Ventura Pier facts for kids
Ventura Pier with fishermen, 2013
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| Type | Fishing pier |
|---|---|
| Spans | Pacific Ocean |
| Locale | Ventura, California, U.S. |
| Construction | Douglas fir (pilings and deck) |
| Owner | City of Ventura |
| Total length | 1,600 ft (490 m) |
| Width | 25.5 to 67.66 ft (7.77 to 20.62 m) |
| Opening date | 1872 |
| Coordinates | 34°16′27″N 119°17′29″W / 34.2741°N 119.2915°W |
| Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20 | |
The Ventura Pier is a historic wooden pier located on the Pacific Ocean in Ventura, California. It was once called the Ventura Wharf and the San Buenaventura Wharf. This pier is a special place, known as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20. It is also the oldest pier in all of California!
The pier was first built in 1872. For many years, it was a busy place for boats. It helped bring goods like lumber to the area. It also helped send out local farm products and oil. The pier has been damaged many times by strong storms and waves. Once, in 1914, a ship called the Coos Bay even crashed into it! The pier was last fixed up and made new in the year 2000. From 1938 to 1995, it was the longest wooden pier on the California coast. It was 1,958 feet (597 meters) long back then.
Today, the pier is 1,600 feet (490 meters) long. It is no longer used for shipping goods. Instead, people use it for fishing and walking. It offers amazing views of Ventura and the nearby Channel Islands.
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Who Owns the Ventura Pier?
The City of Ventura owns and takes care of the Ventura Pier. The city got the pier in 1993 from the State of California. Before that, the California Department of Parks and Recreation owned it from 1949 to 1993. The City of Ventura had also owned it from 1940 to 1949. Before 1940, the pier was owned by private companies.
As of 2018, the pier is open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Fun Things to Do at the Pier
The Ventura Pier is a great place for many activities!
- Fishing: You can fish right from the pier deck! Some fish you might catch include jacksmelt, mackerel, sand sharks, perch, croaker, and stingrays. There are special spots on the pier to clean your fish. You do not need a fishing license to fish from the pier. However, there are signs that tell you about rules for fishing, like what size fish you can keep.
- Walking and Views: The pier is very popular for walking, jogging, and even bicycling. From the pier, you can see the City of Ventura and the beautiful Channel Islands National Park. You can especially see Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. You can also see Surfers Point, the Santa Barbara Channel, and the Topatopa Mountains. In the evening, you can watch amazing sunsets over the Pacific Ocean and even go stargazing. Along the pier, there are signs that tell you about the pier's history, local ocean animals, birds, the Channel Islands, and the Chumash Indians. The pier also has benches and restrooms.
- Food and Shops: The pier has a seafood restaurant called Beach House Fish (also known as The Deck at Eric Ericsson's Fish Co.). There is also a taco shack called Beach House Tacos.
- Nearby Attractions: The pier is located next to San Buenaventura State Beach and the Omer Rains Coastal Bikeway. At one end of the pier, there is the Ventura Promenade Beach Playground. At the other end, you can rent bicycles, surreys (which are like group bikes), and other beach equipment.
A group called Pier Into The Future is a non-profit organization. It was started in 1993 to help keep the pier in good shape. They raise money to support the pier.
History of the Ventura Pier
Building the First Wharf
In 1871, people in San Buenaventura (Ventura's old name) met to talk about building a wharf. Joseph Wolfson and his father-in-law Juan Camarillo were key people in this project.
On May 18, 1872, the very first wooden post for the wharf was put into the ground. There was a special ceremony. Arcadia Camarillo, Joseph Wolfson's wife, broke a bottle of wine over the first post. The wharf was finished almost five months later, on October 5, 1872. The Ventura Signal newspaper wrote that ships could finally dock easily. This made it much better for moving goods and people. Robert Sudden was hired to manage the wharf for over 20 years.
The wharf was built to help Ventura grow. Before the wharf and before the railroad arrived in 1887, it was hard to travel to Ventura by land. Rivers like the Ventura and Santa Clara River could make the city hard to reach when it rained. So, ships docking at the wharf were the main way to get to and from Ventura.
In its early years, the pier was called the Ventura Wharf. It was used for business. Products like farm goods and oil from local fields were shipped from here. For example, in 1898, the Ventura Wharf Company reported shipping out a lot of oil, beans, corn, barley, oranges, and lemons.
Damage from Storms and Ships
Over the years, the pier was damaged many times by storms, ship accidents, and even fire.
In 1877 or 1878, storms damaged the wharf, but it was fixed quickly.
On June 25, 1889, a ship called the W. L. Hardison caught fire at the wharf. It had just loaded 2,000 barrels of oil. The ship and its cargo were completely lost, but all six crew members got away safely.
Fifteen years later, on December 19, 1914, the ship Coos Bay crashed into the wharf. The ship was trying to dock when a strong current pushed it hard against the pier's posts. The ship then swung under the wharf. Big waves made the ship hit the pier from underneath, breaking large parts of it. The ship sank in 12 feet (3.7 meters) of water. For two days, the ship kept rolling with the waves, tearing the wharf apart.
On February 13, 1926, a big winter storm with heavy waves destroyed the wharf. A part of the pier collapsed first, leaving an accountant named George Proctor stranded. Then the outer part fell, and he dropped into the water.
Again in December 1934, big waves caused part of the pier to collapse.
The Pier for Fishing and Fun
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The pier became its longest ever, 1,958 feet (597 meters), after it was rebuilt following a storm in 1937. At this length, it was the longest wooden pier in California. The new pier was no longer used for business. Instead, it became a place for fishing and recreation. The City of Ventura bought the pier in 1940 for $7,000.
Just like before, the pier kept getting damaged by storms and big waves. Here are some examples:
- On November 27, 1947, the Coos Bay ship, which had been buried near the pier since 1914, was pulled free by the sand and washed ashore. It damaged the pier again. Many people came to see the ship's hull.
- On April 22, 1950, the pier reopened after being closed for several months due to storm damage.
- In 1977 and 1978, storms damaged the pier again. It was closed for repairs in late 1979 and early 1980. These repairs cost over $163,000.
- In January 1983, storms damaged the pier, and the last 600 feet (180 meters) were closed off. Repairs cost $100,000. The pier was closed for more repairs from September to December 1984.
- In 1986, storms damaged the pier again, and it was closed for two years. In July 1988, it reopened, but a section of about 400 feet (120 meters) at the end stayed closed.
In October 1993, the pier reopened after a big $3.5 million renovation. It got a new deck and a cool "Wavespout" sculpture. This sculpture sprayed seawater when waves rolled by. At 1,958 feet (597 meters) long, it was still California's longest wooden pier.
After big waves knocked out over 20 posts in December 1994 and January 1995, the pier closed again. Then, on December 13, 1995, a storm with high waves broke off about 420 feet (130 meters) of the pier. With this part gone, it was no longer the longest wooden pier in California. The "Wavespout" sculpture was also lost in the storm.
After the 1995 storm, the city decided not to rebuild the pier to its old length. On April 1, 2000, the pier reopened after a $2.2 million renovation. It now has stronger, steel-reinforced posts and a new octagonal (eight-sided) section at the end. Its current length is 1,600 feet (490 meters).
In 1976, the pier was officially named Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20.
Images for kids
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View from pier, c. 1955
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January 2010
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November 2010
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October 2011
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November 2012
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November 2012
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March 2014
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January 2015
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February 2016
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April 2018
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