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| Landmark #983 | Santa Cruz County | Visited: October 2, 2011 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The only oceanside amusement park on the West Coast! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: A local landmark since 1907, this boardwalk was one of the first amusement parks in California. It is now the only oceanside amusement park operating on the West Coast. The boardwalk is the site of two rare attractions, the 1911 carousel and the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster. Both were manufactured by members of the Looff family, some of the nation’s earliest and most prominent makers of amusement rides.
OTHER TIDBITS: Did you know that Charles Looff was the inventor of the carousel? He had been working at a wood shop in the late 1800s and took some wood home to carve! He was really good at carving horses, and in the process of carving, he came up with a design for a new fun ride! Today, you can see his work at Crescent Park in Rhode Island, Natatorium Park in Spokane, Queen’s Park in Long Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, and many more! It was his son, Arthur, who was responsible for the construction of the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, the cousin to the San Diego Giant Dipper, Landmark #1044! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: 400 Beach St Santa Cruz, CA 95060 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~346mi (557km) — 5.8hrs |
| When should I go? | From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Boardwalk is open daily from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM on weekdays and from 10:00 AM until 8:00 PM on weekends! During the off season, it is only open on weekends! |
