Manhattan Beach Pier is located in Southern California along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is a huge attraction for locals and tourists. At the end of the boardwalk you can find the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium. If you're a volleyball fan you will want to check out the "Volleyball Walk of Fame" on the pier which contains plaques with the names of all the winners of the Manhattan Beach Open. Or if surfing is more your thing grab your board (or rent one) and go underneath the pier to catch some huge waves! If you walk up the pier you can find a ton of delicious restaurants and amazing shopping. Some of the most well-known restaurants are The Strand House, The Kettle, and Fishing With Dynamite. They also have a ton of unique boutiques and well-known companies including Heavenly Couture, Free People, and L.F.
One of the main attractions, The Roundhouse was created in 1922 and recently the President of Skechers, Michael Greenber, has donated over a million dollars to recreate and design an entire new Roundhouse.
Before it was changed into the aquarium that it is now, it once was used for research of marine science. Now almost 300,000 people visit it yearly! There are interactive exhibits and live lobster tanks. You can touch sea anemones and learn all about the different types of marine life that is in the Pacific Ocean right under you! Also, if you enjoy fishing you are allowed to fish right off the pier and simply relax until you feel a bite!
The plans for the new exhibit they are putting in look awesome and extremely modern and interactive. It is a perfect place to spend with the family, go on school field trips, or even just to learn about some local marine life!
MEETINGS & EVENTS
June 17th, 2018
Father's Day Beach Volleyball Tournament
Come out and start of your Father's day celebration with the annual beach volleyball tournament! From 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM.
Located at the Manhattan Beach Pier on the South Side, 100 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Standard Price: $50;Four Person Price $100
Father's Day Beach Volleyball Tournament
Sunday, June 17, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
For more information, please visit theFather's Day Beach Volleyball Tournament webpage or feel free to contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (310) 802-5448 or via email.
November 7th, 2017
Tip-A-Cop Fundraiser To Support Local Special Olympics
Come join the MB Police Officers for a fundraiser at the Tin Roof Bistro. Not only will you get an awesome and delicious dining experience while support the local Special Olympics. All of the tips are tax deductible and the Special Olympics thanks you in advance! They provide different types of athletic activities for people with different disabilities in our area. This fundraiser has raised over $55,000 since 2012 for the local Special Olympics and we hope to keep that number going up!
For more information about Special Olympics Southern California, please visit their website.
Dinner reservations are suggested, please call: Tin Roof Bistro at (310) 939-0900"
November 7th, 2017
Come share your concerns and hear what local issues are going on in your neighborhood at the monthly City Council Meeting! They are held at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday each month and if you are unable to make it but still want to hear but you can't make that, "Meetings are broadcast live through Manhattan Beach Local Community Cable, Channel 8 (Chapter Spectrum), Channel 35 (Frontier Communications), and live streaming via the City's website."
Interested in Beach Volleyball?
Over Summer there are a ton of different Beach Volleyball Tournaments that anyone can participate in! One of the most popular tournaments is the Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament. It costs $400 to enter with you and 5 other friends! This awesome tournament all began 40 years ago by a man named Charlie Saikley who was known as the "Godfather of Beach Volleyball".
What about surfing?
If surfing is more of your thing then you will definitely want to attend the International Surf Festival which is hosted by all of the surrounded South Bay Cities. These include Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. One weekend each summer this tournament takes place at a various beach and includes a lifeguard competition, surfing competition, body surfing competition, a 2 mile run on the sand, a fishing competition and even a health fair!
It will be in August of 2018; The Date is yet to be announced but it will be from 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM
For more information, feel free to contact Parks and Recreation Department at (310) 802-5448 or via email or visit the website at
International Surf Festival (ISF)
Do you have children or just are a child at heart?
Come enter into the Sand Castle Design Contest! It's free or if you aren't feeling very crafty, come enjoy all of the gorgeous creations that contestants make. This is such a fun event and some of the sand castles created are absolute masterpieces. People take this very seriously and it is such a fun experience - for adults and kids alike!
Sand Castle Design Contest It will be in August of 2018 from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM on the South side of the Manhattan Beach Pier For more information, please visit the Sand Castle Design Contest webpage or feel free to contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (310) 802-5448 or via email.
In October of 2018 be sure to check out the World Famous Pumpkin Race! From 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
This World Famous Manhattan Beach Pumpkin race that happens every year on the pier has contestants decorate pumpkins and then use their pumpkin kit (shown below) to turn it into a moving machine! There is even a Championship trophy and other awards that include Most Adorable, Best Design, and Worst Crash! All of the money from participants and donations helps provide MBUSD students with extra training and other employment opportunities. This helps them give them the tools they need to work and live in the community as neurodiverse people.
