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 the Pacific Wheel, a Ferris wheel run entirely on solar power from panels on site, the only one of its kind, and a small roller coaster. The 1922 carousel in the Hippodrome building at the entrance is a National Historic Landmark and 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 you actually see

• A solar-powered Ferris wheel - the only one of its type.
• A 1922 carousel - a National Historic Landmark in the 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.

Honest expectations

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.