20 to 40 minutes (approx.)
Daily Tour
15 people
English
No trip to sunny Los Angeles is complete without a visit to the Santa Monica Pier, and no visit to the Pier is complete without this self-guided audio walking tour! As you stroll along this bustling pier, you’ll dig deep into its history, from its humble origins to devastating storms and ambitious amusement parks. Spot the historic Santa Monica Pier Carousel and Pacific Park before making your way to the very end of the pier, offering unbeatable views of the ocean and Santa Monica Beach. After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route. New, extra validity ‘ now yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips!
Our tour begins at the Santa Monica Pier Arch. You can’t miss it! This historic structure has been standing tall for over 80 years, adding a little touch of drama to the pier’s entrance.
• Admission Ticket Free
Now let’s get to know Charles Looff, Danish immigrant, furniture carver, and the pier’s hero.
By day, he carved away in a factory, but at night, he created life-size animal sculptures full of imagination, whimsy, and magic. Can you guess what he was building?
• Admission Ticket Free
To our left stands Santa Monica’s iconic carousel. While this one only dates back to the 1940s, the original was built by none other than Charles Looff. He built it as part of a hugely ambitious project in 1916. His goal was nothing less than turning this sewage site into a tourist attraction!
• Admission Ticket Free
For decades, the pier sat mostly empty and unused. By the 70s, Santa Monica’s City Council was looking for excuses to tear down the old eyesore. They put forth a plan to destroy the pier and build an artificial island instead. During a meeting, a resident asks the City Manager whether the public should have a say. His response?
• Admission Ticket Free