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Funhouse
Discover the whimsical world of clowns at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, where street performers meet the Pacific Ocean. From balloon animals to playful antics, explore how these colorful characters bring joy to locals and tourists.
The 2,800-square-foot Funhouse at Pacific Park is inspired by the legendary “Toonerville Funhouse,” which appeared in two eras of Santa Monica amusement history – first at Ocean Park Pier in the 1920s and later at Pacific Ocean Park in 1958, thrilling and unnerving guests throughout the years. Hidden away for decades, its spirit has been resurrected inside Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier where guests will wander nine mysterious rooms and attractions that are designed to disorient, amuse and entertain visitors with optical illusions, tricky layouts, and unexpected surprises.
Urban legends suggest the original Funhouse was shut down not just because of disrepair, but because of numerous unexplained incidents. Employees reported weird shadows, inexplicable laughter after hours, and disappearing props. Some even claimed Sprinkles was based on a real clown who vanished during the park’s final season. Whether fact or fiction, the story only adds to the attraction’s mystique.
Why are there so many clowns at the Santa Monica Pier?
Clowns at the Santa Monica Pier
With the mysterious reappearance of the abandoned “Toonerville Funhouse” inside Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, strange things have been happening on the pier. In all the tinkering and perfecting of “Funhouse at Pacific Park,” the sinister magic of coin-operated fortune tellers and the mysterious anonymity of a dessert-wielding clown has yet again been unleashed. The park itself is bringing to life Sprinkles the Clown and its eerie entourage are roaming the pier; performers with the sole mission to awaken the Toonerville Funhouse’s long-lost, haunting energy.
Rumor has it, a costumed clown recently sped across the Santa Monica Bay on a roaring jet ski, circling Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Pier, performing crazy stunts and tricks to beachgoers and lucky onlookers. What was it for? Was it Sprinkles the Clown or one of his friends? Only time will tell…
Sprinkles the Clown
When the Toonerville Funhouse opened its doors, there was a new figure at Pacific Ocean Park, Sprinkles the Clown. He was a cheerful ice cream vendor with a rusty truck that played off-key music who children loved but adults were weary. He never asked for money and never seemed to age.
When the Toonerville Funhouse opened, Sprinkles the Clown and the ice cream truck disappeared. Employees and visitors claimed to have caught glimpses of him inside the funhouse. Rumors even spread that the Funhouse was built around the ice cream truck as they can still hear the offkey music even when no music is played.
When the attraction closed in 1967, Sprinkles the Clown faded into just a rumor. Some say they still see Sprinkles the Clown handing out ice cream from his truck and his offerings change based on your dreams. Others say they hear the off-key music echo under the pier here and there.
Funhouse at Pacific Park
The Funhouse’s nine distinct chambers will disorient, amuse and entertain unsuspecting guests with optical illusions, tricky layouts, and unexpected surprises.
Just past Snackville inside Pacific Park, pier guests may stumble upon an abandoned storage area in the back of the century-old Santa Monica Pier. Within the decayed relics sits a sigil granting access to a curiously odd new funhouse.
Funhouse Chambers include:
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Big Topsy Turvy
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Loud Mouth
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Jacked In A Box
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Puppet Master
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Mirror Madness
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Gumball Glazy
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Ice Cream Truckin’
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Vanilla Chill
You may even end up facing Sprinkles the Clown! Will you make it out unscathed? Or will you be lost in this labyrinth of curiosities for another 50 years? The Funhouse at Pacific Park is a unique experience. Through it, we’re honoring the legacy of one of Santa Monica’s historical attractions, while creating a whole new world of modernized mystery and awe.
Other Fun at Pacific Park
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA’s only admission free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 14 midway games, Snackville with five fun food offerings and retail beach shops. Pacific Park’s signature rides include the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, the Pacific Wheel, and the West Coaster, a steel roller coaster that races 55 feet above the Santa Monica Bay. See the full list of fun here
History of the Toonerville Funhouse
The Toonerville Funhouse was one of the whimsical, cartoon-themed attractions at Pacific Ocean Park. Its theme and design were likely inspired by the popular “Toonerville Trolley” comic strip, which was widely recognized in the early 20th century. Pacific Ocean Park was an amusement park located at the end of Ocean Park Boulevard, near the border between Santa Monica and Venice, California. It opened in 1958 and operated until 1967.
