Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Ahhhh, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, full of nostalgia and wonder as it sits iconically on the beach beckoning beach goers and merrimakers. The Big Dipper Roller Coaster dominates the skyline while the sun shines on a perfect stretch of coastline. The allure of warm sand, cold surf, bright lights and the thrill of a roller coaster ride! 

The Boardwalk itself is lined with brightly colored food booths while the sweet smell of cotton candy and funnel cake waifs through the air. It still causes a smile to cross my face and makes my heart quicken as it awakens my inner child. At the far end of the Boardwalk is Neptune’s Arcade, once the site of the “Plunge”, an indoor heated salt water pool. The Coconut Grove, a historic ballroom still sits elegantly along the Boardwalk whispering of a golden age of the past.

But to completely appreciate the awe and sparkle of the modern day Beach Boardwalk, let’s let our minds take a journey into the past glory days of this unique Amusement Park.

Lets start our walk with a little history of California itself. Back in 1769 California was discovered and explored by the Spanish and 22 years later the missions were established. The Missions were the earliest part of the modern day California history. It’s the first project most of us made back in elementary school. We built our “California Mission” models with white sugar cubes to demonstrate the white washed Adobe walls and red tile roofs. These Missions were religious buildings built by the Spanish that still dot the California Coast line from San Francisco down to San Diego.

In 1790 a mission was built in Santa Cruz and later there would be 35 Adobe buildings on Mission Hill (a vibrant district of Santa Cruz City) built by the Spanish. These adobes would form the nucleus of the mission settlement and became the center of the “Pueblo” or town of Santa Cruz. By the 1820’s Mexico had control of the area and people started to flock to the beaches to take in the curative waters as it was believed. This was the fashion of the time as many other “seaside” resorts were popping up like Coney island on the East Coast and popular resorts in England and Europe. It was at this time in history with sea “bathing” being in vogue that Santa Cruz became a destination!  

During this time, California became the 31st state in 1850 after Mexico yeilded properties to the US, including Califirnia. In 1865 a “bathhouse” was in operation on the beach near the mouth of the San Lorenzo river.  The beach was a popular destination for people living in the San Francisco area, easily accessible by railroads and trolleys from 1875. 

Other bathhouses soon followed, catering to those seeking the “natural medicine” of a dip in salt water and needing a place to change. Women in those days swam covered ankles to neck in wool suits that weighed twenty pounds when wet. They modestly emerged from their wooden “bath house” to dip into the “curative” waters.

Around the 1890’s  the adobes on Mission Hill became replaced with Protestant churches with their tall white steeples and white picket fences, ushering in the Victorian era to Santa Cruz. Prominent citizens and the wealthy wanting seaside summer homes started to build the beautiful Victorian homes that are speckled throughout Santa Cruz and especially concentrated on Walnut Ave. 

If you ever find yourself in Santa Cruz, take yourself on a stroll through time by walking on Walnut Ave on Mission Hill, every house is pickled perfect Victorian with garbled roofs, white front porches and bay windows. You can just imagine the residents sweeping down the streets with their long dresses and tiny corseted waists laughing with friends under elaborate hats. 

While beach “bathing” had already been an attraction, In 1904 the Casino was built in Santa Cruz but this quickly burned down in 1906. The new Casino was built on what they called the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, as we know it today. 

The classy Victorians would spend the day bathing at the beach listening to bands playing from the beach bandstand and then change into tuxedos and gowns to go dancing in the ballroom in the evening.

The Casino was host to many gala’s and balls over the years, starting with a big celebration in 1907 to commemorate the burning of the old Casino and the building of the new Casino with the Cocoanut Grove, the new ballroom. Even President Rosevelt sent a telegram to congratulate the completion of the new Ballroom and celebratory event. Dinner on that commemorative night was $1.50 and entrance to the ball was .50 cents. I guess we have had a little inflation since then. In 1911 the famous Carousel was added with it’s beautifully painted horses. Mother’s could sit on benches around the Carousel and watch their small children gleeful go round and round.

Although gambling was never legal, it was generally known that guests could take boats from the “pleasure pier” to a ship in the harbor to play games of chance in the early days. During Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, serving alcoholic drinks was also outlawed and the casino changed its name to Cocoanut Grove. The name includes an old spelling of Coconut, which was used in the popular Marx Brothers movie The Cocoanuts of 1929. In 1923 the Big Dipper Roller Coaster was built adding to the charm of the Boardwalk and providing its iconic look. Today the Big Diooer and the Carousel are National Historic Landmarks. 

From 1927 to 1959, the Southern Pacific Railroad ran “Suntan Special” excursion trains to the beach from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose every summer on Sundays and holidays. This added to the easy accessibility and popularity of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

During this time sea “bathers” could enjoy sea bathing and swimming in the “Plunge” an indoor heated swimming pool that was filled with salt water from the Pacific Ocean and heated to a warm 83 degrees. Much like today, they could grab a snack or a beverage from the many booths along the Boardwalk or participate in the many games that lined the Pleasure Pier. The “Plunge”  indoor bathing continued until 1962.

In the years to follow the Coconut Grove Ballroom became the place to be for ballroom dancing with big venues in the 30’s like Lawrence Welk and Benny Goodman. Can you just see the ladies swirling in flowing gowns with elegant gentleman taking the lead? 

During the 1930s, tourists from the San Francisco Bay Area, ninety, miles north of Santa Cruz, could take the Southern Pacific Railroad’s “Suntan Special” right to the front gate of the boardwalk. They came to hear the greatest names of the Big Band era play at the Cocoanut Grove – Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and the Dorsey brothers. The 1920s, 30s and 40s were golden times at the Boardwalk. In 1921, Highway 17 was paved, and more and more people began traveling to Santa Cruz to spend a day at the Boardwalk.

In the 1960’s the Coconut Grove switched to attracting a younger crowd and brought in such famous names as Nat King Cole and Sonny & Cher. In 1977 the Cocoanut Grove reopened to a big band dance series held each spring and fall. Les Brown and His Band of Renown performed to a crowd of 1,400 at the gala opening. Such stars as Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and Woody Herman performed in the Santa Cruz landmark during ensuing years.

1963, the plunge was officially closed, the pool was filled with sand and was made into the indoor mini-golf center. By the 1960’s tastes had changed. People no longer wanted to “take curative waters” or swim indoors. The new fad was surfing and was fueled by Hollywood portrayals of “Gidget” and Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon singing and falling in love on California Beaches, The Beach Boys were hitting the top of the charts and the young were flocking to the beaches.

Today, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California’s oldest surviving Amusement Park, Disneyland is just a young pup in comparison. Even today there is no fee for admission and the beach is public and free to all. The rides are available by wristband or tickets and of course the sweet funnel cakes, fried foods and cotton candy are still available to a happy public.

The Beach Boardwalk still sparkles and delights a new generation but as I stroll through the current Neptune’s Arcade with all of its loud clatter and video games I feel a little nostalgic for days long gone by. I squint my eyes and look past the hackling of the animated Pirates of the Carribean characters and can see in my minds eye the “Plunge” pool of the last turn of the Century. I can still see the blue curved arch ceiling high above the arcade, the same ceiling that watched over swimmers at the “Plunge” in the 1920’s and beyond. The upper level is still there where you can look down from high above. I can still see the trapeze artists that used to perform acrobatic stunts from the ceiling high above. 

I dream of ballroom dancing and elaborate dinners, fancy dresses and respectful gentlemen. How much more elegant they looked than the modern day tourist with sneakers and tshirts. How relaxing it must have been to soak in warm salt water and to ride roller coaster rides when the world was young. To live in Victorian houses and ride trains on the railways. 

Time marches on and tastes change, but the love of the beach and roller coasters, funnel cake and corn dogs lives on. So take a stroll down the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, walk hand-in-hand with your special someone, win a stuffed animal for your girl, ride a roller coaster or just sore high above the crowds on the people mover or Sea Swing. The love of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and it’s enticing nostalgia lives on….