Santa Monica is an affluent beachfront city on Santa Monica Bay located in western Los Angeles County. Pacific Palisades, and Malibu are to the northwest, Brentwood to the north, West Los Angeles to the east, and Venice, Mar Vista and Marina del Rey to the south. Palms is to the east. The population was 89,736 as of the 2010 census. Santa Monica has become a resort destination because of its excellent climate, beautiful beach on Santa Monica Bay, and excellent restaurants. The city owns and operates the Santa Monica Airport which is a general aviation airport and is home to Santa Monica College which is a two-year, public, junior college. While the city is near the Santa Monica Mountains, it is not in or on the slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains.

 

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier, a 100 plus year old landmark, is located in Santa Monica at the end of Colorado Avenue. The pier, which is actually two adjoining piers under separate ownership, contains Pacific Park which is an amusement park featuring a large ferris wheel that provides spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, a roller coaster, and many other rides and amusements. The pier has been designated a Historic Landmark by the City of Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome

The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome is a unique building located on the Newcomb Pier, adjacent to the Santa Monica Pier, in Santa Monica. It was designed and built in 1916 and housed the world famous Looff Carousel until 1939 when the Looff Carousel was replaced with the carousel that operates to this day. The Looff Hippodrome Carousel Building has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is a great place to visit.

 

Santa Monica Airport

Santa Monica Airport, also known as the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport in Santa Monica. The 'airport was originally called Clover Field and was the home of the Douglas Aircraft Company. During World War II, military aircraft were built at the site. The Museum of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport has a collection of over 50 historic aircraft available for viewing.

 

Museum of Flying

The Museum of Flying, established in 1974, is a 22,000 square foot private, non-profit air and space museum located in Santa Monica at the Santa Monica Airport. The museum exhibits a collection of more than fifty vintage aircraft, plus many educational and historical exhibits. The museum offers a hands-on interactive and educational center for children including a flight simulator. The Museum of Flying is a great place for the entire family.

 

Third Street Promenade

The Third Street Promenade is a highly popular, upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment center in downtown Santa Monica located within easy walking distance to the beach and Santa Monica Bay. The center draws people from all over the Los Angeles Basin and beyond. Santa Monica Place is located at the southern end of the Third Street Promenade. Stores and services include Abercrombie & Fitch, Apple, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Foot Locker, Forever 21, Gap, BabyGap, Gap Kids, Guess, Levi's, Old Navy, Pottery Barn, and Victoria's Secret.

 

Palisades Park

Palisades Park in Santa Monica is a 26-acre ocean vieW public park that runs from Colorado Avenue to San Vicente Boulevard along Ocean Avenue. The park is located on bluffs above Pacific Coast Highway overlooking Santa Monica Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, and the entire Santa Monica Bay. The views are absolutely spectacular. The south end of the park has direct access to the Santa Monica Pier. The park has beautiful gardens, picnic areas, walking trails, bike trails, and direct access to the beach, hotels, restaurants, and shopping.

 

New West Symphony - Santa Monica

The New West Symphony, established in 1995, is the professional, resident orchestra of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, and Santa Monica's Barnum Hall. The Symphony presents six Masterpiece Series concerts annually, performing major works.

 

Santa Monica Playhouse

The Santa Monica Playhouse is a small community theater established in 1960. The theater provides dramatic, comedic, classical, and contemporary theatrical productions, as well as lectures.

 

Santa Monica Tennis Club

Santa Monica Tennis Club is a public tennis club based at Reed Park in Santa Monica. Memberships are available to all adults regardless of area of residency.

 

Santa Monica State Beach

Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park maintained and operated by the city of Santa Monica. The beach is 3.5 miles long and includes picnic areas, parks, volleyball courts, and public restrooms. Santa Monica Beach can be viewed from Palisades Park located above Santa Monica's famous sandstone cliffs.

