There is no shortage of sites to see or things to do in beautiful downtown Santa Monica. You can find plenty of restaurants with scenic views, rooftop bars where you can see skyline, but one place stands above the rest. The best scenic view in Santa Monica is undoubtedly from the top of the iconic Ferris wheel on the Pier.

With 360-degree views, you can take in the crowds walking from the street area down to the Pier, watch families playing on the sand and in the water on the beach, or gaze out into the Pacific Ocean all from one spot. The Santa Monica Ferris wheel has provided locals and tourists with the best scenic views in Southern California for decades, and it just continues to get better.

At the top of the Pacific Wheel, riders are more than 130 feet above the ocean. It’s the perfect vantage point to take a few pictures, or take in the view with family and friends. The Wheel itself is quite a sight to see too – with over 174,000 LEDs and computer generated graphics, Santa Monica has the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. Once the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Wheel is the next best thing to watch!

The View Continues to Get Better

Santa Monica has a number of initiatives and programs to help keep the city and beach as beautiful as ever. Volunteers that contribute to events like Coastal Cleanup Day are responsible for the amazing views that the millions of Santa Monica visitors get to enjoy every year. Our beaches and city area have continued to improve as our community has continued to volunteer time and resources to keep Santa Monica beautiful.