National Roller Coaster Day

Published on August 13, 2025

Ride the Steel Wave: Pacific Park Celebrates ‘National Roller Coaster Day’ with the Ocean-Soaring West Coaster

Get the barcode on Instagram @pacpark for just $1 to ride on August 16 and enjoy the thrills of the West Coaster’s double-helix design and breathtaking ocean views

Get ready to ride the steel wave of National Roller Coaster Day. Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is offering $1 rides on its ocean-soaring West Coaster on Saturday, August 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow @pacpark on Instagram and watch for Thursday’s post to get the special barcode to unlock the deal and experience the double-helix thrills with sweeping Pacific views.

The West Coaster is a steel roller coaster that races 55 feet above the Santa Monica Pier deck and 95 feet over the Pacific Ocean, offering unparalleled views of the Southern California coastline. Reaching speeds of 35 mph, it runs from one end of Pacific Park to the other.

National Roller Coaster Day is celebrated annually on August 16. It commemorates one of the first roller coaster patents, granted to Edwin Prescott in 1898 for a looping coaster. This day is a celebration of all things roller coasters, encouraging people to visit amusement parks and experience the thrill of these rides. LaMarcus Thompson is widely credited as the “father of the roller coaster” for his development of the “Switchback Railway” at Coney Island in 1884.