Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome
| nrhp_type = nhl
| designated_other1 = Santa Monica Historic Landmark
| designated_other1_number = 3
| image = Santa Monica pier edit1.jpg
| caption =
| location = 276 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
| coordinates = {{coord|34|0|36.36|N|118|29|43.45|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = USA Los Angeles Metropolitan Area#California#USA
| area = less than one acre
| architect = Looff, Charles & Arthur
| architecture = Mixture of Byzantine, Moorish, and Californian
| added = February 27, 1987{{NRISref|2010a}}
}}
The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome is located on the Newcomb Pier adjacent to the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. It was designed and built in 1916 by Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur to hold a Looff Carousel. Looff's carousel was housed at the Hippodrome until it was sold in 1939. It was replaced by Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #62, which was moved from the Ocean Park Pier. The building remains a rare example of structures that used to be on the amusement pier, and scenes were filmed therein for the 1973 award-winning film, The Sting.{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Lindsay |title=Scene It Before: The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome from 'The Sting' |url=http://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/scene-it-before-the-santa-monica-looff-hippodrome-from-the-sting/ |work=Los Angeles Magazine |date=January 16, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2017}} Since 1977, the carousel has been owned by the city,[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.santamonicapier.org/carousel_history.html Carousel History] page that is no longer available at [http://www.santamonicapier.org/ santamonicapier.org], but is archived at archive.org. and was restored from 1977 through 1981. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.{{Cite journal |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Looff's Hippodrome / Santa Monica Amusement Pier Carousel Building |url={{NHLS url |id=87000766}} |format=pdf |date=November 2, 1984 |author=James H. Charleton |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=87000766|title=Accompanying 1 photo, from 1985.|photos=y}} {{small|(397 KB)}}
History
=Looff years (1910s–1930s)=
On June 12, 1916, the Looff Hippodrome opened.[http://santamonicapier.org/wp-content/themes/sm-pier/images/history/layer-07.png santamonicapier.org] It and its carousel were part of Looff's new amusement park "Pleasure Pier," on a short, wide pier adjacent to the long, narrow Santa Monica Pier.
=Newcomb years (1940s–1960s)=
When World War II ended, Walter Newcomb{{Cite web |url=http://www.westlandtraveler.com/ca/santa_monica/santa_monica_pier/history/ |title=Santa Monica Pier History - WestlandTraveler.com |website=www.westlandtraveler.com |access-date=2018-02-21}} found himself in an enviable position. The amusement business was expected to see a great surge with the return of the country's military personnel and a general feeling of national pride. With the closure of the Venice Pier reducing his competition, he relocated his Venice-based carousel into the old Looff Hippodrome.
=Threats, storms, and restoration (1970s–1990s)=
Over the next several decades the city of Santa Monica proposed various plans to tear down Newcomb Pier, and with it the Hippodrome. The city council approved a plan to replace the pier with a resort island in Santa Monica Bay. Local activists formed Save Santa Monica Bay and shot down that plan,{{cite web |url=http://www.boomerslife.org/save_santa_monica_pier_1972.htm |title=Save Santa Monica Pier - 1972 |last=Holst |first=Sanford |work=boomerslife.org |access-date=5 April 2013}} and in 1973 the city formally revoked a standing order to demolish the pier.{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/601241822.html?dids=601241822:601241822&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=May+10%2C+1973&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=S.M.+Council+Rescinds+Order+for+Removal+of+Newcomb+Pier&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630050527/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/601241822.html?dids=601241822:601241822&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=May+10,+1973&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=S.M.+Council+Rescinds+Order+for+Removal+of+Newcomb+Pier&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |title=S.M. Council Rescinds Order for Removal of Newcomb Pier |last=Beubis |first=Seymour |date=May 10, 1973 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=5 April 2013}} The city acquired ownership of the pier in summer 1974.{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/668883612.html?dids=668883612:668883612&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+04%2C+1974&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=S.M.+Fences+Unsafe+Newcomb+Pier+Areas&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630044741/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/668883612.html?dids=668883612:668883612&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+04,+1974&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=S.M.+Fences+Unsafe+Newcomb+Pier+Areas&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |title=S.M. Fences Unsafe Newcomb Pier Areas |last=Fanucchi |first=Kenneth |date=July 4, 1974 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=5 April 2013}} In the 1980s it was almost destroyed by winter storms.
In 1983 the city formed a Pier Restoration and Development Task Force (now the Pier Restoration Corporation), tasked with returning the pier to its former glory. In 1989 the Pier Restoration Corporation decided to "make the pier a year-round commercial development with amusement rides, gift shops, nightclubs with live entertainment and restaurants" that would be "reminiscent of its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s".{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66606669.html?dids=66606669:66606669&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+21%2C+1989&author=JULIO+MORAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Santa+Monica+Pier+Revival+Plan+Stirs+Excitement&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630044217/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66606669.html?dids=66606669:66606669&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+21,+1989&author=JULIO+MORAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Santa+Monica+Pier+Revival+Plan+Stirs+Excitement&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |title=Santa Monica Pier Revival Plan Stirs Excitement |last=Moran |first=Julio |date=November 21, 1989 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=5 April 2013}} The Hippodrome was restored and the Carousel was rebuilt inside it. The current {{convert|2|acre|ha|adj=on}} Pacific Park opened in 1996 as a full-scale family amusement park.{{cite news |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF66E9986FFA308&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Santa Monica beach park to open in '96 |date=October 7, 1995 |work=Daily News of Los Angeles |access-date=5 April 2013}}
References
- Santa Monica Pier: A Century on the Last Great Pleasure Pier, by James Harris
- National Carousel Association: Merry-Go-Roundup (Volume 10, Number 4, Winter); The Carousel on the Pier, A Pictorial History of America's Most Famous Carousel.
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.santamonicapier.org/history History of pier & hippodrome]
- [http://www.santamonicalandmarks.com/landmk33.html Looff Hippodrome, 1916] at Santa Monica Landmarks. Includes photo gallery.
{{Santa Monica, California}}
{{SMMNRA}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
Category:1916 establishments in California
Category:Amusement rides introduced in 1916
Category:Amusement-related National Historic Landmarks
Category:Buildings and structures in Santa Monica, California
Category:Byzantine Revival architecture in California
Category:Carousels in California
Category:History of Santa Monica, California
Category:Landmarks in Santa Monica, California
Category:Moorish Revival architecture in California
Category:National Historic Landmarks in California