Wistful dreams of America yesterday like this are easily recalled by today’s seniors, perhaps more selectively recalled among the baby boomers, but generally un-experienced by the kids. That’s not to say that amusement parks are history. Far from it. But an amusement park that actually sits over the ocean? That’s pretty special, and we have precious few left.

While Coney Island had its pier as early as the 1860s (and several appeared in England soon after), it was for the steamboat lines; the boardwalk and amusements that sprang up later lined the shore. It was the piers on the American East and West Coasts that first featured the amusement park directly over the ocean. Fortunately, several remain on the East Coast; most in New Jersey. The West Coast has only one left. The lone survivor is appropriately named Pacific Park, on the Santa Monica Pier.

Photographs from the early 1900s recall the Santa Monica Bay amusement piers that jutted out towards the ocean, with roller coasters tangled around dance halls. The first pier was built at the turn-of-the-century by entrepreneur Abbott Kinney as part of a vacation wonderland complete not only with amusement piers but with canals and singing gondoliers, hence the name Venice of America, Coney Island of the Pacific. The last of the Venice piers was torn down in 1946, while the Ocean Park Pier, one mile to the north of Venice, made it until 1967.

Today’s survivor, the Santa Monica Municipal Pier, one mile north of the Ocean Park Pier, started in 1908 as a municipal pier primarily for fishing and boating. Santa Monica Pier space soon nearly doubled in size by Charles Looff, one of the most famous names in the amusement industry. Looff had built Coney Island’s first carousel in 1876 and, with his sons, gone on to construct them throughout the country. It was a dream of his to build his own pier in Southern California, and his Looff’s Pleasure Pier, built in 1916, butted right up to the south side of the Santa Monica Municipal Pier.

Looff quickly built a carousel, the two-story ‘What Is It’ Fun House, and brought in several rides, including the Blue Streak Racer, a racing rollercoaster that he had dismantled and moved from the San Diego Exposition of 1915. Looff’s Pleasure Pier was even more successful than he had hoped, reaping hefty revenues from the Santa Monica Bay visitors, who were enjoying what at that time were no less than eight amusement piers within two miles of each other.

The intense competition, while healthy, was exhausting, and Charles Looff’s death in 1918 left his family with little interest in the pier, and they sold it in 1923. Youngest son Arthur Looff continued in the industry, however, with his best-known achievement being the design of the (still operating) Santa Cruz Giant Dipper in 1924.

Whirlwind Success

The new owners of the pier, the Santa Monica Amusement Company, immediately added two attractions that garnered the lion’s share of the Santa Monica Bay visitors. The first was the La Monica Ballroom, with a 15,000 square foot dance floor that could accommodate 5,000 dancers. It was the West Coast’s largest and most popular ballroom throughout the 1930s and ‘40s.

The other attraction that revitalised the renamed La Monica Pier was the Whirlwind Dipper roller coaster, which replaced the outdated Blue Streak Racer and went on to become one of the great coaster of the 1920s. The Whirlwind Dipper was a design from the venerable coaster team of Frank Prior and Fred Church, and Arthur Looff supervised its construction. Not surprisingly, the ride was very similar to the highly banked twister design of Looff’s Santa Cruz Giant Dipper, which he had built using Prior and Church patents.

Responding to the challenge, the Venice and Ocean Park piers retaliated with more ballrooms and larger rollercoasters, and the crowds returned. Unable to stand up to the competition, the Whirlwind Dipper began to lose revenue, and its owners went bankrupt and tore the coaster down in 1930. The rest of the amusements on the La Monica Pier eventually followed. But because the Pleasure Pier was connected to the Municipal Pier, which was always busy with fishing and boating excursions, the pier itself managed to remain in place. So while the Venice and Ocean Park piers were eventually removed as amusement piers, the La Monica Pier (by this time considered part of the Santa Monica Pier) survived. And what was it used for? Yes, a parking lot.

