


The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway stops in front of the park. A short passenger service to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park was restored in 1985. From 1927 to 1959, Southern Pacific Railroad ran Suntan Special excursion trains to the beach from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose every summer Sunday and holiday. The beach was a destination for railroads and trolleys from 1875. On 14 June 1904, the Neptune Casino opened with an arcade, grill and dining room, and a theater. Swanton formed the Santa Cruz Beach, Cottage, and Tent City Corporation in 1903 and the following year, the City of Santa Cruz granted permission for commercial buildings to be built. History Santa Cruz Swimming Baths at the Boardwalk, Pacific Novelty Company Postcards, circa 1910.įred W. It is located at 400 Beach Street in Santa Cruz, 36★7′51″N 122☀1′04″W / 36.96417°N 122.01778°W / 36.96417 -122.01778 south of the Ocean Street exit of California State Route 1, which is the southern terminus of California State Route 17. There are old-fashioned carnival games and snack booths throughout the 24-acre (9.7-hectare) park. They were, together, declared to be a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and the park is California Historical Landmark number 983. The Dipper and the Looff Carousel, which still contains its original 342-pipe organ built in 1894, are both on the US National Register of Historic Places. The eastern end of the boardwalk is dominated by the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster that is one of the most visible landmarks in Santa Cruz. A Laffing Sal automated character, from San Francisco's Playland, is viewable near the miniature golf course.Įast of the casino, the boardwalk portion of the park stretches along a wide, sandy Main Beach visitors can access easily from the park. Next to this is the Casino Fun Center which includes a laser tag arena and next to that is the Cocoanut Grove banquet room and conference center. At the western edge of the park lies a large building originally known as The Plunge, now Neptune's Kingdom, a pirate-themed recreation center which contains a video arcade and an indoor miniature golf course. The boardwalk extends along the coast of the Monterey Bay, from just east of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States. The nearest lodging to the boardwalk includes the Carousel Beach Inn and Sea & Sand Inn.The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. All-day parking costs $10 on weekdays and $20 on weekends. The beach can be reached via Highway 17 or scenic Highway 1. Cashless MyBoardwalk cards can be filled and refilled and used on arcade and midway games and other attractions, as well as some eateries including Barbary Coast, Surf City Grill and Cruzin' Crêpes. Wristbands for an unlimited ride day pass run $39.95-44.95 depending on if you're attending at peak or off peak times. The Boardwalk is open from 11AM - 6PM on weekdays and 11AM to 9PM and 8PM on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively.
#BOARDWALK SANTA CRUZ HOURS MOVIE#
That's not the only movie that's shot here – you'll see glimpses of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in 1971's Harold and Maude, 1983's Sudden Impact, and 2019's Us staring Lupita Nyong’o.
#BOARDWALK SANTA CRUZ HOURS FREE#
There are also arcade games, Neptune's Kingdom (a former casino turned family entertainment center), bowling, and miniature golf.ĭuring summer, catch free movies on Wednesdays, and Friday-night concerts by rock veterans you may have thought already dead – or perhaps undead, if you're a fan of the 1987 vampire cult classic The Lost Boys, which was filmed at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and throughout the area. Some of the amusement park's best-beloved attractions are nearly as old as the Boardwalk itself, and have earned a place on the registry of National History Landmarks. Famous thrills include the Giant Dipper, a 1924 wooden roller coaster, and a 1911 Looff carousel – Looff being a master carver who worked out of Rhode Island known for an incredibly ornate, iconic style, with only ten surviving examples in the United States. Now as in 1907 when the amusement park first opened, the smell of cotton candy mixes with the salt air, the scene punctuated by the squeals of kids hanging upside down on carnival rides. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has been an Americana classic like few others for over a century.
