Landscape Information
This 1.7-mile linear park on Ocean Avenue is set atop a coastal cliff with scenic views of the Pacific Ocean. City founders Senator John P. Jones and Colonel Robert S. Baker donated the majority of its 26 acres to the city in 1892, while the Santa Monica Land and Water Company gave the remainder five years later. The park design evolved over the ensuing century, and features signature palm allées, rows of Italian stone pine, eucalyptus, specimen trees from New Zealand, a Craftsman-style pergola built c.1912, a circular rose garden from 1950, and seating and walking trails.
In 1991, a master plan for the park was approved by the city, with Sasaki Associates retained to redesign the park’s southern end. Working with POD, Inc., they replaced the park's vegetation using drought-resistant plants, installed irrigation systems, repaired subsurface drainage, and introduced a new jogging path. Circulation was also improved by realigning existing walkways. Between 1996 and 2000 as part of the South Beach Improvements project, Wallace Roberts & Todd made improvements to Inspiration Point, the northernmost portion of the park. In collaboration with artist Jody Pinto, the landscape architects introduced new lighting and furniture, redesigned the existing path system, and extended the jogging path along Ocean Avenue, resurfacing it with decomposed granite flecked with mica. The designers rejuvenated the naturalistic landscape using native, drought-tolerant shrubs and dense tree plantings for shade. The timbered pergola was restored and given a small plaza with ornamental plantings, while the nearby Rose Garden was redesigned with concentric paths.
