We were driving up the coast from LA to San Francisco and this was one of the stops that was suggested. What a great day we had there. It really is a great old school amusement park in a great setting. The old wooden roller coaster was a must do as well as the chairlift ride looking out over the beach. Really enjoyed the Fright Walk Under the Boardwalk.

This is a must-do for anyone visiting the Santa Cruz or Bay Area. This boardwalk has it all as a miniature amusement park with games, food, shops, and the rides of course. It’s great for kids and teens to spend a day. It is a bit pricey with the food, games, and rides. The best park is you can hang out on the beach with family and/or friends and have restrooms and food right there. The boardwalk does have areas for smaller children so it can be fun for everyone. It is free to walk in, but you do have to pay for everything else once there. The beach is also free and great for people watching. If you are driving in, they do charge $20 per car to park in their lots. The meter is the way to go if they are available. We paid $4 for a couple of hours. There is also free parking just across the bridge towards SeaBright beach, and that is a short walk to the boardwalk. If you head over there, don’t forget to take a stroll down the pier. The food is cheaper and they have great views of the ocean. It’s free to walk in as well.

It has been years since we have visited the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. We were impressed the city, county and beach boardwalk corporation have done much to clean up the area and make it enjoyable, free of litter and trash, homeless and vagrants. It is refreshing. Came here to visit the old childhood haunts. Spent the whole day, sampled the foods and had to ride the big dipper with the grandkids. You need to visit before summer and the crowds increase.

Lots of fun activities and food trippin. Place claims to be the best boardwalk in US. I dont believe so, i have been to other boardwalks which are more fun than this place. Beach is nice. It is also a stop for the roaring camp big trees and pacific train. See images for further reference.

Overall experience was awesome! I gave 4* because we we're stuck for 2-hours waiting for parking on Saturday. Will be back again hopefully to drive a little bit early so we can enjoy our time. The beach is clean, food are affordable. Rides and games are great! Perfect for family.

We absolutely loved our time on the boardwalk. The rides were full sized rides like you would see at big amusement parks, without the long lines. It was beautiful and fun! We highly recommend it!

A landmark for almost a century this venue offers fun for the whole family. It is operated very well, including maintenance, security, staff training, variety of rides and activities and food offerings. It offers discount evenings, passes and group purchase options which can help reduce the cost of a visit. While not cheap, it offers so much more than a visiting carnival. The location is beautiful and on an iconic beach. I am very impressed by the training that seems to go into staffing, the uniforms and visible security. I highly recommend visiting this coastal gem.

Very, very crowded the day we visited. The wharf was wall to wall people and all of the parking areas were full so we were unable to enjoy all it had to offer. We rode around the area and took in all the beach sites. Would have loved to get on the wharf….maybe next time.

This place is a great combo of the beach and rides! Pack a lunch and lots of snacks. The pier food is expensive. We purchased wristbands for the teens online, and they ride rides several times. Lines were not too long. While we parents relaxed on the ⛱️!

Made a stop here for a day during a long road trip. Our teens had a great time going on rides while my husband and I enjoyed the beach and views. Lots of food options too. We had a great time.