Museums in Santa Monica Bay
California Heritage Museum
2612 Main St.
Tel (310) 392-8537
www.californiaheritagemuseum.org
The Queen Anne museum building was built in 1894 by architect Sumner P Hunt as the home of Roy Jones, son of the founder of Santa Monica. On the first floor, the rooms depict the lifestyle of various periods in Southern California history: a Victorian dining room, an Arts and Crafts living room, and a 1930s kitchen. Upstairs, there are changing exhibitions on topics such as surfing, the Hollywood Western, quilts, and Monterey Rancho-style furniture.
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Building G-1, Bergamot Station.
Tel (310) 586-6488.
www.smmoa.org
The Santa Monica Museum of Art is dedicated to both contemporary and modern art. Its main aim is to publicize the work of living artists, particularly those involved in performance and multimedia art. In May 1998 the museum re-opened after moving to its exciting new, 930 sq m (10,000 sq ft) home. It is located in the large arts complex, Bergamot Station, along with over 20 other galleries. Although the museum does not have any permanent collections, a wide range of artists’ work is represented in the individual exhibitions. The new site also houses a museum book shop.
Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave.
Tel (310) 829-5854.
Bergamot Station is a 5.5-acre (2-ha) arts complex that stands on the site of an abandoned Red Line trolley station. The crude buildings are constructed from aluminum siding, with an added touch of high-tech styling. More than 20 galleries showcase the latest works in contemporary and radical art, including painting, sculpture, photography, furniture, and glass, as well as collectibles and African art.
Bergamot Station also houses a number of artists’ studios.
Santa Monica Pier
Colorado & Ocean aves.
Tel (310) 458-8900 (260-8744 Pacific Park).
Timing: May–Sep: 10am–5pm Tue –Sun;
www.santamonicapier.org
This popular 1908 landmark is the West Coast’s oldest amusement pier, with popcorn, cottoncandy, bumper cars, and an amusement arcade. At the western end, Pacific Park has a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel rising 11 stories high. Nearby, the 1922 Looff Carousel, similar to that in Santa Cruz, with 44 handcrafted horses, was featured in George Roy Hill’s 1973 film The Sting.
You can fish without a permit from the balconies on the pier’s lower deck. On
Thursday evenings during the summer, there is free dancing and live music.
