Santa Monica’s beloved Pacific Park celebrates 30th anniversary

Santa Monica’s iconic Pacific Park is officially turning 30, marking three decades since amusement rides returned to the famed Santa Monica Pier for the first time since the 1930s.

The beloved oceanfront attraction celebrated the milestone Tuesday with a birthday-themed light show on its world-famous Pacific Wheel, displaying “Happy Birthday” messages, anniversary graphics, and a glowing birthday cake above the Pacific Ocean.

The display lit up the night sky 40 feet above the water as the park commemorated its May 26, 1996, opening, which revived the pier as a bustling destination for entertainment, tourism, and community gatherings.

“Thirty years ago today, Pacific Park brought amusement back to the Santa Monica Pier,” Pacific Park CEO Jeff Klocke said.

Since reopening the pier to thrill rides nearly three decades ago, the park has become one of Southern California’s most recognizable seaside attractions, drawing visitors to a pier that now welcomes more than 12 million people annually from around the globe, noted the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Klocke highlighted several milestones that helped shape the park’s legacy over the years, including the debut of the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel in 1998, which established Pacific Park’s identity as both innovative and deeply tied to the California coastline.

A revamped Pacific Wheel featuring a dramatic LED lighting package was unveiled in 2008, transforming the ride into an internationally recognized Los Angeles landmark. In 2012, the Ferris wheel even snagged a Guinness World Record.

Klocke also pointed to Pacific Park’s longstanding partnerships with organizations including Santa Monica PAL, Special Olympics Southern California, and Make-A-Wish, along with years of local events and family traditions tied to the pier.

The park’s numbers over the last 30 years are staggering.

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Since opening, Pacific Park has provided nearly 100 million rides across its 12 classic boardwalk attractions and welcomed more than 14 million riders onto its solar-powered Ferris wheel, the outlet reported.

Visitors have consumed more than 4.5 million scoops of ice cream, 4.1 million cups of coffee, 3.6 million funnel cakes, 1,811,620 churros, and over 530,725 pieces of cotton candy, according to the park.

Today, Pacific Park features 12 rides, 14 midway games, oceanfront dining at Snackville, and beachside shopping, all centered around the Pacific Wheel, which remains the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. The attraction also bills itself as Los Angeles’ only admission-free amusement park.

The anniversary festivities kicked off early with a Santa Monica Pier Locals’ Night on May 21, a move Klocke said was intentional.

“Pacific Park exists because the Santa Monica Pier was preserved and supported by the community, so it felt important to begin the anniversary by saying thank you to the people who live here, work here, and have supported the pier over the years,” he said.

“The Santa Monica Pier has always been more than a tourist destination — it’s a gathering place and shared public space that generations of local families have helped shape.”