Coast-to-Coast: The Santa Monica Pier’s Historic Route 66 "Pier to Pier" Celebration

CAMPBELL WELLMAN ROUTE 66 PIER TO PIER EVENT

If you're looking for a great excuse to catch some morning ocean air this weekend, the Santa Monica Pier is hosting a pretty cool, coast-to-coast event this Saturday that you won’t want to miss.

To honor the upcoming Centennial anniversary of America's most legendary highway, the Santa Monica Pier is teaming up with Chicago’s Navy Pier for a historic Route 66 "Pier to Pier" celebration. And because the calendar happens to line up perfectly as June 6, 2026 (6/6/26), they are leaning all the way into the numbers.

 

 

The Main Event: 66 Minutes of Free Ferris Wheel Rides

The big draw? Both iconic landmarks are offering free rides for exactly 66 minutes on their world-famous Ferris wheels.

From 10:00 AM to 11:06 AM local time this Saturday, you can score a complimentary ride on Pacific Park’s famous solar-powered Pacific Wheel. It’s a nod to the historic connection between Chicago (which was recently dedicated as the new symbolic eastern starting point of Historic Route 66) and Santa Monica, our home to the legendary western terminus and "End of the Trail" sign.

🎟️ How to score the free ride: You just need to RSVP ahead of time at pacpark.com/route-66-day. Quantities are limited and available first-come, first-served, so definitely lock it in before Saturday morning if you want to hop on. If you ride during that 66-minute window, you can also grab a souvenir ride photo for just $6.

 

 

Vintage Roller Coasters & Photo Ops

If you haven't strolled the pier in a while, Saturday is the perfect time to play tourist in your own backyard.

  • The Route 66 West Coaster: Pacific Park (which just celebrated its 30th anniversary last week!) has a roller coaster decked out with vintage gas pumps and license plates in the loading zone, with ride cars inspired by classic American touring cars.

  • The Terminus: You can swing by the nostalgic “End of the Trail” sign or hit the two dedicated Route 66 photo spots to grab a quick shot before the afternoon crowds roll in.

 

 

The Campbell Wellman Take

 

We always love when our local landmarks celebrate their place in history. The Santa Monica Pier is such a massive part of the Westside identity, and connecting it coast-to-coast with Chicago's Navy Pier is a really unique way to kick off the summer season. If you're out strolling Santa Monica, checking out real estate, or grabbing a beachy lunch this Saturday, it's worth swinging by the boardwalk to catch the energy.