Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has stood on Main Beach since 1907. It is free to walk in, it sits right on the sand and it still runs two National Historic Landmark rides from the 1910s and 1920s alongside new thrill rides. For Palo Alto families it is the easiest amusement park day on the coast, about an hour over Highway 17.

Our Santa Cruz guide covers the town, the wharf, West Cliff Drive and Natural Bridges. This page goes deeper on the Boardwalk itself: the 2026 season and how the winter schedule works, prices for rides and parking, the newest ride and the best way to plan a day.

Getting there from Palo Alto

Take Interstate 280 or Highway 85 south to Highway 17 in Los Gatos, then follow 17 over the Santa Cruz Mountains. At the bottom, Highway 17 ends at Highway 1. Take the Ocean Street exit and follow the signs for the Beach Boardwalk down to Beach Street. The trip is about 45 miles and takes about an hour in light traffic.

Highway 17 is the hard part. It is a winding four-lane mountain road with tight curves and little shoulder. It backs up badly on summer weekend mornings southbound and on Sunday afternoons northbound. Leave Palo Alto before 9 a.m. in summer and plan to head home either before 3 p.m. or after dark. Our traffic guide has more on timing.

Without a car, the trip is possible but long: Caltrain to San Jose Diridon, then the Highway 17 Express bus to the Santa Cruz Metro Center, then a walk of about a mile to the beach. Allow two hours or more each way.

The 2026 season and the winter schedule

The Boardwalk never fully closes. The arcades, shops and some food stands stay open much of the year. What changes is how many rides run. The Boardwalk's own definitions, from its parking page, frame the year:

• Spring: full ride operation starts in February and lasts until the weekend before Memorial Day weekend, on the ride days posted in the Boardwalk calendar.
• Summer: Memorial Day to Labor Day, with rides daily.
• Fall: from Labor Day until full operation ends in October, again on posted ride days.
• Late fall and winter: rides run only on select days. Some of these are Limited Rides Days, when, in the Boardwalk's words, not all rides will be operating.

For late 2026, the Boardwalk homepage, checked November 2, lists November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving, as a Limited Rides Day and a Bring-a-Friend-for-Free day. The holiday program for 2026 had not been posted yet. For comparison, the 2025 Winter Wonderland ran on select days from November 27, 2025 to January 4, 2026. It added holiday lights shows every 15 minutes from 5 to 8 p.m., a three-story Christmas tree, photos with Santa, fire pits and rides at $2 each after 5 p.m. on operating days. Expect something similar, but confirm dates on the Boardwalk's website before you go.

The simple rule: in winter, never drive over the hill for rides without checking that day's calendar first. In summer you can just show up.

The rides worth your time

The Boardwalk says it now runs 40 rides. A few stand out:

• Giant Dipper: the 1924 wooden roller coaster that defines the skyline. It is a National Historic Landmark and the ride most first-timers want.
• Looff Carousel: built in 1911, with hand-carved horses and the brass ring toss. Also a National Historic Landmark and gentle enough for small children with an adult.
• Vertigo 360: new in 2026. This Italian-built pendulum ride seats 16 riders facing outward with their feet dangling, swinging higher until the gondola goes fully over the top. It opened for daily operation in June 2026, next to the Cave Train Adventure.
• Undertow: a spinning steel coaster that suits older kids not quite ready for bigger drops.
• Cave Train Adventure: a slow, dark ride through a cave scene, good for young children.
• Freefall: a kiddie drop ride that has run since 2002 and was moved near Vertigo 360 in 2026.

On a Limited Rides Day, the Giant Dipper and the big thrill rides may not all run. If one ride matters to your group, call ahead.

Wristbands, cards and how to save

There is no gate fee. You pay per ride with a MyBoardwalk card or buy an unlimited ride wristband. The Boardwalk's ticket page listed these 2026 options:

The ticket page says buying online saves money, especially if you buy before midnight the day before. Prices can vary by date, so check the price for your day. The park is cashless inside. For an adult who just wants the Giant Dipper and the carousel, a card is cheaper than a wristband. For a ten-year-old, the wristband pays off quickly.

Parking

The Boardwalk runs several lots along Beach Street and the river. Its directions page lists these all-day rates:

All lots are cashless and take cards and mobile wallets. The main lot opens at 6 a.m. Other lots open two hours before rides start. No overnight parking is allowed and cars must be out by 2:30 a.m. Rates are subject to change. On a rides-closed winter day, the $5 lot is one of the cheapest ways to park near Main Beach and the wharf.

Where to eat

Inside the park, the classics are corn dogs, garlic fries, churros and saltwater taffy, sold from stands along the midway. Coaster's Bar and Grill hosted the Boardwalk's 2026 World Cup watch parties, if you want a sit-down spot on site. Outside the gates, a few long-running options are close:

• Riva Fish House on the Municipal Wharf, a seafood spot with bay views, a ten-minute walk west along the beach.
• The Crow's Nest at the Santa Cruz Harbor, about five minutes away by car, with a downstairs dining room, an upstairs bar and a beach market for pizza and soft serve.
• Gayle's Bakery in Capitola, 15 minutes south, which lists daily hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Good for picnic supplies on the way in.

Hours change by season, so check each place's own site before you go. Our Capitola guide has more for the drive home along the bay.

Best time to go

For the full experience, go on a summer weekday. All rides run, the weekday parking rate is lower than the weekend one and Highway 17 is lighter. June and September weekdays after school starts are the sweet spot. Summer weekends are the most crowded and the most expensive to park.

Fall weekends are pleasant and often sunnier than summer, since the morning fog is thinner. Winter is quiet and cheap but rides are limited, so it works best as a beach walk, arcade and holiday lights visit. Bring layers in any season. Monterey Bay is cold and the sea breeze picks up in the afternoon. Our weather guide explains the coastal fog.

A sample day

1. 8:45 a.m. Leave Palo Alto and drive over Highway 17.
2. 10 a.m. Park in the main lot and walk Main Beach while the rides open.
3. Opening time. Giant Dipper first, before the line builds, then Vertigo 360.
4. 12:30 p.m. Lunch on the midway or walk to the wharf.
5. 2 p.m. Carousel, Cave Train Adventure and an hour in the arcades.
6. 4 p.m. Sunset walk on the wharf, then dinner in town and an evening drive home.

With small children, add a morning at Roaring Camp in Felton on the way in. With older kids, spend the evening at the arcades and stay over. You can compare hotels near the Santa Cruz beach. For more family ideas see our family day trips and browse all our day trips from Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions