Santa Monica's neon Pier sign went up on June 17, 1941, and for 85 years it marked the way onto the Pier. The City scheduled removal work to begin Monday, October 19, with the sign itself expected to come down on Tuesday, October 20. In a City Manager update that Santa Monica Next republished, Oliver Chi said those dates could still shift.
The sign is the most visible change, but it is one of several. The entrance, the car ramp and the bike route are all temporary versions too, and they stay that way until the new Pier Bridge is finished. The original that has not moved is the Merry Go-Round building, and that is where the Pier's local calendar happens this season.
The Sign Is Being Restored, Not Replaced
The City has gone out of its way to say the sign is coming back. Chi's update was blunt about it: "the sign is not going away for good, and it is not being replaced!" Crews were to cut the power, pull out and crate the neon tubing, then lift the sign off with a crane and truck it to Las Vegas. YESCO, the company that restored the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, will redo the neon, remove rust, repaint and make structural repairs. It will then store the sign while the bridge is built.
The restoration is careful because the sign is close to original. The Santa Monica Lookout reports that the Santa Monica Businessmen's Association paid the Pan-Pacific Neon Sign company $2,000 to design and build it. It is a Streamline Moderne arch, 35 feet wide, with blue, white and gold letters, and it still says the same thing: Santa Monica, Yacht Harbor, Sport Fishing, Boating, Cafes. The Lookout quotes Alex Mebane, who wrote a book on Santa Monica's signs:
"Although it's been repainted, the only replaced elements have been the neon tubing and wiring. Everything else is original."
When it comes back, it will sit about 10 feet north of where it was and higher up, with 17 feet of clearance for vehicles. The extra height has a history behind it. In Mebane's account, "the occasional truck hits it," and the sign was moved in the 1950s to sit closer to Ocean Avenue.
The Photo Spot Is Already Out on the Deck
Visitors who want a picture with the sign still have one. A half-scale replica that lights up at night stands on the Pier deck next to Pier Burger. The City Manager says it has been there since last fall. The City's Pier sign fact sheet puts it on the left as you walk toward Pier Burger, with the Pacific Park roller coaster and the shoreline behind it.
That puts the landmark farther out on the Pier than the original ever was. Your guests now take the photo once they are on the deck, not at the Ocean Avenue end.
The Pier's Temporary Layout
The sign is one of four things running in a temporary form this year. Here is each one next to its stand-in.
| What it was | What it is now | Where the detail comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Neon arch at the head of the Pier | Half-scale lit replica beside Pier Burger | City fact sheet |
| Ocean Avenue entrance | Temporary pedestrian bridge about 30 feet south, open since June 5, 2026 | City of Santa Monica |
| Moomat Ahiko Way ramps to and from PCH | Closed for about two months from September 28, with detours via the California Incline or I-10 to Lincoln Boulevard | Santa Monica Lookout |
| Bikes and skateboards on the bridge | Not allowed on the temporary bridge, sent to Seaside Terrace instead | City of Santa Monica |
The temporary bridge is not the only way in. The City's June announcement lists three more: Ocean Front Walk, a protected walkway beside the temporary vehicle ramp in the Pier parking lot, and the stairs near Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. If you walk in early, the City's construction updates page warns of weekday closures on Ocean Front Walk from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., with flaggers guiding people around the work zones.
On the ramps, the Lookout's report explains the September closure. It clears the way to demolish the last and largest section of the old bridge before crews start on the new columns. Drivers heading south on PCH are sent to the California Incline exit or onto eastbound I-10 to Lincoln. Drivers on Ocean Avenue who want PCH go north to the Incline. If the two-month estimate holds, the ramps reopen around late November, but check the City's page before you count on it.
For parking, Heal the Bay Aquarium says Beach Lot 1 North is still open, though construction may block parts of it, and Lot 1 South is fully open. The aquarium itself has changed its schedule. Starting October 19, 2026, it has paused its regular weekend public hours and birthday parties, while other programs continue.
The Merry Go-Round Building Is Where This Fall Happens
The sign, the entrance and the ramps have all moved. The Merry Go-Round building has not, and the Pier's community calendar is centered there.
The first event is this weekend. The seventh annual Día de los Muertos celebration runs Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, and this year it honors Pedro Infante, the Golden Age Mexican film star and singer. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., visitors can view the ofrendas inside the Merry Go-Round and add to them, alongside altars made by local artist Sylvia Sanchez. Sunday's program runs from noon to 5:30 p.m.:
- 12:00 p.m. Ofrenda altars and face painting in the Merry Go-Round
- 1:00 p.m. Traditional Aztec blessing at the West End
- 2:00 p.m. Santa Monica Ballet Folklorico inside the Merry Go-Round
- 3:00 p.m. Mariachi and Ballet Folklorico inside the Merry Go-Round
- 4:00 p.m. Remarks by Ambassador Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles
- 4:15 p.m. Live music by Brotherhood on the outdoor stage
The 100-year-old carousel is decorated with marigolds and papel picado. The Pier invites people to bring a photo of a loved one for the shared altar, and asks that it be a copy, since frames are not provided.
Locals' Night is next. Pacific Park presents it every third Thursday from September through May. November's edition, themed "Swiss Art + Sound," lands on November 19, and tickets are free through the Pier's Eventbrite link. December's Locals' Night is themed Holiday Cheer on the Pier, and the Pier lists a Holiday Cheer season for December 2026. The exact 2026 dates have not been posted yet. The holiday page still shows last year's schedule, so wait for the new dates before you put anything on the family calendar.
If you want a holiday evening sooner, the Fairmont Miramar lists its annual tree lighting in the Miramar Gardens for Thursday, December 3, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Former Rusty's Space Has a Likely Tenant
The Pier is also lining up a new restaurant. At 256 Santa Monica Pier, the space Rusty's Surf Ranch left empty, the City Council on October 13 authorized the City Manager to negotiate and sign a lease with Santa Monica Brew Works. That is according to Santa Monica Next's meeting summary. The Lookout describes the plan as a fast-casual restaurant with a surf, skate and beach theme, Brew Works beer and live music. Its working name is "Surf Shack by Santa Monica Brew Works." The reported terms are a five-year lease with two five-year options and up to $750,000 in City money for tenant improvements. No signing date or opening date has been announced.
When the Stand-Ins Come Down
The City's project timeline runs past this season:
- July through December 2026: foundation work for the new bridge
- October 2026 through August 2027: construction of the new bridge
- June through September 2027: temporary pedestrian bridge and vehicle ramp removed, parking lot restored
- December 2027: project complete, ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The City says weather and other factors could change those dates. When it is done, the $35.6 million bridge will be 447 feet long, with a 15-foot sidewalk on its south side, and is built to last 75 years. It replaces a bridge from 1939 that no longer meets modern seismic standards. It will still have one traffic lane in each direction, with wider walkways and new lighting and railings. The restored neon sign is expected back between mid and late 2027, 10 feet north of where Santa Monica has known it since the 1950s.
Projects like this change how the blocks near Ocean Avenue work day to day, sometimes for years. Susan follows them closely for the clients she advises nearby. If you'd like to talk through how the Pier Bridge schedule affects a property you own or are considering near the Pier, Susan Stark Homes is glad to help. Request a Private Consultation.
