Our Santa Monica logo carries the California Republic bear and star above "Est. 1850," the year of statehood — the shared retro emblem of our California places, drawn in a worn black-and-white that recalls a WPA poster or an old pier ticket. The bear links Santa Monica to every other California town we make; what makes this one Santa Monica is everything around it — the road's end, the wheel, the carousel, and the beach that stands for all beaches.
Long before the road or the pier, this stretch of coast was home to the Tongva — the Gabrielino people — who lived along Santa Monica Bay for centuries, fishing its waters and trading along the shore. A Spanish expedition under Portolá camped nearby in 1769 and left the name of a saint on the place; through the Mexican era the land lay in ranchos, and Tongva Park downtown now carries the first people's name at the center of the city.
Why People Visit Santa Monica
Santa Monica rewards visitors with a rare mix — a historic amusement pier, the western end of Route 66, miles of state beach, and one of America's great walking downtowns, all on a bright Pacific bay. People come for the pier and the End of the Trail, and stay for the sunsets off the bluffs and the easy, salt-aired grace of California's beach city.