The hand-carved Looff carousel thankfully remained however, and continued to be popular with pier visitors, maintaining a final link to the glory years of the various Santa Monica Bay piers. The carousel and the pier were constantly used as period sets in motion pictures, most notably in 1973’s The Sting. It was most likely because of these film appearances that when the City of Santa Monica announced in 1973 that it was tearing down the Santa Monica Pier, a strong public “Save The Pier” campaign prevented it. Two years later, the pier was designated a Los Angeles County Historical Landmark.

But while the carousel, as well as the old Playland Arcade building, had survived, the few newer amusements that were hastily added (a giant slide, bumper car ride and a few games) were no more than a sloppy menagerie.

A major storm in 1982 destroyed 100,000 sq ft of the Santa Monica Pier, and the repair led to a major overhaul, including a complete restoration of the Looff carousel, rebuilding the Arcade and restoration of three other buildings from the early days that were now a fish market, restaurant and nightclub. During this restoration project, the city of Santa Monica began considering a resurrection of an amusement park on the original Looff Pleasure pier section of the Santa Monica Pier. John Gilchrist, with a long career in the amusement industry, was contacted to design such a park, and he became executive director of Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation.

Coney Island Connection

“The last thing we wanted to see was an antiseptic theme park recreation of the traditional amusement park,” Gilchrist, now retired, explained to me in 1997. “We wanted to be true to the spirit of the American amusement pier, which has its roots in the Coney Island atmosphere, the urban amusement park. In fact, some of the people who live and work on the Santa Monica Pier have been there since the ‘20s. It’s a rich part of our heritage, an American lifestyle and art form, which you could call “carny” if you want. But just because something is urban or carny doesn’t mean it isn’t safe. You’re dealing with an eclectic mix of people, of cultures. They’re all enjoying a neighbourhood family park, and there’s no antagonism. This is what we wanted with the new Santa Monica Pier amusement area, which we would call Pacific Park.“

The artist’s renderings of Pacific Park as originally submitted by Gilchrist are a startling recreation of Charles Looff’s Pleasure Pier from the 1920s, complete with wooden rollercoaster and classic rides such as the Tilt-A-Whirl and Scrambler, and art decor of the period. Only a student of amusement history could tell it was not the same amusement pier from the old days. However, this breathtaking rendering was not to see reality.

“The first problem was with the 120ft-high Ferris Wheel,” Gilchrist recalled. “A city council member complained that if he was standing on the south of the pier, he wouldn’t be able to see Malibu Point, some 20 miles to the north, because the Ferris Wheel would be in the way.”

Of course, he could either step to one side or walk under the pier to the north side to see it – or even ride the Ferris Wheel – but he managed to get the city to place a restriction on the ride so that it couldn’t be any taller than 85ft. He’d done his homework, learning that Ferris Wheels (at that time) came in 60/90/120ft height increments, so that limit precluded anything but a 60ft wheel. Pacific Park’s owners, Santa Monica Amusements, found their way around this by digging into the pier 5ft to allow for a 90ft wheel.

But the other problem, of even greater importance as far as the ambience of the park, was with the rollercoaster, although, Gilchrist explained, its 55ft height restriction wasn’t the issue. “The owners were against the wooden coaster because its foundations would take up room on the pier. Of course, we would have used raised steel headers to enable people to walk under the structure to the other rides. But that would have been more expensive than standard wooden posts and spreaders, and certainly more expensive than the simple columns of a steel coaster. Also, since the city of Santa Monica bore the responsibility of any structural work beneath the pier, and the columns of a steel coaster would have to go through the pier and be sunk into the ocean (unlike a wooden coaster that would sit directly on the pier) Santa Monica Amusements opted for a steel coaster that would cost them less.”

Compact Classic

Pacific Park opened on May 26, 1996, a far cry from the vision originally presented by John Gilchrist. Everything is to a smaller scale than first perceived, the decor isn’t carried as fully as on the renderings, the rides are geared more to children than to teenagers and adults, and the classic criss-cross of a wooden coaster is instead the stark, practical columns of a steel coaster.

