The much-photographed roller coaster on the Santa Monica Pier is getting a makeover that will turn the ride into a tribute to Route 66, complete with cars modeled after classic roadsters, amusement park officials said Tuesday.
According to the operators of Pacific Park on the pier, the ride will undergo a $1 million update that will include a revamped loading station including classic gas pumps and automotive decor such as license plates, maps of Route 66 and other memorabilia.
Vintage-design billboards will be installed along the ride touting roadside attractions and towns along the classic American roadway.
The roller coaster cars will be redesigned to resemble “classic American touring cars.” The ride will be dubbed the “Route 66 West Coaster.”
“Route 66 presented travelers with an open road from Chicago to Los Angeles that offered unique mom-and-pop dining spots, first-of-its-kind motor lodging and one-of-a-kind roadside attractions — all facets represented in the new Route 66 West Coaster,” Pacific Park marketing director Nathan Smithson said in a statement.
The ride’s renovation is expected to be completed by summer.