Looff then proposed to the city government that the Municipal Pier and the Looff''s Amusement Pier be merged and the two piers became one. The new pier was the first amusement pier on Santa Monica's north beach and featured amusement rides that included the Blue Streak Racer roller coaster. Looff purchased the land just south of the pier and started construction of a new pier alongside of the Santa Monica Municipal Pier in 1916. The Looff Hippodrome on the Santa Monica Pier Looff was a master carver and builder of carousels and amusement rides and built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. The idea of building an amusement pier in Santa Monica attracted Charles Looff, a world-renowned amusement park entrepreneur. In all, there were six piers along the Santa Monica and Venice Beach shores. Pier owners competed against each other for the best performing roller coasters and greatest attractions. However, there were no attractions or amenities on the stark and narrow municipal pier.Īmusement piers in Santa Monica Bay were all the rage in the early 1900s. Though the pier was originally constructed with the dubious chore to aid with Santa Monica's sanitation needs, visitors were thrilled to walk above the water along the 1,600-foot long concrete pier. In 1909, the famous Santa Monica Pier, now the oldest pleasure pier on the West Coast, was opened attracting thousands of curious visitors. The Sea Dragon has provided 12 million rides in nearly 27 years, Smithson said, adding that he hopes the new version will not take that long to reach the 12 million-ride milestone.Santa Monica Pier opens in 1909 with thousands of visitors wanting to see the new pier He said guests who show up March 9 will likely get “free rides on the Sea Dragon” once it opens around noon. Smithson invited everyone to go to Pacific Park on March 9 to not only say goodbye to the original Sea Dragon but to experience the new version as well. ![]() before it introduces the new Sea Dragon. The original ride, meanwhile, will be taken to Missouri, where its new home will be St. Pacific Park will give the ride a final farewell on March 9 at 8:30 a.m. It will be located just outside of the entrance of the park, in the upper pier parking lot. Valentine, another local resident, said his favorite memory was when "everyone screaming their hearts out." As for the new version, he said he'll "be sure to check that one out."Īlthough the ride is currently closed, Pacific Park will host a retirement party for the original Sea Dragon from Feb. He also said he is excited to see the upgrades that Pacific Park has planned.ĭaniel L. ![]() “I’m a little surprised but at the same time Santa Monica has changed so much ever since I’ve been a kid,” resident Jeremy Bencomo said.īencomo said the original Sea Dragon is one of his favorite attractions, so he is “curious” to see what the ride is going to change into. For many, this ride was a favorite and to know it will be retired makes them feel nostalgic but excited for the new one. Guests have already started to post and express how they feel about the retirement. The original Sea Dragon is outside the entrance of Pacific Park for guest to see until March 9, 2023. These will then be posted on the Pacific Park website, with some responses possibly featuring on the park’s social media accounts. They can record a video or submit a text and/or picture. To give a farewell to the Sea Dragon, guests can share their favorite memories of the ride on the Pacific Park website. ![]() However, there will be a few surprises that were not revealed so guests can experience them for themselves without the surprise being ruined. The new Sea Dragon will be about 90% the same as the original one. The goal is to keep things similar and give guests a chance to relive their experiences with the rides, but with a “new, bright and colorful” park. They want guests to get the feeling of riding "the Sea Dragon in the ocean” Smithson said. Instead, they wanted it to be similar to the original, but give a more “immersive experience.” “We didn’t want to bring in something new or completely different,” Smithson said. Pacific Park is working on the new Sea Dragon that is set to open on March 9, 2023.
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