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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Map
Interactive map of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
LocationSanta Cruz, California, United States
Coordinates36°57′51″N 122°01′04″W / 36.96417°N 122.01778°W / 36.96417; -122.01778
StatusOperating
Opened1907; 119 years ago (1907)
OwnerSanta Cruz Seaside Company
Operating season
Year-round (limited operation November–early February)
Attractions
Total35
Roller coasters
3
Water rides1
Websitebeachboardwalk.com
Reference no.983

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park[1] and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States.

Description

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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. 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. 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. A Laffing Sal automated character, from San Francisco's Playland, is viewable near the miniature golf course.

The main beach and boardwalk

East of the casino, the boardwalk portion of the park stretches along a wide, sandy Main Beach visitors can access easily from the park. 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. 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. They were, together, declared to be a National Historic Landmark in 1987[2] and the park is California Historical Landmark number 983.[3]

There are old-fashioned and modern styled carnival games and snack booths throughout the 24-acre (9.7-hectare) park. It is located at 400 Beach Street in Santa Cruz, 36°57′51″N 122°01′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.

History

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Santa Cruz Swimming Baths at the Boardwalk, Pacific Novelty Company Postcards, circa 1910.

Fred W. 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. On 14 June 1904, the Neptune Casino opened with an arcade, grill and dining room, and a theater.

The beach was a destination for railroads and trolleys from 1875. 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.[4] A short passenger service to Roaring Camp via the San Lorenzo river canyon in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park was restored in 1985 by the Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway, which stops in front of the park.[5]

As of 2011, the park is headed by Charles Canfield, the son of Laurence Canfield, the president of the park from the 1950s until the early 1980s. It has won the Best Seaside Amusement Park Award from Amusement Today every year since 2007 except for 2015.[6] Although there is no admission and the beach is public, a parking fee is charged when the rides are open. Season or day passes can be purchased or individual points for $1; each ride costs between 5 and 8 tickets.[7][8]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park temporarily shut down in mid-March 2020. The park reopened on November 7, 2020.[9] The park then subsequently shut down again on November 10, 2020, due to Santa Cruz County re-entering the Substantial tier of the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The park then re-opened select rides to California residents on April 1, 2021.[10]

Boardwalk's Cocoanut Grove

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Cave Train, c. 1962

The Boardwalk's Cocoanut Grove conference center includes banquet rooms and a performing arts venue. Food, drink, and theater were profitable aspects of the resort since the original Casino of Swanton in 1904. Although gambling was never legal, it was generally known that guests could take boats from the "pleasure pier" to a ship in the harbor to play games of chance in the early days. During Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, serving alcoholic drinks was also outlawed and the casino changed its name to Cocoanut Grove. The name includes an old spelling of Coconut, Cocos nucifera, which was used in the popular Marx Brothers movie The Cocoanuts of 1929. The name was also used by a number of popular nightclubs of the era, including one in The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.[11]

In the 1930s and 1940s, Cocoanut Grove was a popular spot for major big band acts, including Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton and Tommy Dorsey.[12]

Today, Cocoanut Grove rarely hosts musical acts. It is a venue for weddings, banquets, school formal occasions and reunions, and corporate events. The Grand Ballroom and Sun Room complexes include over 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of space and commercial kitchens.[11]

A panoramic view of the Boardwalk from the pier

Class-Action Wage Lawsuit

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In 2023, the Santa Cruz Seaside Company—the owners and operators of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk—faced a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of improperly paying employees, resulting in a 5.9 million dollar settlement. Between July 2019 and August 2019, the plaintiffs claimed the boardwalk failed to "properly pay [employees] all overtime wages and minimum wages for all hours worked, failed to provide all meal and rest breaks to which they were entitled, failed to timely pay all wages upon termination of employment, failed to provide accurate wage statements, failed to reimburse necessary business-related expenses, and failed to adhere to other related protections afforded by the California Labor Code and applicable Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order."[13]

The lawsuit was filed into the Santa Cruz County Superior Court in July of 2023. Represented by Blackstone Law, both sides settled the matter on January 30th, 2025 for 5.9 million dollars.[13]

Rides

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Current roller coasters

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Coaster Opened Manufacturer Model
Giant Dipper 1924 Designed by Frank Prior & Frederick Church;
Built by Arthur Looff		 Wooden Roller Coaster
Sea Serpent 2000 E&F Miler Industries Family Coaster
Undertow 2013 Maurer Söhne Spinning Coaster

