Pacific Park's original Sea Dragon ride on the Santa Monica Pier retires after 26 years

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - It's the end of an era for an OG at Pacific Park. 

The iconic original Sea Dragon ride has officially retired after delighting guests with more than 12 million rides at the Santa Monica Pier.

The 6,000-lb., 26-ft. long, bright green Sea Dragon has been a classic amusement park attraction on the pier for over 26 years.

"The original Sea Dragon has provided millions of Pacific Park guests with fun memories with family and friends over the last 26 years," said Nathan Smithson, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. "The enthusiasm that guests have for the original Sea Dragon and its extreme popularity prompted us to introduce the all-new Sea Dragon and reimagine the ride experience while providing the same classic swing ride that guests know and love so well."

The original Sea Dragon is being transported to Port Hueneme via a HP-60A civilian Blackhawk where it will then make its way to its final resting place at a downtown St. Louis, Missouri museum.

Taking over its spot on the pier is an upgraded version of the same ride and it's even made by the same manufacturer. The new $1.5 million revamped Sea Dragon will deliver the same high-swinging ride experience but with some cool upgrades. There will be wind generators and a misting system to make riders feel "as if they are riding the dragon out over the open ocean" and the seats will even shake "to replicate the stormy seas." The new dragon will also light up at night with LED energy-efficient lights lining the ride car.

You can share any pictures and videos of your experience with the OG Sea Dragon at https://pacpark.com/seadragonmemories.