The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long ()

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

built on a

pier Seaside pleasure pier in England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out ...

of the boardwalk in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal). Begun in 1898, it was one of the most popular venues in the United States for the first seven decades of the twentieth century, featuring concerts, exhibits, and an amusement park. It billed itself as the Showplace of the Nation and at its peak measured . The pier is owned by the Catanoso Family and operates under the Steel Pier Associates, LLC name. The Catanosos had previously leased the pier to operate the amusement park before they purchased it. The Steel Pier continues to operate as an amusement pier and is one of the most successful family-oriented attractions in the city.

History

The pier was built by the Steel Pier Company and opened on June 18, 1898. It was built on iron pilings, using a concrete understructure with steel girders. In 1904, a storm washed away part of Steel Pier, and many engineers stated that it could not be rebuilt. Atlantic City's future mayor, Edward L. Bader, and his company accepted the challenge to rebuild it. His success with that job led to more work for him in Atlantic City. In 1924, a fire caused significant damage to the pier. Frank Gravatt purchased the pier the following year and renovated it. He was called the "salt water Barnum" by the local newspaper. The restored pier hosted dance bands, three movie theaters, exhibits, operas, children's shows, a water circus, stunts, and other attractions. Gravatt signed

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to di ...

for a series of annual concerts. The General Motors Exhibit opened in 1926 and continued through 1933, when it was replaced by Ford. (General Motors returned in 1947 and continued until 1968.) From 1935 through 1938, the Steel Pier was where

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

was crowned. It was described as "An Amusement City at Sea" and "A Vacation in Itself." It also was once called the "Showplace of the Nation" and included such acts as the High

Diving horse A diving horse is an attraction that was popular in the mid-1880s, in which a horse would dive into a pool of water, sometimes from as high as 60 feet.

; Rex the Wonder Dog, the Human Cannonball, a water-skiing canine in the 1930s; the diving bell; and musicians, including Frank Sinatra and

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

, among others.

Diana Ross and The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

played week-long engagements during the summer in 1965, 1966, and 1967, to sold-out business in the Steel Pier's Music Hall Theater and the Marine Ballroom. "Rain or Shine ... There's Always a Good Show on Steel Pier" was another phrase used to describe the venue's varied entertainment. In 1945, the pier was purchased by George Hamid, who operated the competing

Million Dollar Pier Playground Pier is a four-story pier located on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that houses a luxury shopping and restaurant mall. Located at the foot of Arkansas Avenue, it is connected to Caesars casino via a second-story skybridge ...

. He brought popular and rock and roll music to the pier, starting with Bill Haley and the Comets in 1955. Parts of the pier were damaged or lost during the

Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash is ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

were booked in 1964, but overwhelming demand for tickets forced them to move to

Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atla ...

. The pier used to be much longer, but a December 1969 fire six months before the opening of the 1970 season shortened its size by about a third. By the end of the 1960s, the pier was feeling the effects of declining tourism in Atlantic City. The pier was sold to a group of local businessmen in 1973. After gambling was legalized, a developer proposed turning the pier into a hotel-casino. However, the necessary governmental approvals could not be obtained, and the pier was sold to Resorts International in 1978, which mainly used the pier for storage. The original wooden pier with steel underpinnings was destroyed in a 1982 fire; the current concrete structure dates from 1993. Trump Entertainment acquired ownership of the pier when it acquired the Trump Taj Mahal in the late 1980s. The Trump Steel Pier opened in 1992, but had been reduced to about and featured mainly amusement rides. The Steel Pier continues to operate as an amusement park to this day. In June 2008, the Steel Pier celebrated its 110th anniversary, having originally opened on Saturday, June 18, 1898. In February 2012, it was announced that a diving horse act would return to the Steel Pier as part of the recently approved Tourism Master Plan, but the plan was soon scrapped after public outcry. In 2017, a newer and bigger giant Ferris wheel was added to the pier.

In popular culture

In films

* '' Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken'' (1991) - a Walt Disney film about the life of one of the riders of the diving horses. * '' Convention Girl'' (1935) - featuring

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known as the ...

of the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appear ...

, partly filmed on the Steel Pier. * ''

at Steel Pier'' (1938) - mini-short in rare color of the Three Stooges. * '' The Burglar'' (1957) - featuring Jayne Mansfield, partly filmed on the Steel Pier. * ''Atlantic City'' (1980 film) - featuring

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

and

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

; shows the Steel Pier in the background in one scene.

In music

"Steel Pier" - sung by

Bobby Rydell Robert Louis Ridarelli (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell, was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In the early 1960s he was considered a teen idol. ...

on a 1963 promotional single. "Amusement Parks U.S.A." - sung by the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

, references the Steel Pier, along with many other American amusement parks

In theater

''Steel Pier'' musical (1997) - set at Steel Pier during the 1930s. The plot centers around a dance marathon; however, dance marathons were featured instead at the

, not the Steel Pier.

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * *
Steel Pier Chronology

Video

* *
Home video of Steel Pier Diving Bell taken in the 1960s
*
Home video of Steel Pier Diving Horse taken in the 1960s
{{Authority control Amusement parks in New Jersey Buildings and structures in Atlantic City, New Jersey Historic American Engineering Record in New Jersey 1898 establishments in New Jersey 1993 establishments in New Jersey Piers in New Jersey Tourist attractions in Atlantic County, New Jersey