Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
4
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Travelers flock to this major seaside amusement park for its mix of thrilling, family, and kid-friendly rides. Don’t miss out on the Sky Glider, which boasts fantastic aerial views, or the exhilarating Fireball, which swings riders to dizzying heights. You can also battle it out at the arcade, have a round of mini golf, play a game of laser tag, brave the Fright Walk, or simply watch sea lions frolic in the water.
Snag a season pass, an unlimited rides wristband (choose weekdays for the biggest savings), or the pay-per-play MyBoardwalk card. Visit early to get a parking spot. – Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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334 within 5 kms
Attractions
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See what other travellers are saying
- Tom-WCTCaribou, Maine215 contributionsGreat location by Pacific OceanWe did a day trip to Santa Cruz from Sacramento, it was 3 hours each way. It was nice to walk along the boardwalk and look at the many arcades, shops and rides. We didn't ride any of the rides, we mainly wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. At one end of the boardwalk we walked out onto the pier which has many seafood restaurants. We saw dozens of seals in the water under the end of the pier and the ocean views were fantastic. We also drove along W Cliff drive which is right next to the Pacific Ocean. There were a number of place to pull into (although it was crowded) and we could get great views of the ocean and boardwalk in the distance. You could also see dozens of surfers riding the waves. It was a great place to relax and enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean. Also, despite warnings of massive homeless people on the beach we didn't see very many and the area was clean and safe (at least during daytime, we weren't there after dark).Visited December 2019Written 7 February 2020
- Matthew JBuena Park, California546 contributionsFun rides, popular beachMy family enjoyed an iconic summer day here at the Boardwalk. Get here early to find parking. We got here around 11:30 am (half an hour after opening) and paid $25 for an all-day lot. As we were leaving around 3:30 pm, most of the $25 lots and all of the meter parking were full. We ate some chocolate, pulled pork tater tots, bacon-topped hot dog, and fried zucchini hearts. After that, we bought a $100 pass (115 tickets) and this was enough for 4 people to get on 3 rides, and 3 people to ride one additional ride. We had fun on the carousel, free fall, log ride, and sidewinder coaster. My older daughter was thrilled when she successfully tossed a ring into the clown's mouth on the unique carousel, always a highlight of a visit here. After the rides, we walked down to the sandy beach and enjoyed the waves (along with throngs of other beach goers). Fun times!Visited July 2022Written 31 July 2022
- Happiness667758Hicksville, New York3 contributionsFun for all Ages but Come EarlyMy teenage daughter and a friend and I spent a day at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk during our California trip. We enjoyed the indoor mini golf and shopping. The girls had fun on the rides. We were lucky to get a 2 for 1 wristband, but the boardwalk got very crowded later in the day because there was a clam chowder bakeoff. That made it difficult to enjoy because of the crowds.Visited February 2020Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
3,652 reviews
Excellent
1,654
Very good
1,334
Average
484
Poor
115
Terrible
65
OrlandoGradeVOPS
Vallejo, CA4 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is timeless IMO. My parents brought me here and now my wife and I have started making great memories here as well!! Nothing like the salt air, beach vibes, great food, and of course the pretty exciting rides!! Can’t wait to go back!! This is definitely a great staycation for us Bay Area Folks!!
Written 18 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VictoriaAllen
Las Vegas, NV93 contributions
Jun 2023
This was our family's first time visiting Santa Cruz so we weren't quite sure what to expect other than what we had read online.
Being from Vegas, the weather was absolutely perfect! Upper 60's to low 70's with a nice ocean breeze...definitely a nice break from the Vegas heat!
So first off, parking. There were lots located in front of the park...all looked to be about 20.00 for the whole day so make sure to add that to the budget unless you're within walking distance.
We had purchased the all day ride bands for about 55.00 a person I believe and we were able to ride a lot of rides during the day, some even 2 or 3 times. Since the park is cashless, we also purchased a "fun" card with 200.00 to spend later ...turned out to be a fiasco but more on that later...
Rides: they ranged from kid friendly to high adrenalin which was nice since we had a 9 and 12 year old with us. Lines were doable, longest wait for us was about 15 minutes. Not too bad when compared to places like Disney or Legoland.
Food: your average boardwalk fare... deep fried everything, ice cream, hot dogs, burgers, etc.... They had a "special" on their plastic souvenir cup for 11.99, with 99 cent refills all day.... normally I would pass but since I had trouble with that "fun" card, I purchased one... its a tourist spot so highway robbery is to be expected.
As for the downfalls, there were a few unfortunately... We went on a Friday when its normally expected to stay open until about 9pm but we had gone a night designated for grad night so they closed at 6 instead so that was disappointing.
As for that "fun" card that was purchased... we weren't able to use it all
on food so we were under the impression that we could use the rest to buy souvenirs at the gift shop. Sadly, this was not the case so just be advised that when purchasing the card, you can only use on food and arcade. I ended up going back and buying one of those ridiculously expensive souvenir cups just to burn through some of the remaining funds.
Overall, minus the few hiccups, it was a good experience and a great way to spend the day with kids. Would recommend to anyone visiting the area!
Being from Vegas, the weather was absolutely perfect! Upper 60's to low 70's with a nice ocean breeze...definitely a nice break from the Vegas heat!
So first off, parking. There were lots located in front of the park...all looked to be about 20.00 for the whole day so make sure to add that to the budget unless you're within walking distance.
We had purchased the all day ride bands for about 55.00 a person I believe and we were able to ride a lot of rides during the day, some even 2 or 3 times. Since the park is cashless, we also purchased a "fun" card with 200.00 to spend later ...turned out to be a fiasco but more on that later...
Rides: they ranged from kid friendly to high adrenalin which was nice since we had a 9 and 12 year old with us. Lines were doable, longest wait for us was about 15 minutes. Not too bad when compared to places like Disney or Legoland.
Food: your average boardwalk fare... deep fried everything, ice cream, hot dogs, burgers, etc.... They had a "special" on their plastic souvenir cup for 11.99, with 99 cent refills all day.... normally I would pass but since I had trouble with that "fun" card, I purchased one... its a tourist spot so highway robbery is to be expected.
As for the downfalls, there were a few unfortunately... We went on a Friday when its normally expected to stay open until about 9pm but we had gone a night designated for grad night so they closed at 6 instead so that was disappointing.
As for that "fun" card that was purchased... we weren't able to use it all
on food so we were under the impression that we could use the rest to buy souvenirs at the gift shop. Sadly, this was not the case so just be advised that when purchasing the card, you can only use on food and arcade. I ended up going back and buying one of those ridiculously expensive souvenir cups just to burn through some of the remaining funds.
Overall, minus the few hiccups, it was a good experience and a great way to spend the day with kids. Would recommend to anyone visiting the area!
Written 8 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonBoomerang2
London, UK50 contributions
May 2023
A beautiful early morning stroll along the beach following a drive down from San Francisco the day before. The amusements were slowly opening up and it was the first day I really felt rested and "on holiday" Jetlag from our flight from London was diseappearing and this sea air was just what I needed. A great shame we were only here for one night and half a day as I would have loved to stay longer and explore further.
Written 25 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly Wood
Redding, CA7 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
We love the week day pass they offer 5-9 pm unlimited. Great for not wanting a all day pass . We could find rides for everyone .
Written 23 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Morgan
Aptos, CA28 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
We just went here on a whim and rode a few rides (Giant dipper)and we’re only here for a few hours. We had a great time being tourists.
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
4stevemandy
Seal Beach, CA7,615 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
This is a classic old school amusement park! This place reminds me of a defunct park Crystal Beach from southern Ontario Canada that I grew up visiting! The main focus here are dark and flat rides as well as a world class arcade with mini golf! The beach is right there too! The coasters are smaller and older than most parks, but still fun! The Sky Glider is a nice way to get across the park! The three dark rides look fun, but unfortunately we were only able to ride one. They also have a scary walk through attraction too! One of the kiddie rides called Speedway was really fun! It’s a themed version of an old ride called the Whip! The arcade is full of new and classic games, pool, pinball a shooting gallery and more! I really loved this place and I can’t wait to visit here again!