Santa Monica State Beach begins where Will Rogers State Beach ends at the Rustic Canyon Creek and ends on the south end at Venice Beach. Sorrento Beach is a subsection on the north end of the beach just south of Annenberg Beach House. Ocean View Beach is the subsection from the south end of the Santa Monica Pier to Venice. Sorrento Beach is well known for volleyball.

 

Heal the Bay - Santa Monica

Heal the Bay is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization based in Santa Monica that is dedicated to protecting the Santa Monica Bay which extends from Point Dume to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Heal the Bay operates the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium which was previously known as the Ocean Discovery Center.

 

Annenberg Community Beach House

The Annenberg Community Beach House opened as a public facility in 2009 on Santa Monica State Beach. The site is the former location of the 5 acres, 110 room mansion that William Randolph Hearst built for Marion Davies in the 1930s. In 2005, the Annenberg Foundation made a large financial contribution in order to preserve, improve, and convert the site for public use. Today, the pool, beach, volleyball courts, restaurant, beach tennis courts, and community rooms are open to the public. The facility is quite spectacular and the views of the coast are truly incredible.

 

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is an aquarium located just below the Carousel at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. The aquarium is open to the public and offers educational programs and activities dedicated to marine conservation and prevention of pollution. Exhibits include: Shark Tank, Octopus Tank, 3 Touch Tanks, Rocky Reef Tank, and many more.

 

Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center

The Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center was founded in 1926 and became part of UCLA Health in 1995. The Santa Monica facility, provides 266 beds which includes a 26 bed pediatrics unit. Services provided include: Emergency Care, Rape Treatment, Oncology, Neonatal Intensive Care, and more.

 

Twilight Concerts at the Pier

Twilight Concerts at the Pier are free concerts performed every Thursday night at the Santa Monica Pier each summer, usually at 7:00 p.m. from mid-July through mid-September. The concerts have been sponsored by the city for more than 30 years. Seating is not provided, but people may bring their own folding chairs.

 

Santa Monica Bicycle Path

The 8.5 mile long Santa Monica Bicycle Path is the central portion of the 22 mile long Marvin Braude Bike Trail that runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Los Angeles County from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to Torrance County Beach in Torrance. The bicycle path passes under the Santa Monica Pier. The bike trail was known as "The Strand" for many years before the California Legislature named it after Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude.

 

The Strand

Marvin Braude Bike Trail

The Strand, renamed the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, is a paved bicycle path that runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Los Angeles County. It starts at Will Rogers State Beach in the Los Angeles-Community of Pacific Palisades and ends at Torrance County Beach in Torrance at the base of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Hills. The 22 mile bike path runs through Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Venice, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, EI Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Torrance. The midpoint is in Playa del Rey. The Strand is the most popular bike path in Southern California.

 

Santa Monica History Museum

Santa Monica Historical Society

The Santa Monica History Museum, founded in 1975, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of education and the collection of documents, objects, and memorabilia relating to the Santa Monica Bay area. The museum provides permanent exhibitions, featured exhibitions, tours, photographs, a research library, and continuous educational programs. The Santa Monica Historical Society was instrumental in founding the museum.

 

Santa Monica Museum of Art

The Santa Monica Museum of Art, founded in 1984, is an independent art museum that exhibits the work of local, national, and international contemporary artists. The museum, which is located at 2525 Michigan Avenue, is open to the public most days. Memberships are available.

 

Tongva Park - Santa Monica

The Tongva Park is a 6.2-acre community park in Santa Monica that features an amphitheater, picnic areas, a children's play area, fountains, a garden, and plenty of mature shade trees and open space. An overlook in the park offers excellent views of the Santa Monica Pier and Santa Monica Bay. The park is named after the Tongva People who have lived in Southern California including the Channel Islands for thousands of years.

 

Santa Monica Canyon

Santa Monica Canyon is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. It is bordered by the city of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Bay, Chautauqua Drive/Sunset Boulevard and the Riviera Country Club. Santa Monica Canyon uses a Santa Monica post office zip code.