History of Manhattan Beach Pier
The history of Manhattan Beach Pier begins in 1901, back when the Manhattan beach area was called “Shore Acres” by previous town owner, George Peck. The nickname didn’t last long, as John Merrill soon thereafter purchased the southern portion of town, naming it Manhattan after the place that he called home, in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Since it was 1901, what better way to settle the dispute than to quite literally, flip a coin. Peck lost the coin flip, and Manhattan won.
The wooden piers were also built in 1901, with one located at Center Street and the other located at Marine Avenue. To this day, the wave motor that was originally put in for the Strand lightening system, remains hidden under the sand of the present pier today.
A second pier was added and completed just past the time for fireworks, in the summer of 1920. This one extending into the ocean by 922 feet.
The grand opening for the pier did not officially occur until 1920, following the collapse of the “Iron Pier”, referencing the two piers that were built prior, which fell apart during the storm of 1913. Reconstruction was directed by designer A.L. Harris in 1916, and his plans were not approved until the following year. Later on, additional construction took place. Some new features included the bathhouse at the end of the pier as well as the roundhouse. These features were not finished until the summer of 1922, two years after the opening of the pier.
The area’s new pier spurred a hot spot for servicemen and their families following World War II as result of the desirable housing that was located on the east end of Sepulveda. Additionally, another draw to those looking to settle down was the desirable weather of Southern California beach towns. An influx of people also came to the area for work in addition to those seeking permanent residence.
The Manhattan Beach pier is the oldest pier on the West Coast. The original extensions that were added to the existing structure served an important purpose throughout the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s for forms of entertainment including fishing, sailboat watching, jogging, and facilities that offered bathing suit rentals among other beach related rentals, and changing rooms.
Since then, the pier has been exposed to many different storms including somer very damaging ones such as the notorious storm of January 1988. During this storm, the pier had to be closed as the tops of waves became so extreme that the hit the deck level. The pier was extremely eroded are result. It wasn’t until this storm that reconstruction efforts were truly set into motion. To structurally rework the pier. The restoration began in the spring of 1991, and was finished by July 18th 1992. The replaced areas included the deck, lifeguard station, and the roundhouse. The 1920 pier lights were still utilized, however. Today, the new roundhouse is a great aquarium.
The marvelous aquarium at the Manhattan Beach pier serves the community and can be a great attraction to those looking to learn about sea creatures. Entrance to the aquarium is free and it is also possible to see sea lions and dolphins out in the ocean from the roundhouse. It is also enjoyable watching surfers and families recreating in the water on either side of the pier.
While spending time on the Manhattan Beach Pier, one can notice families taking advantage of the aquarium as well as the beachside rentals that accumulate the facilities on and around the pier. There are tons of options for rentals and purchases such as wetsuit and surfing attire shops along with corner markets selling surf boards, snacks, and other beach goods for purchase.
It is a great idea to take the opportunity to visit the pier if you are interested in fishing. One can see how busy the fishing spots are at the end of the pier where people of all ages try their hand at catching a fish off the end of the pier. People travel here from all over LA county to catch some of the biggest Halibut on the west coast, as well as other fish species. It is interesting to see how history has a way of repeating itself through the ways in which people utilize the offerings of an area. Fishing was once the hot commodity for Manhattan beach, and the main reason why people flocked there to begin with. You can certainly see how the pier serves as a focal point for the community as people gather around the area to enjoy themselves and spend time with loved ones. It is a center for family, fun, culture, wildlife, and nature in general. It is a wonderful place to spend a day away from the busy city.
Clearly, Manhattan Beach pier is a substantial component to the local community. Some people come to Manhattan Beach pier nearly every weekend to check out the aquarium with their kids, fish, and overlook the pier out onto the ocean, as well as so Manu other opportunities offered by such an important element of the local community. Another thing that makes the pier so great for the local community is that it offers bike rentals which many of the local use to get around Manhattan Beach and the nearby communities like Redondo and Hermosa. The bikes offer easy access to the area and allow for visitors to get in some exercise while enjoying a leisurely ride along the beach. Some of the best restaurants also exist adjacent to the pier including the Shellback Tavern, Rock’N Fish Restaurant, and The Strand House.
If you are looking for a great meal in the area, Shellback Tavern has some of the best fish and chips combos ever! It is something that you surely do not want to miss out on when visiting the area, whether as a local or while on vacation to the beautiful California coast.
Check out some history here!:
https://manhattanbeachhistorical.org/pier/
Sources:
http://www.citymb.info/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/26614/35
http://www.citymb.info
http://www.citymb.info/city-officials/parks-and-recreation/sports-and-fitness/beach-volleyball-tournaments/charlie-saikley-6-man-beach-volleyball-tournament
http://www.citymb.info/city-officials/parks-and-recreation/family-fun-and-special-events http
://mb.pumpkinrace.com/
https://manhattanbeachhistorical.org/pier/
