Tongva Park: Santa Monica’s Most Underrated Six Acres

One block from the Santa Monica Pier, tucked between Ocean Avenue and Main Street, Tongva Park opened in 2013 on a former surface parking lot and immediately became one of the best public spaces on the Westside. Six acres of landscaped hills, interactive fountains, free amphitheater concerts, and sweeping views of the Pacific — all completely free, every day from 6am to 11pm.

Most visitors to Santa Monica don't know it exists. They walk to the Pier, see the beach, loop back to the Promenade. The park sits one block south and east, less than a five-minute walk from everything, and on any given weekday morning it's one of the most pleasant places to be in Los Angeles.

"Tongva Park is the park Santa Monica should be famous for. The fact that most tourists miss it entirely is the Westside's quiet secret."

The Four Hills

The park is organized around four distinct sections, each named for a different kind of gathering or activity.

Observation Hill is the highest point in the park, with unobstructed views of Santa Monica Bay, the Pier, and on clear days, Catalina Island. It's the right place to sit for sunset if Palisades Park feels too exposed.

Discovery Hill is designed for families — it has a splash pad, a shaded play structure, and large flat lawn areas good for picnics or just lying down in the grass.

Garden Hill is the most botanically interesting section. The planting design includes over 30,000 individual plants across 170+ species and more than 300 trees from 21 different species. It is a serious landscape — the kind that rewards looking closely.

Gathering Hill has a free outdoor amphitheater where the City of Santa Monica hosts concerts, performances, and community events throughout the year. Showtimes are listed on the city's Tongva Park events page.

The Weather Field

At the eastern edge of the park near Main Street sits the Weather Field — a public art installation of kinetic elements that respond to wind and light. It's subtle enough that many visitors walk past it, but worth stopping for. On a breezy afternoon the whole installation moves together in a way that's oddly calming.

Getting There

Tongva Park is at 1615 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (at Olympic Drive). The Metro E Line Downtown Santa Monica station is a 5-minute walk east on Colorado. Bike parking is available at multiple entry points. The park is open daily 6am–11pm, free always.