Stranger Things Celebrates Their New Season at the Santa Monica Pier

Published on July 23, 2019

Netflix’s award-winning Stranger Things series will celebrate its upcoming season three release by throwing an immersive fan experience at Pacific Park. Fans will have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of the fictional Hawkins, IN, all weekend long.

The third season of Stranger Things finds the Hawkins, IN crew out of school and hanging out at the fictional town’s summer fair. Netflix is offering fans the opportunity to experience 80’s summer vibes at the Santa Monica Pier with a Stranger Things-themed takeover. On June 29th and 30th, guests will find the Pier’s parking deck filled with unique, Stranger Things experiences like a dunk tank, Hawkins Bike Shop and ice cream from Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream featured in the third season. The county fair-themed area of the Pier will feature a Demogorgon-filled Curiosity House and live entertainment that will include performances from the Hawkins High School Cheerleaders, 80’s cover bands, and food eating contests.

Inside Pacific Park, the Pacific Wheel will stand in as the Hawkins Wheel. When the sun sets, the Park will transform into all-red Stranger Things Fun Fair with thematic lighting and photo opportunities from the show. The Pacific Wheel’s 174,000 LEDs lighting system will feature a nightly light program themed to the Upside Down, the eerie alternate dimension version of Hawkins, Indiana, from the TV series.

What’s Happening with Stranger Things on the Santa Monica Pier?
Netflix has created an immersive, walkthrough experience for Stranger Things fans on the Santa Monica Pier’s parking deck. The experience is open from 11 AM until 9 PM. For directions and parking, check out Pacific Park’s parking information for the Santa Monica Pier. Please note the Pier parking deck is closed to vehicular traffic during the activation.

What should visitors expect when visiting the Stranger Things Pop-up Event?
Guests will enter the timed Stranger Things pop-up next to the Albright in the Pier’s upper parking lot. After receiving their timed ticket, guests walk through a series of Hawkins, IN, fair experiences like the House of Curiosities and visit the Scoops-Ahoy ice cream truck. The tour ends at the east entrance to Pacific Park where guests can find more Easter-eggs from the show hidden throughout the amusement park and midway. The Pier and Ferris wheel will be lit red all week long to add to the Stranger Things vibe.

How will this impact my visit to Pacific Park?
The Park and Pier will remain open to the public for our regular operating hours (Saturday 10 AM –midnight, Sunday 10 AM – 11 PM). Guests visiting the Pier are not required to walk through the Stranger Things pop-up. Regular guests to the Pier should note that the upper pier parking deck will be closed all week long.

The Stranger Things pop-up and theming inside Pacific Park are some of the unique opportunities guests can experience when visiting the Santa Monica Pier. “The historic Pier is an unexpected place for guests to discover the world of 1980s Hawkins, Indiana,” says Pacific Park Marketing Director, Nathan Smithson. “We love to work with innovative and creative partners like Netflix to bring interesting and engaging consumer events to the Pier so that visitors can experience the Pier in new and exciting ways.”

After Stranger Things 3 mania hits Santa Monica, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York will receive a similar makeover. Their Ferris wheel, Thunderbolt, Tilt-A-Whirl, Bumper Cars and Carousel attractions will also be Stranger-fied. The east coast Stranger Things takeover will be highlighted by the Hawkins Fourth of July Spectacular Firework Show.

Since debuting in 2016, Stranger Things has garnered 31 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. According to Nielsen ratings, 15.8 million people watched the second season of Stranger Things series within its first three days on Netflix.

Updated 6/25/19