurant, there are lots of options at the food court! Just make sure to get a churro with your hot dogs or tacos!
If you are looking for other things to do in Los Angeles with your kids, check out this post for all of our favorite things!
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