Santa Monica College050

Santa Monica College is one of the more popular campuses in California's huge commmunity college system, offering inexpensive college and adult education courses to a diverse population of students year round, at a campus located a few blocks from the Santa Monica beaches and the Third Street Promenade.

For local families and visitors, the campus offers entertainment in nearly every category you can imagine, including dance, theater, music, sporting events, and more. Facilities available to the public include the planetarium and the outdoor swimming pool complex; the swim center is run by the city and offers very affordable swimming lessons for all ages, from babies to life guard candidates. Recreational pool use costs local residents only $1 for kids and $2.50 for adults. Complete schedules and registration instructions for seasonal lessons are available on the swim center website.

The college also hosts Santa Monica's only public fireworks display of the year at its Fourth of July celebration, usually held on the weekend preceding the birthday of the US of A.