City may add gift shop to carousel on the pier
Taking a ride on the Santa Monica Pier Carousel is now going to cost twice as much money.
But it’s still the cheapest ride on the pier — and one of the cheapest carousel rides in the country.
The city council approved a 100 percent fare increase for the carousel, raising the cost of a child’s ticket from 25 cents to 50 cents and the adult price from 50 cents to a $1.00. Children under five-years-old now ride free with a ticketed adult.
Officials say raising the fare will generate $26,000 more in revenue, which is needed to help the amusement ride pay its way.
“It’s a move to close the gap between the carousel’s operations and its maintenance with the revenue generated from ticket sales and rental fees,” said Elana Buegoff, an economic analyst with the city.
“Most of the money will come from rentals, though,” she added. “The carousel has been a very popular location for children’s birthday parties and as a film location.”
“The carousel has been a very popular location for children’s birthday parties and as a film location.” — — ELANA BUEGOFF Santa Monica economic analyst
In her research on ticket prices, Buegoff called carousel operators throughout California and the United States to find out what they charged.
She found the Griffith Park Carousel cost $1.00, Burbank Media Center Carousel costs $1.50, a ride on the Carousel at Pier 39 in San Francisco costs $2.00 and the Santa Cruz Beach Carousel goes for $3.00 a ride.
399,A ticket on the famous Coney Island Carousel costs $2.50.
Tourists from around the country said they were amazed at the low ticket prices on Santa Monica’s carousel on Wednesday.
“Just go down the pier a bit and you’ll realize what a bargain this is,” said Lenny Jonas, who is vacationing with his family from Denver, as he gestured toward Pacific Park.
Steve Dunn from Key West, Fla., agreed.
“I was expecting to pay $5.00,” he said. “You can’t get anything like this for 50 cents back home or anywhere else for that matter.”
Others said they thought it was fair for the city council to raise the ticket price, as long as the revenues went toward maintaining the ornate amusement ride.
“Something like this probably needs a lot of maintenance and people who enjoy using it should probably pay for that instead (of taxpayers),” said Lyria Mead, of Hollywood. “It seems worth increasing fares to keep this in good shape.”
Santa Monica purchased the carousel in 1977 from a private owner and maintained all fares at 25 cents. Then in 1986, the city raised the adult fare to 50 cents, while keeping the child ticket price at 25 cents. The current fare increase marks the first adjustment in almost two decades.
The amusement ride itself lasts two minutes and reaches a top speed of 10 miles per hour, carousel employees said. The ride’s music comes from a three-disc CD-player, which shuffles through various carousel tunes.
The carousel remains to be one of the pier’s most popular attractions. According to city officials, more than 125,000 people rode the carousel last year, and that number is lower than past years because the carousel’s building had been closed for a month due to repairs.
The attraction has become so popular, the city is currently working on adding a carousel gift shop in the near future.
“We’ve had so many people request carousel items,” Buegoff said. “So there is definitely a demand for carousel memorabilia.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2002. Read the original PDF.