Thrill & family rides

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Ride Opened Manufacturer Model
Crazy Surf 1998 Wisdom Rides Genesis
Cyclone 2004 Hrubetz Round Up
Double Shot 2005 S&S Worldwide Double Shot Tower
Fireball 2003 KMG Revolution 20
Rock-O-Plane 1954 Eyerly Rock-O-Plane
Shockwave 2017 Zamperla Disk’o
Surge 2024 Chance Rides Freestyle
Typhoon 2017 ARM Rides Typhoon
Vertigo 360 2026 Zamperla 360 Gravity Defy
WipeOut 1998 HUSS Breakdance
Cave Train 1961 Arrow Development[14] Cave Train
Dream Wheel 2024 Chance Rides Century Wheel
Freefall 2002 Moser’s Rides Junior Drop Tower
Ghost Blasters 2001 Sally Corporation Shooting Dark Ride
Haunted Castle 2010 Sally Corporation Dark Ride
Lighthouse Lift-Off 2021 Sunkid Lift Tower
Logger’s Revenge 1977 Arrow Development Log Flume
Looff Carousel 1911 Looff Carousel
Pirate Ship 1984 Chance Rides Pirate Ship
Riptide 1993 Larson International Tilt-A-Whirl
Sea Swings 2008 Bertazzon Swing Carousel
Sky Glider 1967 Universal Mobility Chairlift
Space Race 2000 Space Race Inc. Space Race
Speed Bumps 1996 Majestic Manufacturing Bumper Cars
Tornado 2000 Wisdom Rides Tornado
Tsunami 1999 Moser’s Rides Musik Express
Twirlin Teacups 2019 Zamperla Teacups
Wave Rider 2021 Battech Enterprises Permanent Dry Slide

Kiddie rides

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Ride Opened Manufacturer Model
Beach Swing 2013 Zamperla Happy Swing
Bouncin’ Buggies 2016 Zamperla Jump Around
Bulgy the Whale 1960 Eyerly Bulgy the Whale
Convoy 2000 Zamperla Convoy
Jet Copters 1990 Zamperla Helicopter ride
Sea Dragons 1976 Zamperla Sea Dragon
Speed Boats 1960 Venture Speed Boats
Speedway 2002 Zamperla Speedway

Former rides

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Name Opened Closed Notes
Hurricane 1992 2012 Replaced by Undertow.
Videostorm Replaced by Tsunami.
Whirlwind
The Red Baron 1970s
Chaos 1997 2002 Replaced by Fireball.
The Flying Cages 1960s
Dante's Inferno 1935 Replaced by Haunted Castle.
Paratrooper 1965 1985 Replaced by Wave Jammer.
Starfish 2004 2012
Wave Jammer 1986 2001 Replaced by Rock & Roll.
The Airplane 1950
Auto Scooter 1933
Jet Star 1972 1991
Treasure Island Replaced by Haunted Castle.
Roll-O-Plane 1940s Located where Logger's Revenge is today.
Drive-A-Boat Replaced by Arctic Flyer.
The Super Round-Up 1972 1991 Replaced by the former Typhoon.
Pirate's Cove Replaced by Haunted Castle.
WipeOut 1993 1996 Replaced by Fireball.
The Trabant Located by the former 1961 Ferris Wheel.
Bermuda Triangle (Scrambler) Replaced by Cliff Hanger.
Spider
Autorama 1961 1998 Traveled through the park.
Spin Out (Tea Cups) 1989 2003 Replaced by Cyclone.
The Octopus 1950s
Arctic Flyer 1973 Replaced by Videostorm.
Wild Mouse[15] 1975 Replaced by Logger's Revenge.
Crazy Surf (KMG X-Factory) Sold to UK showman Joseph Manning in October 2018; converted from park ride to travelling model by Eagle Fabrications.
Cliff Hanger 2003 2023 Replaced by Surge in 2024.
Rock & Roll 2002 2023 Replaced by Dream Wheel in 2024.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Santa Cruz Booardwalk class amusement park". www.californiadaytrips.com. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  2. ↑ "NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS PROGRAM" (PDF). www.nps.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Santa Cruz County". California Historical Landmark web site. State of California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  4. ↑ "SP and the Suntan Special" (PDF). History of in Santa Cruz County. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Roaring Camp Railroads -— Santa Cruz Beach Train". official web site. Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ "All-time Winners By Category". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ticket Information". Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk web site. Santa Cruz Seaside Company. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Rides". Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ Fernandez, Ryan (November 4, 2020). "Coronavirus roundup: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk sets reopening date – it's very soon". www.bizjournals.com. Silicon Valley Business Journal. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to reopen rides on April 1". SFGATE. March 29, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions about the historic Cocoanut Grove". Cocoanut Grove website. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  12. ↑ Valerie Gladstone (May 14, 2000). "DANCE; They Come to the Dance Floor Bearing a Gift: Jazz". New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Tovar, Ricardo (February 4, 2025). "$5.9M settlement reached with Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for unpaid wages". KSBW. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ "The Dawn of the Cave Train". March 21, 2019.
  15. ↑ "The Legacy of the Wild Mouse Lives On!". July 26, 2018.

Further reading

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  • Santa Cruz Seaside Company (April 1, 2007). The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: A Century by the Sea. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-1-58008-814-5.
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