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Santa Monica (Spanish for 'Saint Monica'; Spanish: Santa Mónica) is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to its climate, beaches, and hospitality industry.
Discover Santa Monica, a seaside town with a vibrant cityscape, art and style. Find hotels, restaurants, events, attractions and more in this official guide for visitors.
Discover the best things to do in Santa Monica, California, from the iconic Santa Monica Pier and beach to the historic Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place. Explore the city's culture, nature, history and shopping with our guide and trip planner.
- Head to McCabe's Guitar Shop For A Night of Live Music
- Learn to Trapeze on Santa Monica Pier
- Descend The Steep Santa Monica Stairs
- Watch A Cult Movie at A Vintage Theater
- Stop For A Work-Out Show on The Real Muscle Beach
- Take A Dip at The Annenberg Community Beach House
- Eat at Santa Monica's Best Retro Restaurants
- People Watch on Third Street Promenade
- Browse One Man's Life-Long Curios Collection
- Visit The Santa Monica Farmers Market
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Hidden in the back of a musical instrument shop, this live venue rose to fame in the 1960s during the folk and blues revival. By day, McCabe’ssells obscure instruments. By night, it turns into a intimate booze-free venue for 150 music aficionados. Legendary artists, from Joni Mitchell and John Lee Hooker to PJ Harvey, the Pixies, Tom Petty, and Elv...
The historic pier is to Santa Monica what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris – overrun with tourists but no visit is complete without experiencing it. Built in 1909, the pier marks the last stop on Route 66. Incredibly, the 130ft high Pacific Wheel is the only one of its kind on a California pier. It's also the only solar-powered Ferris wheel in the worl...
This not-so-secret pathway, in between multi-million-dollar houses on Adelaide Drive, plummets through the trees and lush mountains of Santa Monica Canyon via 170 steel and wooden stairs. Originally built in the 1920s, so local kids had a quicker route to school, the steps now attract fitness junkies, who come here to experience the sharp 110ft ele...
The Aero has been showing movies since the 1940s on its single screen. Originally built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, the name being a nod to the aerospace industry, it still has many original art deco features – including the striking neon sign and single seat ticket office in the entrance hall. The movie house has featured in many films itself...
Although the one in Venice gets more attention, the original "muscle beach" – an outdoor gym with ropes, rings, and bars – actually opened in Santa Monica in 1934. Venice's version was named the "Weight Pen" before it adopted its "Muscle Beach Venice" moniker. Due to the busy public setting on Santa Monica Beach, with pier and ocean in the backgrou...
Originally a grandiose 1920s five-acre beach house built for legendary silent-era film actress Marion Davies, the Annenberg Community Beach Houseis now a pool and recreation center with beach views and all kinds of classes the public can sign up for. Beach volleyball, soccer and tennis, in addition, to stand-up paddle boarding and surf lessons, are...
Near the end of America's most famous drive is Mel's Drive-In – a suitably retro burger joint housed in a Googie-style building designed by prolific "modern" architects Armet and Davis. Inside is a step back in time – high chairs line the counter, patrons sip milkshakes at '60s-style leather booths and a jukebox plays timeless rock ‘n’ roll tunes. ...
The tree-lined Third Street Promenade is a rare thing in Southern California – a half-mile-long pedestrian-only road. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and stores to crawl, but the best way to soak up the atmosphere is to grab a table outside and catch one of the many live street performers, ranging from musicians and comedians to breakdancers...
Part museum, part curiosity shop, part prop rental company, jAdis houses one man's collection of "touches of mankind’s genius". Its doors open at certain times each week, so inquisitive folks can peruse flipbooks and plasma lights, vintage 1930s bathing suits and peculiar scientific instruments or whimsical steampunk contraptions. It also holds a r...
To meet the locals, head to one of the three weekly Santa Monica Farmers Markets, each attracting between 3000 and 10,000 visitors. Local producers and crafters tout their organic fruits, vegetables, flowers, baked goods, and seafood catches here. There's usually free live music to enjoy as you tuck into your bounty. Markets take place on Wednesday...
Discover the best of this chic beach city, from the historic pier and muscle beach to the vintage theater and live music venues. Learn about the local culture, history, and attractions of Santa Monica, only 16 miles from Los Angeles.
- Michael Juliano
- Palisades Park. Things to do. Santa Monica. For stunning views of the ocean and Santa Monica Mountains, this bluff-top park along Santa Monica’s northern coast is the spot.
- Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. Shopping. Markets and fairs. Santa Monica. When you’re next sat in a local restaurant and feel tempted to ask the server where the incredibly fresh vegetables on your plate came from, don’t bother.
- Santa Monica State Beach. Attractions. Beaches. Downtown Santa Monica. Running the length of Santa Monica itself, this huge beach is usually packed with people, but has a festive, summer-holiday feel to it.
- Santa Monica Pier. Attractions. Historic buildings and sites. Downtown Santa Monica. The center and focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier is home to a whole host of different attractions.
Things to Do in Santa Monica, California: See Tripadvisor's 145,607 traveller reviews and photos of Santa Monica tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in July. We have reviews of the best places to see in Santa Monica. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
Santa Monica is a popular destination on the west coast with sandy beaches, iconic pier, art, culture and food. Explore the different neighborhoods, activities and attractions that suit your style and enjoy the laid back luxury of this seaside escape.
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