Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome facts for kids
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Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 276 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Looff, Charles & Arthur |
| Architectural style | Mixture of Byzantine, Moorish, and Californian |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000766 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 1987 |
The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome is a special building on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. It was built in 1916 by a father and son team, Charles and Arthur Looff. They designed it to hold a beautiful carousel.
This building is very unique because it's one of the few old structures left from the time when the pier was a big amusement park. You might even recognize it from the famous 1973 movie, The Sting, where some scenes were filmed inside! The carousel inside the Hippodrome has been owned by the city of Santa Monica since 1977. It was carefully fixed up between 1977 and 1981. Because of its history and special design, the Hippodrome was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Contents
History of the Santa Monica Carousel and Hippodrome
The Looff Family's Vision (1910s-1930s)
The Looff Hippodrome first opened its doors on June 12, 1916. It was a big part of Charles Looff's new amusement park, which he called "Pleasure Pier." This park was on a wide pier right next to the longer, more famous Santa Monica Pier. The original Looff Carousel stayed in the Hippodrome until 1939. After that, a different carousel, called Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #62, took its place. This new carousel came from another pier nearby, the Ocean Park Pier.
New Owners and New Beginnings (1940s-1960s)
After World War II ended, a man named Walter Newcomb saw a great chance for amusement parks. Many people were feeling happy and proud, and they wanted to have fun. Another pier, the Venice Pier, had closed down, which meant less competition for Newcomb. So, he moved his own carousel from Venice into the old Looff Hippodrome. This brought new life to the building.
Saving the Pier: Storms and Restoration (1970s-1990s)
For many years, the city of Santa Monica thought about tearing down the Newcomb Pier, which would have meant destroying the Hippodrome too. At one point, the city council even approved a plan to replace the pier with a resort island in Santa Monica Bay. But local people who loved the pier formed a group called "Save Santa Monica Bay." They worked hard to stop the plan, and in 1973, the city officially decided not to demolish the pier.
The city took over ownership of the pier in the summer of 1974. In the 1980s, the pier faced another big challenge: strong winter storms almost destroyed it.
In 1983, the city created a special group to help fix up the pier. This group was called the Pier Restoration and Development Task Force. Their goal was to bring the pier back to its amazing past. By 1989, they decided to make the pier a fun place all year round. They planned to add rides, gift shops, places for live music, and restaurants. They wanted it to feel like the exciting 1920s and 1930s again.
The Hippodrome building was carefully restored, and the carousel inside was rebuilt. In 1996, a new amusement park called Pacific Park opened on the pier. It's a full-size family park, and the historic Hippodrome and its carousel are still a big part of it!