And does the public care? Not at all.

“Business is great!” says general manager Mary Ann Powell. At 48, she has an impressive history in the amusement industry, starting with Six Flags Movieland Wax Museum, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, and five years as vice- president of sales and marketing for Paramount’s Great America, before joining Pacific Park as its general manager in July 1997.

“Of course, we’re weather driven,” she explains. “But 2006 was a record year, and so far 2007 is ahead of 2006.”

The Santa Monica Pier has over three million annual visitors, and Interstate 10, the main artery westward into Southern California, ends at the Pacific Ocean right at the Santa Monica Pier. Given that, it would seem that Pacific Park could ride on its captive audience.

“Well, as far as local advertising,” Powell told me, “there’s not much we have to do. We’re constantly on the local news as a backdrop, usually for weather reports, so everyone sees us and knows us. But as far as the visitors to Southern California, yes, we get out there with plenty of brochures on the rack. If tourists are going to come to see the Pacific Ocean, we want to make sure they come here, that they know about the Santa Monica Pier in general, and Pacific Park specifically.”

Being close to Hollywood and Beverly Hills doesn’t hurt either.

“There are a lot of movie star sightings here in Santa Monica, on the Pier and at Palisades Park and the Third Street Promenade, just a short walk away.”

Often, the movie stars can be seen working in films being shot on the pier and in Pacific Park.

“Commercial filming gives us a very good revenue, and works very well for us,” Powell explains. “As long as it doesn’t hinder our regular park operations, we’re happy to accommodate filmmakers in the park. And it gives our visitors a chance to see movie action.”

What about group sales?

“Group sales is a major thrust for us. We do a lot of direct mail for group events and corporate picnics, and we’re a very popular location for birthday parties. We’re very involved with the community, and sponsor a lot of fund raisers, particularly for youth groups.”

And what about expansion possibilities? After all, there’s only so much room on the pier. “Under our current operating permit with the city, we have the maximum allowed number of rides. While the possibility to increase that number is open for discussion, we’re not pursuing it at this time.”

Per its contract, the pier is permitted only one roller coaster, one Ferris Wheel, and a specific number of kiddie/major rides. “Overheads are always a consideration, including and the cost and operation of a new ride,” adds Powell. “Plus, the minimum wage has gone up, and that’s another challenge for us. So we need to find ways to grow without adding new rides.”

Given the permit limitations, Pacific Park’s selection of rides is well considered. The five adult rides include a Chance Morgan steel coaster, solar-powered Ferris Wheel and Sea Dragon (pirate boat), an Eli Bridge Scrambler, bumper cars from Majestic and a 45ft Moser drop ride. These plus six kiddie rides create a perfect mix of family ride experience.

However, this is Southern California, with the likes of Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain. How does Pacific Park sell itself against all that amusement muscle?

“From a local perspective, we’ll tell a young family that they can come to Pacific Park and, with the open gate, stay here for two hours and spend a little money on rides and games, have something to eat and the children come away with feeling like they’ve visited an amusement park. There isn’t the time or money commitment of the larger parks. We present ourselves as an affordable alternative for families with small children. We get a lot of repeat visitors in that regard. You’ll see nannies with children in strollers here. And even with the open gate, we’re in a very safe environment, with 24-hour security service.

“On summer nights, say from 9 to 11pm, you’ll see a younger crowd come in, teenagers on dates. They’ll have dinner on the pier, ride the Ferris Wheel, play a game, but they’re not our core user. They enjoy the environment, but they know they won’t get the thrills here. It’s the families we depend on to come back again. And they do, year after year.”

Families in general, and the crowds in particular, have been coming to the Santa Monica Pier for a hundred years now.

And thanks to Pacific Park, and after a 66-year absence, the Santa Monica Bay amusements have returned, as a fitting tribute to one of the greatest eras in American amusement history.

Gary Kyriazi is the author of The Great American Amusement Parks, A Pictorial History, and is a regular contributor to Park World.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend