Manhattan Beach Pier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manhattan Beach Pier |
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The municipal pier in downtown Manhattan Beach on a typical summer day
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| Location | The west end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, California |
| Built | 1920 |
| Architect | City Engineer A.L. Harris |
| Official name: Manhattan Beach State Pier | |
| Reference no. | 1018 |
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The Manhattan Beach Pier is a famous pier located in Manhattan Beach, California. It stretches out into the Pacific Ocean. This pier is about 928 feet (283 meters) long and is found at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
At the very end of the pier, there's a cool eight-sided building. This building is home to the Roundhouse Aquarium. You can often see surfers riding waves below the pier. The pier is a favorite spot for people who live nearby, tourists, photographers, artists, and anyone who loves to fish. It's also a great place to watch beautiful sunsets and enjoy amazing views of the shore and hills. The pier even has a "Volleyball Walk of Fame" with special plaques honoring past winners of the Manhattan Beach Open beach volleyball tournament.
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History of the Manhattan Beach Pier
Early Piers in Manhattan Beach
Back in 1897, a company called Potencia wanted to build a fun seaside resort in this area. They planned to have wharves and piers. The area was first named Potencia, but it officially became the city of Manhattan in 1912. The word "Beach" was added to the name in 1927.
It's believed that a pier was one of the first things built when the Manhattan Beach community started. Two wooden piers were constructed in 1901. One was at Center Street (which is now Manhattan Beach Boulevard). The other was at Marine Avenue and was called Peck's Pier.
The Center Street Pier was about 900 feet (274 meters) long. Its supports were made from three railroad rails pushed into the ocean floor. It had a narrow wooden deck. This "old iron pier" was sadly destroyed by a big storm in 1913.
Building the Current Pier
After the old pier was destroyed, it took a while to build a new one. There were money problems, lawsuits, more storms, and even World War I that caused delays. Finally, the current Manhattan Beach Pier was finished and opened on July 5, 1920.
An engineer named A.L. Harris designed this pier. He came up with the idea of making the end of the pier round. This special design helped the pier stand up better against strong ocean waves. It was built from cement and was 928 feet (283 meters) long. The eight-sided building at the end, which now holds the Roundhouse Aquarium, was completed in 1922.
In 1928, the pier was made even longer by about 200 feet (61 meters). A Captain Larsen paid for this extension. However, a winter storm on January 9, 1940, ripped away 90 feet (27 meters) of this extension. The rest of the extension was swept away in February 1941.
In 1946, the pier and the beach next to it were given by the city to the state of California. For the next 40 years, the pier remained a popular spot. But over time, the ocean and old age took their toll. By the 1980s, the pier was in rough shape and needed a lot of repairs.
Restoration and Landmark Status
Major restoration work happened in the early 1990s. The goal was to make the pier look like it did in the old days. The original pier needed extensive repairs because it had become unsafe. For example, a jogger was hurt by falling concrete in the late 1980s. The pier was restored to its 1920s appearance, and a special ceremony was held in 1992.
In 1995, the Manhattan Beach Pier was officially declared a state historic landmark. It is the oldest standing concrete pier on the West Coast. It is managed by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Beaches and Harbors.
A special marker at the site, California Historical Landmark NO. 1018, says:
NO. 1018 MANHATTAN BEACH STATE PIER - Designed by City Engineer A.L. Harris, this pier was constructed by the City of Manhattan Beach during the years 1917-1920. The roundhouse building was added a year later. Harris' innovative design featured a rounded end to the pier, which helped it withstand the pounding of the Pacific. Although the roundhouse was reconstructed in 1989, the pier itself survives as Southern California's oldest remaining example of early reinforced concrete pier construction.
Fun Things to Do at the Pier
Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium
The Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium is located at the very end of the pier. It's free for everyone to visit! The Aquarium has a cool shark tank and a "tide pool touch tank." In the touch tank, you can feel animals that live in the ocean near Southern California. There are also tanks with lobsters, baby sharks, and colorful fish and other sea creatures.
In January 2018, the aquarium closed for a big renovation project. The sea animals were moved to a temporary place near the pier's entrance. The aquarium reopened on November 5, 2018, with a brand new inside. The eight-sided building now has a Spanish tile roof and special lights to make it even brighter.
Fishing at the Pier
The sandy beach area around the pier is great for catching fish like barred surfperch, croakers, small rays, and guitarfish (also called shovelnose sharks). The pier is especially known for barred surfperch fishing. Sometimes, anglers (people who fish) can catch hundreds of them in just an hour! They often use small jigs and sand crabs.
Near the pier's support poles, you can find pileperch, walleye surfperch, silver surfperch, and other common pier fish. If you cast your line further out from the middle of the pier, you might catch small tom cod (white croaker), herring (queenfish), jacksmelt, yellowfin croaker, or even a halibut.
The fishing gets even better at the end of the pier because of an artificial reef about 65 feet (20 meters) away. In the deeper water at the end, you might catch bonito, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, barracuda, or even a white seabass or yellowtail. Reef fish like kelp bass, sand bass, and sculpin (scorpionfish) also visit this area.
Surfing History
The Manhattan Beach Pier has a special place in the history of surfing. In the 1940s, when modern surfing was just starting, the pier was a very popular spot for surfers in Southern California.
Dale Velzy, who is known as the first person to commercially shape surfboards, started his business right under the pier. He built and repaired boards there before opening his first surf shop nearby in 1949.
Paddleboard Race
The famous Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race starts right here at the Manhattan Beach Pier. This race goes all the way to Catalina Island. In 2023, a sculpture was put up to remember this race. It shows Duke Kahanamoku, a legendary surfer, with a male paddler on his knees and a female paddler lying down.
See also