Written 2 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelLad
4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Love the boardwalk! Always a great time to adventure and have fun with family! They have all the classic carnival rides and tasty food!
Written 31 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy S
Minneapolis, MN3 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
This is an absolutely disgusting and terrible place to visit. Dirty, packed with people, and trashed filled. If you wanted to take care of the wildlife and the beaches around you, you would have trashed cleaned up and the beaches would be clean. Customer service is not welcoming either as the people are very rude.
Written 27 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robbie F
2 contributions
May 2023 • Family
Lots of things to do, staff was friendly, easy access, clean, lots of food options. Not worth the money, took 3 kids, paid full price for ride wrist bands but the lines were very long throughout the hole day. There was no discount for the 2 kids that couldn't ride 50% of the rides due to height. Would have been nice if they offered a discounted rate for the little kids....
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carina H
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Couples
We rode the Sea Serpent ride and the ride operator tightened the lap belt to an appropriate tightness but decided to go push more to the point that it was cutting into my legs. She walked away too quickly before I could say anything. During the ride, it started cutting into my legs a lot and I had to hold the straps up from my legs as best I could. At the end of the ride I noticed I was bleeding on my legs from the cloth lap bar. I told the ride operator not to tighten so hard next time and she laughed at me and said “ok” and walked away. I don’t think that is ok to be bleeding after a ride at the Boardwalk.
Written 22 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
September 2023, can you take a Golden Retriever Therapy Dog on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk or any Beach Areas????
Carroll D
Slidell, LA263 contributions
What rides are open weekdays? Where can I find a list of inside rides that will be open weekdays in February?
Cassandra F
Sacramento, CA15 contributions
The rides are open every day, including weekends unless there is inclement weather, but this may not be true during thw winter, so check their website.
Weather in February in California is generally cool and rainy, especially by the ocean, so if the Boardwalk chooses to be closed due to bad weather, it should be identified on their website.
Is there re- entry to the park with an all day pass?? Thanks
raketak
california74 contributions
There is no entrance fee. You are buying a points and you can come back anytime.
Chrystal C
Montclair, CA
Can I buy my wristbands online the morning I'm going it was a last minute trip decision?
Jan S
Oakland, CA469 contributions
Yes, I think so. Everything is offered on-line. Jan
When you buy a wristband from Santa Cruz, how much will it cost and how many rides will you get to ride on. Also how many times can you ride the same ride? Please help me!!!
JN
United States274 contributions
I cant remember what the cost was but it will give you unlimited rides on all rides the entire time you are there.
I lost my season pass card… do i have to get a new season pass or am i allowed to get a new card.
I purchased wristbands online but don’t have a printer can I show proof from my phone if tickets?
Olivia
7 contributions
Yes I bought tickets online and as long as you give the confirmation number they will accept it
What happens if I ordered 3 season passes from Santa Cruz beach boardwalk over a week ago and I go in a week and still have not received them in the mail? I have a record of purchasing them but nothing more. Now what? I have tried everything to get ahold of them via email and calling them over and over and nobody will answer me or call me back for days. Not sure what to do at this point. I am afraid that I will not have passes when I go soon.
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Claim your listingSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (UPDATED 2023)
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is open:
- Sun - Sat 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- We recommend booking Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 3 Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk:
- (0.13 km) Carousel Beach Inn
- (0.20 km) Coastview Inn
- (0.19 km) Boca del Cielo Inn
- (0.40 km) Beach Street Inn and Suites
- (0.22 km) Marea Sol Hotel
- Restaurants near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk:
- (0.14 km) Beach Street Cafe
- (0.06 km) Surf City Grill
- (0.16 km) Funnel Cakes
- (0.17 km) El Hermoso Mar
- (0.18 km) Falafel Hut
- Attractions near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk:
- (0.03 km) Santa Cruz Wharf
- (0.13 km) Boardwalk
- (0.16 km) Neptune's Kingdom
- (0.16 km) Herp's Derps
- (0.18 km) Boardwalk Bowl































































