The Santa Cruz Boardwalk
There's something timeless about the old-fashioned Santa Cruz boardwalk, with it's row of funky rides, decadent junk food stands, and low-key, beach bum atmosphere. A true California experience...or maybe, how California used to be.
It's like going back in time, when amusement parks on the beach were innocent and amateurish, but loads of fun. It's the only seaside amusement park on the West Coast.
And bring your bathing suit; the boardwalk has one of the nicest swimming beaches in Northern California.
Surf's Up! Do you feel your inner surfer coming out? If you've ever wanted to try surfing, Santa Cruz is a mellow place for beginners to get their feet wet. They have a 3 hour lesson available for those just starting out (they provide all the gear). See surf lessons for more info and booking.
The Rides
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is not a large amusement park, but it has a decent variety of rides. A sampling:
- Rollercoaster
- Water chute ride
- The usual twirling and spinning rides
- Free fall tower
- Bumper cars
- Spooky inside rides
- Ferris wheel and carousel
- Little kid rides
- Laser tag
...and lots more: mini golf, arcade games, bowling, climbing wall, etc.
The Giant Dipper
This is an antique (but well-maintained), wooden roller coaster, which opened here in 1924. It's been featured in various films and TV shows over the years, and was named a National Historic Landmark.
Odds and Ends
Laffing Sal (sister of the one at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco) is here, in all her weirdness.
Junk Food Heaven
Hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy, deep-fried Twinkies, burgers, funnel cakes, sno-cones, Italian ice cream, kettle korn....feeling a little nauseated? It's all good, as long as you don't do it too often.
You can get some fun (temporary) tattoos while you're there, too.
Getting in the mood: flash mob in Santa Cruz:
Tickets for the Rides
Individual tickets are $3 to $6 per ride; it probably makes more sense to get one of the combo tickets, starting at $31.95 (unlimited rides), if you want to go on lots of them.
Hours
Hours vary, depending on the season. Generally speaking, open daily all summer, until 11 p.m. Spring, daily but more limited hours and rides. Winter and fall, weekends 11 a.m. till 7 or 8 p.m. Check their website for details: Boardwalk hours.
Summer Events
Santa Cruz has a couple of cool, free entertainment traditions at the boardwalk in summer (June-August):
- Rock concerts on Friday nights.
- Classic movies on an outdoor screen Wednesday nights.
Visiting the Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Santa Cruz is about an hour and twenty minutes from San Francisco. The boardwalk is located at 400 Beach Street, and there's a parking lot across the street. Notice the train tracks in front of the boardwalk? See train info below.
Nearby attractions:
The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot:
Weirdness Central. Balls roll uphill and the laws of physics are turned upside down. Located on the outskirts of town. Very cool. More info on the Mystery Spot.
Redwood Forests:
Hike, camp and fish in the nearby redwoods. Closest ones are in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Mt. Hermon Road exit off Highway 17, just after you come over the mountains and before you get to Santa Cruz. We had a great experience camping there amongst the big trees.
Roaring Camp Railroads
This is great fun, highly recommended! Ride the Santa Cruz Beach Train, an old steam engine train, from the mountains in Felton (station is right near the HQ for Henry Cowell State Park, above) down to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, or vice versa. 3 hours round trip, start at either end. Daily in summer, weekends spring and fall. My son loved it when he was little, and so did I. See Roaring Camp Railroad.
For a shorter, one hour experience, take the Redwood Forest Steam Train up the mountain on a narrow gauge track, into the Big Trees and across a gorge on a trestle bridge.
This train leaves from Roaring Camp in Felton, near Santa Cruz, off Highway 17.
Note: I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through the link below, at no extra cost to you. This helps me provide all the free information I post on this website.
See Redwood Steam Train for more info and booking.
San Francisco to Santa Cruz
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COVID-19 Status: at midnight on Monday, March 16, San Francisco was placed under a "shelter-in-place order.
All residents were ordered to stay home, except for necessary trips to grocery stores and essential medical visits, and solo outdoor activities like hiking.
The city had been gradually reopening of many businesses and activities, but has just come under a strict, stay-at-home directive.
Most recently, December 6, SF has moved to a very restrictive status due to a sudden increase in infection and hospitalization rates.
Public transportation options have been cut way back. See SF transit for more info.
See COVID rules for current SF status.
Mask rules: everyone in SF is now required to wear a mask when they are outside and within 30 feet of other people.
Masks must be worn in stores and places of business and people not within the same household must stay 6 feet apart.
What is open? Muir Woods, the Botanic Gardens, Golden Gate Park, Japanese Tea Garden, Pier 39, SF beaches, Golden Gate Bridge, and Twin Peaks (by foot or bike) are all open.
Parking lots for SF beaches and the Golden Gate Bridge are open. But the Welcome Center lot and Merchant Road lot are closed.
Restaurants were open for indoor as well as outdoor dining, but as of Friday, Nov 13, indoor dining was suspended, due to an increase in Covid cases. And as of Dec 6, outdoor dining is also suspended, but many restaurants are offering take-out or delivery.
Businesses can allow customers inside, but on a limited, 20% capacity, basis. This now applies to grocery stores as well.
The SF Zoo is now closed again.Alcatraz is closed as of Dec 6. They are selling tickets for Feb 1, 2021, and beyond, but that's iffy. See Alcatraz.
Dec. 6 changes: hotels, gyms, tour buses, and boat cruises are closed again. Also indoor hair and nail salons/barbershops are closed.
Museums are closed.
Hotels are now accepting reservations from tourists but they have to quarantine in the hotel for 10 days, and non-essential travel is discouraged. Essential workers and locals needing quarantine may also book hotel rooms.
Travel quarantine: Anyone traveling to SF from out of the Bay Area must quarantine for 10 days.
Exploratorium: possibly opening spring 2021.
Playgrounds: open.
Schools: many private schools have begun reopening; SF public schools are still on hold, except for a few charter schools.
On hold: indoor swimming pools and indoor movie theaters are still closed.
Last to open will be concerts, live theater, sporting events, nightclubs and festivals.
For info on what's open in other cities and counties of California, see California reopening schedules.
See coronavirus news in the SF Chronicle for details and updates.
See handy SF closures timeline.
Most recent Bay Area stay home order.
Also see site and parking lot closures for the National Park Service (Alcatraz, Muir Woods, etc.)
Plus helpful info on which parks and hiking trails are open in the Bay Area.
And to check the air quality (fires) in SF and the Bay Area, see airnow.gov and the SF Chronicle map showing current tests.
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