PLACE STORY · VENTURA
The Ventura Pier has been rebuilt at least ten times since 1872
The ocean has taken part of the Ventura Pier at least ten times since 1872. It is still there. 🌊
California's oldest pier, and the most stubborn structure on this coast.
The Start
First piling driven May 18, 1872. Finished October 5, 1872. Built as a working wharf — this was how you got goods in and out before the railroad reached town in 1887.
What Went Out In One Year
The Ventura Wharf Company's statement for the year ending April 30, 1898: 518,204 barrels of bulk oil, 80,384 bags of beans, 11,855 boxes of oranges, 6,285 boxes of lemons.
The Ship That Hit It Twice
December 19, 1914 — the steamer Coos Bay was swung under the wharf by a rip tide and pounded it apart from underneath, then sank nearby. November 27, 1947, thirty-three years later, heavy surf pulled the wreck loose and washed it back into the pier. 🚢
The High-Water Mark
Rebuilt to 1,958 feet after a 1937 storm, which made it the longest wooden pier in California. On December 13, 1995, high surf sheared off about 420 feet — and took the "Wavespout" sculpture at the end with it. The city chose not to rebuild that length. It's 1,600 feet today.
The Last Round
The 2022–23 winter storms took 37 timber piles and over 600 pieces of bracing and hardware. Closed January 2023, reopened June 29, 2024. About $3.38 million, roughly 94% covered by FEMA and the state.
Why It Survives
Pier Into The Future, formed in 1993, has put about $1 million into an endowment at the Ventura County Community Foundation. The interest pays for routine maintenance. Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20.
Sources
- City of Ventura
- Ventura County Historical Society Quarterly
- Los Angeles Times archives
- Ventura County Star-Free Press
- Pier Into The Future
Accessed and verified 2026-08-23.
