Santa Monica Pier

The pier dates from 1909 and originally carried sewage pipes out past the surf line; the amusement pier was added beside it in 1916. Pacific Park on the deck holds a Ferris wheel with solar panels, and a small roller coaster. The 1922 carousel, rebuilt in 1990 inside the Looff Hippodrome at the entrance, a building on the National Register of Historic Places, was used in The Sting. Route 66 is signed as ending here, which is a convenient fiction - the highway officially terminated at Lincoln and Olympic - but the sign is on the pier and the photograph is taken there anyway. Beneath, the beach runs for miles.

What to look for

• A solar-panelled Ferris wheel - lit up over the bay.
• A 1922 carousel - in the historic Looff Hippodrome.
• The Route 66 end sign - placed here rather than at the official terminus.
• A pier from 1909 - originally built to carry sewage pipes offshore.

When to go

Year round; evenings for the lit wheel. Half a day.

Before you go

It is crowded and the food and rides are priced for visitors. Parking is expensive; the Metro is better. June and July bring persistent coastal overcast. The Route 66 terminus claim is not strictly accurate.

Nearby

Venice Beach is south along the sand; Third Street Promenade is inland.

Key facts