What to Know
- Valentine's Day at the Pacific Wheel at Santa Monica Pier
- Enjoy a nightly show of hearts and Valentine's-inspired symbols through Feb. 16
- Sunset to midnight; free to see (riding the Ferris wheel is additional)
Once you start looking for hearts, you seem to find them just about everywhere: Book covers, bumper stickers, nail art, greeting cards, and t-shirts, too.
But if you're seeking the iconic romantic symbol somewhere in the vicinity of Santa Monica Pier on Valentine's Day, and it is between sunset and midnight, you'll most definitely encounter an enormous heart, perhaps the biggest heart you've ever seen.
The "card" where this heart will be placed? It's the side of the Pacific Wheel, the solar-powered attraction that serves as a can't-miss focal point of Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier.
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The up-up-up-and-around ride becomes a quirky canvas during major holidays, displaying the symbols and hues associated with the well-known occasion.
And through Feb. 16, it is all about hearts, reds, and pinks at the LED-laden wheel. And by "laden" we do mean thousands and thousands: 174,000 LED lights give, in glittery fashion, the Pacific Wheel its illuminated oomph.
Spy the sky-high hearts, and by "sky-high" we mean the ride rises 130 feet above the surf, starting at sunset; the show concludes at midnight, and if you can't witness this whimsy in person, you can check it out via the attraction's live cam.
