Swan Boats Glide at Echo Park

Echo Park — Six years after they first floated across Echo Park Lake, the Swan Boat rides still have people lining up.
Maybe you need a weekend activity with the family, like Ruben Barrio, who brought his kids from the San Fernando Valley on a recent Saturday. Or perhaps you’ve driven past the lake many times, like Alsu Tovobelova, a Russian native now living in Los Feliz, who finally decided to stop by.
Rides are $13 per person ($7.50 for children) for one hour on the water. The most popular slots are the evening illuminated excursions—they often sell out and reservations are advised, said Sheena Walenta, the national marketing and business development director with Wheel Fun Rentals, which has operated the swan boats since 2018 (another operator opened the concession with non-bird pedal boats in 2013).
While summer is the most popular season—attracting up to 2,000 guests per weekend—people use the boats all year round, even now, amid cooler weather. The rides attract the young, as evidenced on TikTok, where some videos get thousands of “likes.” Dogs are allowed on the boats, but can not swim in the lake.
Walenta said 52% of people renting the boats are ages 18–29, and 34% are 30–45. These statistics scream “date night.”
You have to take it seriously, though. Clip your life jacket before boarding, then step onto the black, sand-papery part of the deck. Hold onto a bar as you settle into your seat. Don’t fall in the lake.
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