Fodor's Expert Review Santa Monica Pier
![Ferris Wheel, Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, Venice, Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu, Los Angeles, California, USA.](/assets/destinations/74733/ferris-wheel-santa-monica-pier-santa-monica-venice-santa-monica-venice-and-malibu-los-angeles-california-usa_main.jpg)
Souvenir shops, carnival games, arcades, eateries, an outdoor trapeze school, a small amusement park, and an aquarium all contribute to the festive atmosphere of this truncated pier at the foot of Colorado Boulevard below Palisades Park. The pier's trademark 46-horse Looff Carousel, built in 1922, has appeared in several films, including The Sting. The Soda Jerks ice-cream fountain (named for the motion the attendant makes when pulling the machine's arm) inside the carousel building is a pier staple, and the MariaSol restaurant at the end of the pier serves great fajitas. Free concerts are held on the pier in the summer.