Pacific Park Retires Original Sea Dragon Ride

On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Pacific Park retired its original Sea Dragon ride after more than 26 years of thrilling guests on the Santa Monica Pier. The beloved classic ride had carried over 12 million riders since opening on May 26, 1996. The park gave it a fitting farewell with a heavy-duty helicopter flight over the Pacific Ocean, landing at the Port of Hueneme in Ventura County to go into retirement, weather permitting.

A HP-60A civilian Blackhawk provided the Sea Dragon with a high-flying farewell as it departed on its last ride, taking it 250 feet over the Pacific Ocean to the Port of Hueneme. From there, it was transported to its retirement destination at the City Museum in St. Louis, MO, where it now sits on top of the museum's roof beside a Big Eli Ferris wheel, slides, and other eclectic attractions.

The Sea Dragon was a classic amusement park attraction that had been a beloved part of the Santa Monica Pier experience for over 26 years. Although retired, it will always be remembered for the fun memories it provided for millions of Pacific Park guests.

To replace the original Sea Dragon, Pacific Park introduced an updated version of the ride. The new $1.5 million Sea Dragon was installed in the same space as the original and features a variety of new ride enhancements. These include custom music and sound, wind generators, and a misting system that makes riders feel as if they're riding the dragon out over the open ocean. The new Sea Dragon also has shaking seats to replicate the stormy seas and is illuminated at night with LED energy-efficient lights lining the ride car and 40-feet tall ride supports.

The new Sea Dragon ride has the same high-swinging ride experience and sports the familiar bright green, scaly exterior. However, it also offers new enhancements that amplify the experience, making it even more thrilling for riders.

The original Sea Dragon was a swinging ship ride with two lifelike dragon heads that made passengers feel as if they were caught in turbulent waters. The ship moved back and forth in a 180-degree arc, giving riders a series of 40-feet drops and thrilling launches. The Sea Dragon ride car weighed 6,000 pounds, was 26 feet in length, was 3 feet in width, and was accentuated with 12-feet-tall Sea Dragon heads on each end.

According to Wikipedia, the first known predecessor of the swinging ship ride was invented by Charles Albert Marshall of Tulsa, Oklahoma, between 1893 and 1897. This ride was originally called "The Ocean Wave." The Ocean Wave was first used in the Marshall Bros Circus in 1897. Charles Marshall and his brothers Mike, Will, Ed, friends, and family ran the circus.

The custom, all-new Sea Dragon ride was designed and built by Chance Rides Manufacturing, Inc. in Wichita, Kan. Chance Rides is a family-owned business that makes amusement rides, coasters, and people movers in a 40-acre facility.

Pacific Park celebrated the Sea Dragon's long tenure of service by displaying the original two-headed dragon outside the amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier deck. Guests had the opportunity to say goodbye, take a photo, and even contribute to its legacy by sharing videos, photos, and memories of their experience at

Update on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 02:39PM by Fabian Lewkowicz