Your Destination Guide™ to Atlantic City, NJ

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© Kslee

The Steel Pier, which first opened in 1898, is one of Atlantic City's most storied landmarks and still operates as a fun, family-style amusement park in spite of continued announcements that it will be closing for redevelopment. Its rides, double-decker carousel, roller coaster, games and prize wheels, quaint atmosphere, and of course, free admission have contributed to its continued success.

The time to go is now, however: Trump Entertainment Resorts, its parent company, plans to close it and perform a major redevelopment of retail and entertainment attractions along with luxury condominiums.

Called the Steel Pier because of its steel foundation, the Pier, as it is referred to simply by locals, is more than an amusement park; it is an icon representing the glamorous glory of Atlantic City's heyday. Once described as "An Amusement City at Sea", "A Vacation in Itself" as well as "Showplace of the Nation", the Pier was an early cultural center in Atlantic City.

The Pier was host to some of the top entertainment celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, John Philip Sousa, Benny Goodman, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como. In addition, its famous Marine Ballroom (destroyed in a fire in 1969) was a Mecca of the Big Band sound.

After the 1969 fire, the Pier was rebuilt at about two-thirds the length of the original pier. Sadly, this structure, which still contained the original steel foundation, was destroyed in a 1982 fire, and subsequently rebuilt from concrete in 1993.

Header Photo: © jamvitter

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