Located at 400 Beach Street in Santa Cruz along the Monterey Bay, the oceanfront Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk stretches between the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. You can easily reach this coastal resort destination by driving to the southern terminus of California State Route 17, situated just south of the Ocean Street exit on California State Route 1. Alternatively, train travelers can arrive directly at the park entrance via the Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway excursion service from nearby state park redwoods.
Founded in 1907, the venue stands as California's oldest surviving amusement park and a rare West Coast seaside classic. Development began when Fred W. Swanton formed a cottage and tent company, leading to the opening of the original Neptune Casino in 1904. Today, the 24-acre oceanfront destination is owned and operated by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company. Led by Charles Canfield, whose father presided over the resort from the 1950s to the 1980s, the park has repeatedly earned top honours as a leading seaside amusement park.
The 24-acre park combines an expansive open-air boardwalk along sandy Main Beach with indoor recreation complexes. At the western edge, Neptune's Kingdom offers a pirate-themed recreation center complete with a video arcade and indoor miniature golf. Adjacent facilities include the Casino Fun Center with laser tag and the historic Cocoanut Grove venue, which hosted famous big bands in the 1930s and 1940s. Moving east, visitors will find historic rides, modern carnival games, and numerous classic seaside snack booths lining the oceanfront promenade.
This seaside park suits families, day-trippers, and historic ride enthusiasts seeking classic oceanfront fun. Admission to walk the boardwalk and access the public beach is entirely free. Guests can buy individual points for rides or choose day and season passes. Highlights include two registered National Historic Landmarks: the Giant Dipper wooden coaster and the Looff Carousel, which houses an original 1894 pipe organ. While admission is free, a parking fee applies whenever the attractions and rides are actively running.
01 Signature rides & attractions
The park’s headline rides across its themed areas. Confirm heights and any single-rider lines on the day.
Compiled from Wikipedia · a full ride-by-ride list per themed area is on the way.
Park map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the park and its surroundings — entrances, themed areas, car parks and access roads. Zoom in for detail; the official ride-by-ride park plan is linked below.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official park maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Tickets & prices
Ticket prices for Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk change by date and season, and the park sells single-day, multi-day and annual passes — buying online in advance is almost always cheaper than at the gate, and popular dates can sell out. Check the official site for live pricing before you travel.
We deliberately don’t list prices that change daily — the ticket button leads to live, up-to-date pricing.
03 Getting there & parking
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| Car | Located south of the Ocean Street exit of California State Route 1, which serves as the southern terminus of California State Route 17. |
| Train | The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway operates passenger service from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, stopping directly in front of the boardwalk. |
Getting there & parking · Last updated: 2026-09-12 · prices may change
Good to know
- Park admission is free, allowing open access to the boardwalk and adjacent public beach.
- Rides require individual points priced at $1 each (costing 5 to 8 points per ride), or day/season passes.
- A paid parking fee is charged when the rides are operating.
- Neptune's Kingdom features a viewable vintage Laffing Sal automated character from Playland.
