Muscle Beach Venice Gym
Muscle Beach Venice Gym
3.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Weight lifters still strut their stuff at this outdoor gym where, in the 30s, 40s and 50s, crowds would gather to watch young men and women honing their bodies, some of whom, like Vic Tanny and Jack LaLanne, went on to fame in the fitness world.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Venice
Venice has always danced to its own beat as the epicenter of bohemian culture in Los Angeles. Along the boardwalk there are street performers and local craftsmen selling their wares. Original paintings, souvenirs, and jewelry are on display. Crowds of visitors marvel at the sites while weightlifting enthusiasts pump iron in plain view, and skateboarders do their tricks around the skate park. All of it happens under the warm California sun with sprawling views of sand and sea. Heading east, the main drags of Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Main Street are lined with boutique shops, some major retail stores, art galleries and restaurants. Here the ambiance is more relaxed and upscale than the frenetic boardwalk area. Venice is a mostly walkable (and certainly bikeable) neighborhood, full of areas to explore.
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952 within 3 miles
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332 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
1,601 reviews
Excellent
441
Very good
480
Average
432
Poor
151
Terrible
97
ChrisGower1975
Chertsey, UK990 contributions
Mar 2020
Great place to visit and so much going on around here. It was buzzing and is a very different feel to Santa Monica only circa 2 miles away!
Lots of bars and restaurants along with street entertainment. Would definitely recommend.
Lots of bars and restaurants along with street entertainment. Would definitely recommend.
Written April 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tofurry
Renton, WA1,069 contributions
Apr 2023
We walked through the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica on the way to the pier. Lots of people still working out there and our son got to try out some of the apparatus. Fun to people watch. We parked in the area for $15, mostly to go walk on the pier.
Written April 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael L
London, UK558 contributions
Feb 2020
Enjoyable visit but disappointing not to see the top people working out in the open. Nevertheless a good atmosphere all round with out door activities and great stalls and restaurants, bars etc. Well worth a short visit.
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George Vreeland Hill
Beverly Hills, CA1,942 contributions
Jul 2020
Muscle Beach is where body building legends have trained.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper and many others have called this their muscle home.
Almost anyone can sign up for a fee (less than you might think) and get a year long pass to use the place.
The body building championships are great and a must-see experience.
Muscle Beach is historic and it's in Venice Beach.
Very cool.
George Vreeland Hill
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper and many others have called this their muscle home.
Almost anyone can sign up for a fee (less than you might think) and get a year long pass to use the place.
The body building championships are great and a must-see experience.
Muscle Beach is historic and it's in Venice Beach.
Very cool.
George Vreeland Hill
Written July 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elizabethlascheid
Los Angeles, CA5,249 contributions
Jul 2020
The original muscle beach is located here and that is the only thing good I can say about it. I have lived in this area all of my life and it is heartbreaking to see what it has become---a place where the homeless are not at all friendly, drug addicts abound, people smoking meth on the benches, sometimes tents lined up and just quite dirty much of the time.
There are lots of free equipment available 24/7 (I would not go there in the middle of the night unless you are looking to buy Meth). There are locals that enjoy working out there, and they are quite nice and if you are someone who wants to work out, I mean not watch, they will help you and you will like it.
The other locals are to be ignored, again unless you are looking to buy drugs.
There is a line to use the equipment and during the weekends in the summer it is a long wait. They have ropes and swings and other equipment. This place was once famous. Serious body builders went there, there were contests etc. That was a long time ago. So, if you want to go to see the history that is fine. The boardwalk is right there and there are shops and fast food places. But if I had limited time on vacation I would skip this mess and go to the boardwalk at the end of Washington Blvd. instead. Be careful at Muscle Beach. Your wallet is in your front pocket, no you don't want to buy a watch and no the person asking you for money is not going to buy diapers or food, they will use your money to buy booze or drugs. Stay safe.
