The iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is something you just can’t miss if you’re visiting Santa Cruz. Since 1907, this seaside attraction has offered rides for all ages, food, an arcade, a bowling alley, and so much more. For example, the famous roller coaster the Giant Dipper has been thrilling folks since 1927!
Although most rides are for kids and adults who are at least 48” tall, many allow shorter riders to enjoy them with a chaperone. We decided to take our two kids to the Boardwalk one winter weekend in February. At that time, our kids were 4 years and 18 months old.
Our preschooler’s eyes glowed as she took in the sights, smells, and sounds of kids yelling with delight, rides whizzing past, the aromas of fried foods wafting overhead, and lights flashing all around. Our toddler, on the other hand, was not as amused and was too small to enjoy the rides or fried foods.
If you plan to add the Boardwalk to your list of activities as you visit Santa Cruz, here is what I would suggest:
The Boardwalk is located on the unceded lands of the Awaswas Ohlone people who have been stewarding Aulinta (the land in Santa Cruz County) for thousands of years.
Before you go
- We recommend visiting the Boardwalk for the rides and attractions when your kid is at least two years old. The beach, on the other hand, can be enjoyed at any age!
- Buy your ride tickets in advance online
- Decide where you want to park. Your options are the designated adjacent lot ($20-$30), downtown where you can catch a shuttle to the Boardwalk, $10, or on one of the side streets where you might score free parking along East Cliff Dr.
- Plan ahead by checking the event schedule.
What we packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Beach gear (toys, towels, change of clothes)
- Bagged lunch or lunch money
- Sunscreen and hats
- Stroller or wagon
- Baby carrier
Tips & tricks to get the most out of your trip
Arrive at the Boardwalk early
Crowds build fast, especially on weekends. The more crowded the Boardwalk is, the longer the lines for rides and food, and the harder it is to wander through the Boardwalk with kids in tow.
Check the website to see the current hours of operation as they change depending on the season. In the winter when we visited, rides were only open from 12-5 p.m. on weekends.
Plan out your day in advance
Check the Boardwalk website to map out the age-appropriate rides and attractions for your family. Pre-planning will help you determine how many tickets you will need to buy, how long you are planning on being there, and where you should park.
There are a lot of attractions to fill your day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, including a bowling alley, mini-golf, an arcade, kiddie rides, and face painting. Check this link to find which rides are accessible to your kids, depending on their height.
Our 4-year-old ended up wanting to go on more rides than expected, and the lines were so long that we didn’t get far down the Boardwalk before it was time to head home. Some of the kiddie rides only seat a few kids at a time, resulting in a much longer wait time than a ride that fits 20+ people per turn.
We waited 45 minutes for our preschooler to enjoy a three-minute ride on one of these helicopters. Geez. Even though her parents were annoyed, the helicopter ride ended up being her favorite thing from the trip, so…worth it?
Buy ride tickets in bulk
If you plan to go on rides, purchase your tickets in advance to save yourself time at the Boardwalk. Tickets cost $1 each, and most rides take 5-6 tickets. If you budget for at least four rides in an afternoon, that is already $20 or more—per person!
If you plan to ride more than seven rides, save money and buy a ride wristband for unlimited rides for $40-$70 per person per day (price varies by season), or buy tickets on a MyBoardwalk Card and get five extra tickets for every $50 spent. The MyBoardwalk Card can be shared between riders, while the wristband is for one rider alone and for only one day.
We purchased individual tickets since we were only planning on riding a few rides that afternoon with our preschooler. If we had arrived earlier, or planned to ride more than four rides each, it would have made sense to purchase the wristband.
Pack snacks and lunch
We brought snacks to enjoy while we waited in the long ride lines and while walking between rides.
If you’re into fried foods, the Boardwalk has some delicious options, such as corn dogs, hot dogs, pizza, fish and chips, fried potato rings, funnel cakes, deep-fried twinkies or oreos, and garlic fries. The problem is that the lines to order food are so long!
We learned this the hard way. We had promised our kiddo a fried snack and then realized we didn’t have enough time to sit in a food line that was longer than the helicopter ride line. Sorry kiddo—no food at the Boardwalk is worth an hour wait.
We were happy to find that the Dole Whip stand’s line was not long at all. Dole Whip is made from pineapples—a “healthy” snack, right? Ha!
Bring a wagon or a stroller
The Boardwalk is a mile long and can be really crowded. Depending on where you park, you may end up walking two miles round-trip to reach all your desired attractions.
It is much easier to trek the distance—and keep track of your kids in the crowds—if your kids are riding in a stroller or wagon.
There are not many stroller parking options, so this suggestion will work best for those who visit the Boardwalk with at least two caregivers, one who can go on the rides and the other who can hang back with your stuff and baby, if you have one.
Play on the beach
Take a break from the long lines and play on the long sandy beach adjacent to the Boardwalk. The beach is wide and a far distance to the water from the Boardwalk itself. This is actually perfect if you don’t want your kids to get wet!
The Boardwalk was crowded when we visited. We decided to pull out the picnic blanket and relax on the beach just steps from the Boardwalk. Good timing, too: my baby wanted to nurse, and my kiddo wanted to eat!
Walking on the beach would be challenging if you have a stroller, so if you’re planning to play on the beach awhile you may want to bring a wagon or baby carrier instead.
Walk along the pedestrian bridge
If you park along East Cliff Drive, you can walk to the Boardwalk over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the San Lorenzo River.
Not only do you get free parking (check the signs), but you get an opportunity to walk next to an old and picturesque railroad bridge that crosses the river!
Be sure to check the signs on street parking before you park in the neighborhoods near the boardwalk. At the time of this writing, there were restrictions on evening parking in the summer months of May-September.
I couldn’t help but notice the lack of families of color in the posters of the Boardwalk’s history (click here for a map). Although our family was one of many BIPOC families enjoying the Boardwalk during our visit, it still made me wonder how accessible this beachside attraction was for my parents or grandparents.
Even so, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will always hold a special place in my heart. I spent many summers there as a child, and many high school band competitions marching along the Santa Cruz strip (yup, I’m a band nerd).
Our recent trip to the Boardwalk was my first time visiting with kids of my own and I was excited to make new memories here as a parent. Our toddler and preschooler were both in awe of the sights, sounds, and smells of the Boardwalk.
However, I wouldn’t recommend the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with a child under 2. The noises were overwhelming, there were few rides our 18-month-old could do on her own because she was too scared, and it was way too crowded to let her walk around.
It turned out to be a really fun place for our preschooler to explore. Next time, my plan is to divide and conquer—one parent on the beach with the baby, and one on the rides with the preschooler.
How do you visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with kids of different ages? Share in the comments below.
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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