Remove Ads
4.0
2,219 votes

Venice Beach Boardwalk

1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, California 90291 USA

$$
Reasonable
Open Now
Thu 12a-11:59p
  • Independent
  • Credit Cards
    Accepted
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
Add to Trip

Iconic Attraction

Our Take

The punk rock vibes at the Venice Beach Boardwalk make it one of the best places in LA for people watching. With attractions like the current Muscle Beach, the skate-dancing pavilion, and the drum circles, the freak show located on the boardwalk might be one of the more tame things to see. Rent a bike or some rollerblades and immerse yourself in the free-wheeling fun.

Remove Ads

“The infamous Venice Beach Boardwalk!”

You haven't seen it all until you've seen Venice! There is a sandy three-mile beach here, but that is not what attracts visitors. You go to Venice to shop and gawk. During the summer season and on weekends, there is street entertainment at every intersection along Ocean Front Walk. Street performers include instrumental musicians, singers, jugglers, acrobats, mimes, comics, magicians, prophets, fortune tellers, and other assorted entertainers. You will see people with tricolor hairdos, painted faces, weird tattoos, and outlandish clothing--or lack of it. The Boardwalk is a virtual sidewalk circus, a walk 'n' rolling skin show. There are lots of funky shops, too, if you want to eat out of the ordinary or buy an unusual souvenir or T-shirt. There are courts for basketball, handball, shuffleboard and paddle tennis. Muscle Beach is a special area where fanatic bodybuilders pump iron in a public show of strength. The Venice Chamber of Commerce maintains an Event calendar while other sites contain historical information.

Read More >
Add Review
Thanks!
Your Rating
1
2
3
4
5

Reviewed by
James Fisher

  • Road Warrior
  • 534 Reviews
  • 491 Helpful
June 22, 2014
Rated 5.0

The boardwalk is a must go place. Sure it can be kinda touristy, but it's also full of local color, with plenty of real people who live and work here doing their thing. Loads of freaks and weirdos of the awesome fun variety. Lots of odd little shops, tattoo parlors and junky street grub. Then theres the beach, all the amazing beach houses, oh and muscle beach!

6 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Plvogel

  • 98 Reviews
  • 46 Helpful
May 13, 2015
Rated 4.0

Fun and exciting to go if you've never been to LA before. Venice Beach is a colorful mix of interesting characters, seedy tattoo shops, and cheap food joints. A really nice beach, usually very full of patrons and relatively clean. The boardwalk itself is kind of grimy, and full of vagrants and vagabonds. Also a close bike ride to Santa Monica and the major shopping districts in Venice.

3 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Anthony Arata

  • 127 Reviews
  • 20 Helpful
June 12, 2021
Rated 2.0

While this place has a beautiful view, it is so overrun by all the homeless that LA refuses to address that coming here is a legitimate safety concern. The restaurants down here are fun and have good atmospheres, but walking around here, you run the risk of all the panhandlers asking you for money, or possibly being attacked by crazy homeless people out of their minds on drugs. Until the city acknowledges there’s a homeless problem and actually does something about it, I’d avoid this area.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Anna Hider

  • Blogger
  • 1,414 Reviews
  • 636 Helpful
April 26, 2018
Rated 4.0

I'd heard about how weird Venice Beach was, and so my first time here, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't disappointed. Within one second of stepping foot onto the boardwalk I was almost nailed by some people skateboarding while wearing full teddy bear costumes. Definitely come in the evening for churros and the sunset. I've been here first thing in the morning and while it's fun to watch the surfers, it really comes to life in the afternoon.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Greek_nomad

  • Road Warrior
  • 401 Reviews
  • 296 Helpful
October 04, 2014
Rated 5.0

Venice Beach Boardwalk seems as if its calling tourists from all over the world to unite!!

There are shops of all kinds and the shop holders don't leave you alone not even for a second.Until you realize and load the information of the shop you just passed by to your mind, you get "attacked" by the next one!!

We as a family are very social so we loved walking there!!! Prices depend on all products but you can easily make a bargain!!!

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
lyndonp

  • 10 Reviews
  • 4 Helpful
September 24, 2014
Rated 3.0

The boardwalk was ok. Definitely worth walking as there are some classic characters to see up and down it. The only major problem I had with it is eventually you just keep passing stalls/stores selling the same goods as ones passed already. Was worth the long trek though and recommend it just to see what Venice has to offer

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
FezLuvsU

  • 15 Reviews
  • 11 Helpful
September 16, 2014
Rated 4.0

One of my favorite beaches. Still doesn't top the Santa Monica Boardwalk on my list, but still really fun :)

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Stephen Rees

  • Road Warrior
  • 273 Reviews
  • 331 Helpful
September 05, 2014
Rated 4.0

Not my favorite place in L.A., but an area you've got to visit nonetheless. I'll always remember the "doctors" in green lab coats trying to sign me and my friends up for medical marijuana, as well as the incredible array of different characters assembled along the boardwalk.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Tatiana Danger

  • Road Warrior
  • 1,169 Reviews
  • 910 Helpful
July 07, 2014
Rated 5.0

I love Venice Beach Boardwalk. It's incredibly quirky and electic. If you're in L.A. definitely hit it up for the people-watching alone. It's got a great vibe, really positive and fun. And, seriously, the testosterone at muscle beach is palpable. Good bars, good eats, and great shopping.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
AnthonyVap

  • 2 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
September 18, 2020
Rated 5.0

Magnifique!

Was this helpful?

Be the first to add a review to the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

Venice Beach Boardwalk

1800 Ocean Front Walk
Venice, California
90291 USA
Remove Ads

Hours

Open 24 hours today
  • Sun - Sat: 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Problem with this listing? Let us know.

Has RV parking changed? Let us know.

Remove Ads

Good for fishing, surfing, and 3 more activities. Has a Kitsch vibe.

  • Check
    Parking
  • Check
    Pets Allowed
  • Check
    Restrooms
  • Unavailable
    Wifi
  • Check
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Check
    Credit Cards Accepted
  • Check
    Outdoor Seating
See More Details (16)

Parking, Dining

Remove Ads

Nearby Hotels

Gardena, California
Alhambra, California
FastBook
$

Click to discover a
great deal!

East Pasadena, California
Long Beach, California
Los Angeles, California
Remove Ads

Related Trip Guides

Remove Ads
60324