Santa Monica Pier
Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is LA’s cute, alluring, hippie-chic little sister, its karmic counterbalance and, to many, its salvation. Surrounded by LA on three sides and the Pacific on the fourth, SaMo is a place where real-life Lebowskis sip White Russians next to martini-swilling Hollywood producers, celebrity chefs dine at family-owned taquerias, and soccer moms and career bachelors shop at abundant farmers markets. All the while, kids, out-of-towners and those who love them flock to wide beaches and the pier, where the landmark Ferris wheel and roller coaster welcome one and all.
Explore Santa Monica
- Santa Monica Pier
Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…
- BBergamot Station Arts Center
This former rail yard has been converted to one of LA's best centers for art galleries, mostly for contemporary art. A couple dozen of them keep varying…
- SSanta Monica State Beach
There are endless ways to enjoy this 3.5-mile stretch of sand, running from Venice Beach in the south to Will Rogers State Beach in the north. Sunbathing…
- SSanta Monica Pier Carousel
A National Historic Landmark at the beginning of the pier, the 1916 Hippodrome building housing the carousel appeared in the movie The Sting. The 44…
- Palisades Park
Perhaps it’s appropriate that Route 66, America’s most romanticized byway, formerly ended at this gorgeous cliffside park perched dramatically on the edge…
- EEames House & Studio
In Santa Monica Canyon, the striking Eames House and Studio, built in 1949 by design deities Charles and Ray Eames, resembles a Mondrian painting in 3-D…
- CCalifornia Heritage Museum
For a trip back in time, check out the latest exhibit at this museum housed in one of Santa Monica’s few surviving grand Victorian mansions – this one…
- GGehry House
In his creative life before the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry was primarily known as that crazy guy who sculpted houses from chain-link fencing,…
- EEdgemar
A shopping mall like no other, this was designed by Frank Gehry, whose signature LA work is Walt Disney Concert Hall. It's a relatively early design of…
Latest Stories from Santa Monica
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Santa Monica.
See
Santa Monica Pier
Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…
See
Bergamot Station Arts Center
This former rail yard has been converted to one of LA's best centers for art galleries, mostly for contemporary art. A couple dozen of them keep varying…
See
Santa Monica State Beach
There are endless ways to enjoy this 3.5-mile stretch of sand, running from Venice Beach in the south to Will Rogers State Beach in the north. Sunbathing…
See
Santa Monica Pier Carousel
A National Historic Landmark at the beginning of the pier, the 1916 Hippodrome building housing the carousel appeared in the movie The Sting. The 44…
See
Palisades Park
Perhaps it’s appropriate that Route 66, America’s most romanticized byway, formerly ended at this gorgeous cliffside park perched dramatically on the edge…
See
Eames House & Studio
In Santa Monica Canyon, the striking Eames House and Studio, built in 1949 by design deities Charles and Ray Eames, resembles a Mondrian painting in 3-D…
See
California Heritage Museum
For a trip back in time, check out the latest exhibit at this museum housed in one of Santa Monica’s few surviving grand Victorian mansions – this one…
See
Gehry House
In his creative life before the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry was primarily known as that crazy guy who sculpted houses from chain-link fencing,…
See
Edgemar
A shopping mall like no other, this was designed by Frank Gehry, whose signature LA work is Walt Disney Concert Hall. It's a relatively early design of…
Guidebooks
Learn more about Santa Monica
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