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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

3,377 Reviews

#9 of 63 things to do in Santa Cruz

Water & Amusement Parks, Theme Parks

400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-5416

Start Date

End Date

Monterey Bay Coastal Day Trip from San Francisco with Driver and Transportation

Full-day Tours

From $399.00*

Hostel Hopper: California Coast 3 Days

Nature & Wildlife

From $379.00*

California Coast 3 Days SF to LA: Hostel Hopper

Nature & Wildlife

From $379.00*

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2,039

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Certificate of Excellence

Traveler Overview

4.0 3,377 reviews

Excellent47%
Very good36%
Average13%
Poor3%
Terrible1%

Travelers talk about

“roller coaster”(236 reviews)

“giant dipper”(165 reviews)

“amusement park”(245 reviews)

About

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a classic seaside amusement park. The admission-free attraction features thrill rides like the famous Giant Dipper roller coaster, kiddie rides, games, shops, food, and year-round indoor activities. Admission is...more

Suggested duration: 2-3 hours

Contact

400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-5416

Website

+1 831-423-5590

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Ways to Experience Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Monterey Bay Coastal Day Trip from San...

1 Review

from $399.00

More Info

Hostel Hopper: California Coast 3 Days

from $379.00

More Info

California Coast 3 Days SF to LA: Hostel...

from $379.00

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Hostel Hopper: 11 Day West Coast USA: L.A. to...

from $1,299.00

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1 - 10 of 3,062 reviews

yonojo

San Ramon, CA

155

Reviewed 2 days ago

Great Fun!

My family and I go here about once a year. We like the free bands on the beach. We set up our beach chairs early in the day, then head to the attractions. Always a good time!

Date of experience: July 2018

Thank yonojo

Bret W

Santa Cruz, California

133

Reviewed 2 days ago

Going strong over 100 years

Chances are, if you are visiting Santa Cruz, you already plan to visit our beachside amusement park. Though mountain biking, hiking, surfing, sailing, ocean fishing, are all major contenders for visitor attention, the Boardwalk is the biggest game in town. If you're making a day...More

Date of experience: March 2019

Thank Bret W

Guilex

Arlington, Massachusetts

2816

Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

Great day

The kids spent the afternoon playing in the park with unlimited ticket. It’s well worth it. Lot of fun for all ages

Date of experience: February 2019

1 Thank Guilex

Kathy P

Sacramento, California

5612

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Great fun was had by all!

Our family went to Santa Cruz for the Clam Chowder Festival. We adore the festival (and used to compete!), but this time we went as spectators. We loved it and the boardwalk! Most of the rides were open, making it even more fun for our...More

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank Kathy P

David N

Kalamazoo, Michigan

468

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Wall to wall people with many activities to take in

We visited the Beach Boardwalk on the weekend of the clam chowder taste event. The lines were really long and it was difficult to get to ten different stations to taste and evaluate the soup and cast our ticket ballots. On the boardwalk there are...More

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank David N

Susan J

Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota

12332

Reviewed 3 weeks ago

A nice walk with things going on

I didn't really know much about Santa Cruz before I got there. We walked along the boardwalk and saw the amusement park type stuff. There was also a Clam Chowder contest going on at the time. The parking at the main city lot was $15,...More

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank Susan J

dbsalerno

104

Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Santa Cruz beach boardwalk

Great price in February! 2 for the price of 1. Had a blast with kids. Not too crowded and employees very pleasant

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank dbsalerno

Hollie R

Detroit

7627

Reviewed 4 weeks ago

so many random things to see and do

Surfing off the beach, people picking shells or walking along the shore, games, rides, FOOD, the pier, seals and sea lions sunning themselves under the pier, etc. You can spend hours at the boardwalk/pier alone and never venture any further into Santa Cruz! If you...More

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank Hollie R

danakg11

Denver, Colorado

Reviewed 4 weeks ago

Going Back to Cali, Cali, Cali

going to school at the University of California, Santa Cruz... Gonna get to hang out on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk a lot more!

Date of experience: September 2018

Thank danakg11

Aimz74

Fresno, California

5714

Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

Awesome!

There is so much going on here everyone can find some fun. Shopping, music, eating, sand and beach and rides.

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank Aimz74

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Questions & Answers

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See all 37 questions

Mercy H

Can you bring ice chest on the beach?

July 27, 2018|

AnswerShow all 10 answers

Yes! You can definitely bring ice chests onto the beach or Boardwalk. The City of Santa Cruz has rules for the beach (no smoking, alcohol, dogs, fires, etc.) but ice chests are fine!

Doug C

how long of wait for giant dipper on a Friday night in July?

July 27, 2018|

AnswerShow all 4 answers

It didn't seem that long. It was less than an hour. And it was totally worth it.

darkfalcon500

I’m going to the boardwalk next Wednesday after 5 pm and am wondering how long I should expect lines to be specifically for Giant Dipper and Undertow and also which seat is the smoothest on Giant Dipper and which one gives the best airtime? The night I’m going is a coca-cola night also.

July 26, 2018|

AnswerShow all 5 answers

I would say there going to be pretty long. Even though a lot of kids will be in school with the discounted prices that brings more people. There are so many other things to do, you'll have a great time.

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