The Santa Monica Pier, in Santa Monica, CA, opened on September 9, 1909 after sixteen months of construction. Santa Monica however, has had many piers and the current Santa Monica Pier is actually made up of two adjoining piers that for a long time had separate owners. Charles Looff, a pioneer amusement entrepreneur who built Coney Island's first carousel in Brooklyn, New York, was amazed at the Pier's ability to continue attracting large crowds. Seeing how great the potential for amusement attractions was in Southern California, Looff moved his operations to Long Beach in 1910 and started to consider building his own Los Angeles pleasure pier right next to the Santa Monica Pier.

In 1916, Looff started construction of his pleasure pier, right next to the Santa Monica Pier, which included the landmark Hippodrome building, a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy that has housed many vintage merry-go-rounds and Wurlitzer organs. It also boasted the Blue Streak Racer wooden roller coaster and the Whip and Aeroscope thrill rides. More attractions came to be and the Pier was enlarged to its current size of 270 feet by 1080 feet.

Today the Santa Monica Pier is a popular recreational and entertainment venue. Attractions, restaurants, and shops have flourished on and all around the Pier, which has in turn made the Pier a routine stop for tourists from around the world. Many companies and non-profit organizations choose the Pier as a location for their special events. It has also been used in many films and has been photographed as backdrop for magazines and other books. The Santa Monica Pier is a must see attraction in Los Angeles for all travelers.