There are lots of free equipment available 24/7 (I would not go there in the middle of the night unless you are looking to buy Meth). There are locals that enjoy working out there, and they are quite nice and if you are someone who wants to work out, I mean not watch, they will help you and you will like it.
The other locals are to be ignored, again unless you are looking to buy drugs.
There is a line to use the equipment and during the weekends in the summer it is a long wait. They have ropes and swings and other equipment. This place was once famous. Serious body builders went there, there were contests etc. That was a long time ago. So, if you want to go to see the history that is fine. The boardwalk is right there and there are shops and fast food places. But if I had limited time on vacation I would skip this mess and go to the boardwalk at the end of Washington Blvd. instead. Be careful at Muscle Beach. Your wallet is in your front pocket, no you don't want to buy a watch and no the person asking you for money is not going to buy diapers or food, they will use your money to buy booze or drugs. Stay safe.
Written July 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
permia
Ireland66,923 contributions
Oct 2019
We first went on a short detour from the promenade to see the impressive mural of probably the most famous exemplar in the field, Mr. Schwarzenegger himself.
Not overly busy at the time of our walk through, it was great to see one of the sights on the beach.
Joe Weider is honoured in a large display. Regarded as the father of the sport he inspired many in the pursuit, including the aforementioned Arnold.
Not overly busy at the time of our walk through, it was great to see one of the sights on the beach.
Joe Weider is honoured in a large display. Regarded as the father of the sport he inspired many in the pursuit, including the aforementioned Arnold.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Life traveller
North East England, UK3,845 contributions
Aug 2022
Loved the energy vibe, the pulsating rap music and the muscle building show from the paticipants, all for free in this iconic Venice Beach venue. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and saw plenty of macho action. Definitely worth including on any LA itinerary.
Written August 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheryl M
Amble, UK53 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
As an avid follower of strength sports, I loved visiting this iconic destination. I parked up in a car park opposite Gold’s Gym, which was free, had some food in the Waterfront on Venice beach and walked along to Muscle Beach which took about 15 minutes. Popped into Gold’s Gym for some souvenirs and they allowed me to take some photos of the tributes on the walls.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
InnaYYZ
Toronto, Canada1,493 contributions
Jul 2019 • Business
Lots of very fit people here a Venice Muscle Beach. Young and old, seem very physically in shape. Always skateboarders showing their skills. It is a very unique beach area.
Written July 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
positivepants
Dunton Bassett, UK32 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
It’s been the top of my husband’s bucket list to visit and train at Muscle Beach gym, having been lifting weights for over 39 years. He turned 50 this year so we booked 10 nights in Venice Beach, from UK. We arrived yesterday, headed straight to Muscle Beach to find it’s closed for refurbishment until late Summer 2019. We had no idea. It’s very disappointing:(
Written June 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
when does Arnold Schwarzenegger mades his trainings there?
Written February 19, 2021
Hi. Where is the best place to park when going to Muscle Beach and Venice Beach.
How much would it approximately cost.
Thanks
GB
Written June 19, 2019
There are several pay parking lots in the area, but go early in the day around 10 or 11. We paid $20 to park and stayed about 5 hours. The Sidewalk Cafe is the best place to eat there too. It tends to get a little shady on activity in the late afternoon and evening.
Written June 19, 2019
Is the experience better on a weekend or are there also bodybuilders around on weekdays?
Written June 17, 2019
Not many bodybuilders, but a lot of kids playing basketball. Throughout the week, there are lots of traders and stores to look at as you wander up and down.
Written June 29, 2019
How to work out at Muscle Beach arena? Is it need to pay something or schedule before?
Written January 12, 2018
Peut-on aller s'entraîner dans le Muscle beach? Si oui, y-a-t-il un coût pour le faire?
Written March 9, 2017
Is breakfast an option? If so, how much extra in cost?
Written February 1, 2015
No breakfast at muscle beach, just a place to work out and or see fitness ! Try the pier, but only has trendy food .
Written February 4, 2015
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