Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration

On September 9, the landmark Santa Monica Pier will celebrate its 100the birthday in grand style with fireworks, entertainment, activities, and other frivolity.

100 years of welcoming visitors

The 1,600-foot-long concrete municipal pier opened on September 9, 1909. Originally constructed for sanitation purposes, it didn’t take long before the pier became a favorite hangout for the fishing community. Funseekers came in droves after imaginative entrepreneurs constructed a roller coaster, ballroom, and the hippodrome that still houses Charles I.D. Loof’s exquisite carousel.

It was only natural that the pier would soon attract the movie industry. Location, location, location. The gorgeous setting amid wide swaths of sandy beach and crashing ocean waves has been a film site for decades, beginning with music star Spade Cooley who in 1948 began televising his weekly television show from the ballroom.  Among the multitude of movies that have been shot on the pier are “Forrest Gump,” “The Sting,” and “Funny Girl.”

The grand re-opening ceremony begins at 6 PM with the cutting of a 100-foot birthday cake. Fireworks are scheduled for 8:45 PM.

Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA

Photo credit: Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation