Santa Monica Pier wheelchair accessibility

The Metro E Line (formerly Expo Line) Downtown Santa Monica station is two blocks east of the pier on Colorado Avenue. The station is step-free with lifts to street level. The E Line runs west from downtown LA in under 50 minutes, with stops at USC and Culver City along the way. From the station, the walk to the pier is flat and runs alongside the Third Street Promenade pedestrian strip.

Driving, the closest accessible parking is in the Pier deck parking lot at the east end of the pier and the City of Santa Monica beach lots immediately south. Accessible spaces are in both. Surface kerb cuts on Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue let ride-share drop close to the entrance.

The pier deck is wide and flat, with timber-plank surface that wheels roll over without difficulty. The deck is 301 feet wide at the entrance and tapers to a narrower walking strip at the seaward end. The historic Looff Hippodrome carousel building sits part-way along; the carousel inside is wheelchair-accessible with a designated boarding spot per ride.

Several restaurants and food stands line the deck. Most have ramped entries or low thresholds. The seaward end of the pier opens onto the Pacific Park amusement park with its solar-powered Ferris wheel.

Pacific Park is the small amusement park at the seaward end. Rides include the West Coaster, a small steel coaster, and the Pacific Wheel, the solar-powered Ferris wheel. The park is on a single step-free level continuous with the pier deck. Individual rides have their own boarding requirements; some rides are transfer-required and a few are not accessible to wheelchair users.

Tickets are sold per ride or as a wristband. Ask at the ticket booth for the current accessible-ride list and any companion-ticket terms before buying a wristband if many rides on the list are transfer-required.

The beach south of the pier is the popular sunbathing area. The sand itself is loose and not navigable by a standard wheelchair. The City of Santa Monica's beach-wheelchair programme provides loaner chairs with oversized wheels designed for sand; these are typically coordinated through the lifeguard service. Reserve ahead by calling the lifeguard office.

Mobi-Mat or AccessMat strips are sometimes deployed near the lifeguard tower for direct sand access; check the City of Santa Monica beach pages for the current mat locations before you arrive.

Visit on a weekday afternoon or weekend morning to avoid the worst crowds. The pier is at its busiest on weekend evenings in summer, when both Pacific Park and the restaurants peak. Sunset on the pier is one of LA's signature photo opportunities; the pier faces directly west.

Pair the pier with the Getty Center on a Westside day, with the Getty in the morning and Santa Monica in the afternoon. The Third Street Promenade pedestrian strip immediately east of the pier is fully step-free and has many accessible restaurants and shops.

Address: 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Admission: free to walk the pier; Pacific Park rides are paid per ride or by wristband. Pier deck: 1,651 feet long, step-free throughout. Beach wheelchairs: through the City of Santa Monica lifeguard programme, reserve ahead. Nearest accessible transit: Metro E Line Downtown Santa Monica station, two blocks east.