Pacific Park reflects on 25 years of fun at the Santa Monica Pier

Published on May 1, 2021

The amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier opened their rides for the first time on May 26th, 1996.

All this month, Pacific Park is remembering the highlights from a quarter-century of fun on the Pier during a month-long anniversary commemoration. Follow Pacific Park on Twitter and Facebook to see archival photos and learn about the modern history of the Park. From the grand opening and reopening of the Pacific Wheel to world-records and a long-since closed mini-golf course, you can learn and share your memories and reflections of visiting the Park.

2021 is a momentous year for Pacific Park. In addition to celebrating 25 years since first opening, there is more celebration to share with the return of ride operations following an unprecedented 13-month closure of the amusement park due to COVID-19. Ride operations resumed on April 2, 2021, as a result of collaboration on safety guidelines with local and state officials based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Pacific Park strives to navigate the situation safely with the wellbeing of everyone associated with the Park including hundreds of employees being welcomed back to the Pier.

Although things are working a little differently on the Pier with rules about where to stand in line and how many guests can be on the rides, the entire Pacific Park team is grateful for the support of City of Santa Monica officials and appreciates everyone’s efforts to return open access to the Pier. Building on its 25-year operation and presence on the Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Park will continue to operate with the health and safety of guests and employees at the forefront of planning and operations, which will be guided by health experts and industry standards.

For more information about this month-long celebration, head on over to Twitter or Facebook and hit follow. A new post with a reflection from each year of the Park’s operation will be posted every day starting with 2021 and ending with 1996 – the first year Pacific Park opened on the Pier. You can also post your memories and share your favorite moments from the Pier. Just use the hashtag #PacificPark!

Feature image courtesy of Pier historian Jim Harris.