Third Street Promenade

The scoop

Third Street Promenade is the pedestrian stretch of 3rd Street between Wilshire and Broadway: national stores, smaller shops, restaurants, and street performers. It's been a pedestrian street since 1965, and it's about a 10-minute walk from the Pier. You come to walk, shop, eat, or hit the farmers market — not for a single ticketed attraction.

What to do

Stroll the three car-free blocks, duck into shops and restaurants, and look for the six topiary dinosaur sculptures along the street. The Downtown Farmers Market sets up on Arizona Avenue, next to the Promenade, every Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., year-round, rain or shine, unless a holiday or extreme weather shuts it down. Adults 21 and over can buy drinks from participating businesses and carry them on the Promenade in the Entertainment Zone; confirm each place's hours. Santa Monica Place sits at the south end if you want to keep walking.

When to go

There's no single opening or closing time for the street. Shop and restaurant hours vary, so evenings depend on which businesses are still open. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the play if you want the farmers market. Weekends are busier than weekdays.

Who it's for

Anyone who wants a car-free downtown walk with stores and places to eat. It's a commercial street, not a quiet neighborhood browse.

Kids: An easy stroll with young kids. There's no playground on the Promenade itself, but the street is car-free, the farmers market is stroller-friendly, and Reed Park is a few blocks east if you need a play stop.

Insider tips

• Park in the downtown public structures on 2nd and 4th Streets. Official city rates, in effect since April 13, 2026, start at $1 for the first 90 minutes, then step up by time block, with a daily maximum of $20 on weekdays and $22 on weekends (as listed on the city's Parking Structure 1 page). Older "first 90 minutes free" language on visitor guides is out of date. Downtown and coastal meters are $3 an hour as of the Jan 12, 2026 rate table; confirm the signs.
• Public restrooms are in Parking Structures 4 and 5, 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Tongva Park restrooms at 1615 Ocean Avenue are listed 6 a.m.–11 p.m. During the farmers market, Structure 2 restrooms are listed Wednesday and Saturday, 6 a.m.–2 p.m.
• As of Nov 2026, Pier Bridge work can add traffic on the Ocean Avenue side of downtown.

Skip it if…

You're after independent neighborhood shops and a quieter sidewalk — Montana Avenue is the calmer alternative.