Santa Monica Things To Do – Attractions & Must See

Things To Do in Santa Monica

Take a walk in the park, stroll along the pier or people watch at the promenade.

Santa Monica Pier

One of the most outstanding attractions on Santa Monica’s ocean front is the pier. The pier has appeared in many a movie, including The Titanic, Forrest Gump, They Shoot Horses Don’t They?, and Thank You for Smoking. It even turned up in the latest Grand Theft Auto game. Santa Monica pier is a great place to take a walk and people watch. The Pier has a variety of dining, shopping and entertainment options including an amusement park. At the entrance to the pier, you will find a traditional Carousel from 1922, and a variety of lively street performers – from musicians to artists – perform along the pier.

The Santa Monica Pier is open every day of the year and admission is free. Parking is available on both the Pier Deck and the Beachfront nearby.

Third Street Promenade

A fine place to shop, eat, stroll, or just sit and watch the fascinating characters who exist here: Tanned supermodels, Chinese businessmen practicing Tai-Chi, leather clad bikers sharing a joint, a Mexican guitarist playing for a dancing child, street artists, breakdancers and assorted crazies. Not just a shopping destination, the Third Street Promenade is THE place to hang out in the evenings. You can sit back and relax and take in the multitude of street performers (even in December, there were quite a few), then go to a movie, have dinner, have a coffee and do some shopping as well.

Palisades Park

This beautiful park has panoramic views of the ocean, Malibu, and Santa Monica State Beach. You can follow the sandy walking paths along Ocean Avenue, and the way is dotted with charming arbors and seating areas amongst the palms and fragrant eucalyptus.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in Santa Monica.