Pop Culture
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The world-famous Muscle Beach was originally located on the beach just south of the Pier and operated from the mid-1930s until 1958. Its acrobatics shows became so popular that more people attended them than visited the Pier itself. Famous bodybuilders such as Jack LaLanne and Joe Gold, the founder of Gold's Gym, regularly worked out there, helping establish Santa Monica as the birthplace of the physical fitness boom. Other activities and points of interest with roots near the Pier include beach volleyball, Hot Dog on a Stick, and Cirque du Soleil.
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Santa Monica, California · United States