 

Clover Park - Santa Monica

Clover Park is a 17.9 acre community park on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica. The park features a lighted baseball diamond, 2 lighted softball fields, 2 lighted soccer fields, 2 lighted tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, 2 children's play areas, a 15-station fitness course, picnic tables, barbeques, and plenty of mature shade trees and open space.

 

Bernard Way Linear Park

Bernard Way Linear Park is a 3.22 acre park in Santa Monica, located on the beach side of Bernard Way between Bicknell Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard. Since the park is located well above the elevation of the beach, it provides magnificent views of Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica Pier, and the coastline north to Malibu and south to Palos Verdes Peninsula. Stairways provide convenient access to the beach.

 

Virginia Avenue Park - Santa Monica

Virginia Avenue Park is a 9.5 acre community park that features a Teen Center, 2 lighted basketball courts, 2 children's play areas, picnic tables, barbeques, after school programs for grades 1-5, classes, and lots of mature shade trees and open space.

 

Dorothy Green Park - Santa Monica

Dorothy Green Park is a community park located at Santa Monica Beach at Ocean Park Boulevard and Barnard Way. It is generally less crowded than the other local parks because it consists primarily of open space, picnic tables, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

 

Reed Park - Santa Monica

Reed Park is located near the Santa Monica Library at 7th Street and Wilshire. The park features 6 lighted tennis courts, 2 basketball courts, a multipurpose room that can accommodate up to 90 people, restrooms, a children's play area, and lots of open space.

 

Santa Monica International Chess Park

The Santa Monica International Chess Park is located south of Muscle Beach on Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica. The park features permanent chess tables and benches, as well as a human-sized chess board. Spectators are welcome and tables are available for use by the public.

 

Memorial Park - Santa Monica

Memorial Park in Santa Monica features a gym and fitness center, community rooms, three baseball fields, three softball fields, one soccer field, four lighted tennis courts, a children's play area, a skate park, restrooms, and plenty of shade trees and open space.

 

Pacific Park - Santa Monica

Pacific Park is an ocean front amusement park located on the Santa Monica Pier. The park as 13 adult and children's rides including a large Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster, numerous food concessions, games, and other attractions, including a magnificent view of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean.

 

Mary Hotchkiss Park

The Mary Hotchkiss Park is a 2.1-acre passive park located along 4th Street between Strand and Holister in the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica. The city has owned the open space site since 1935. The park is known for its beautiful mature trees.

 

Los Amigos Park - Santa Monica

The Los Amigos Park is a 3.14-acre public park in Santa Monica. The park features two tennis courts, four handball courts, a soccer field, lighted basketball courts, a children's play area, restrooms, and lots of open space.

 

Santa Monica Public Library

The Santa Monica Public Library is a first-class, full-service library located at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard in the city of Santa Monica. The library offers extensive learning programs for all age groups, lots of meeting and study rooms, numerous computers, food service, and more. It is one of the best libraries in Southern California.

 

Santa Monica Conservancy

The Santa Monica Conservancy, founded in 2002, is a local non-governmental organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the architectural heritage of Santa Monica. The organization should not be confused with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy which is an agency of the State of California dedicated to the acquisition of land for open space.

 

Magicopolis - Santa Monica

Magicopolis is a 150 seat theater in Santa Monica that produces great magic shows and comedy. Magicopolis also offers magic lessons for children ages 7-12 and a store where magic tricks and devices can be purchased. Magicopolis is a perfect place for private parties and corporate events.

 

Bergamot Station

Bergamot Station was a railroad station in Santa Monica from 1875 to 1953 that was converted to a collection of art galleries in 1994. There are currently more than thirty individual galleries at the Bergamot Station facility.

 

Angels Attic

Angels Attic, established in 1984, is a museum of dollhouses, miniatures, and toys. The museum is located in a Queen Anne style home in downtown Santa Monica built in 1895. It is open to the public most days.

 

Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership organization with nearly 700 members doing business in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, West Los Angeles, Brentwood, and beyond. The chamber's primary mission is to generate more business activity for its members and the local community by providing networking opportunities, by providing referrals, by means of its membership directory, and by sponsoring numerous events each year.