The Garden Pier was a historic pier located in uptown Atlantic City,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

at the northern end of the boardwalk and South New Jersey Ave. The pier was opened on July 19, 1913, and was home to the B.F. Keith's Theatre,

Atlantic City Historical Museum The Atlantic City Historical Museum is a museum located in the Atlantic City Experience on Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The museum was opened in 1985 and contains over a 150 years of the city's history. History The Atlantic City Hi ...

and the Atlantic City Art Center. Garden Pier closed for a period of time in 2010 due to damage by hurricanes and then re-renovated in 2012. Garden Pier location was purchased in 2016 by Philadelphia-based developer Bart Blatstein.

History

The Garden Pier opened on July 19, 1913, and had a garden with statues. The pier was home to the B.F. Keith's Theatre which rivaled

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

at the time. Multiple performers including

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

and Sophie Tucker. Tobacco Road and

George White's Scandals ''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. Fi ...

also premiered at the theatre. Due to the number of visitors companies such as

Underwood Typewriter Company The Underwood Typewriter Company was an American manufacturer of typewriters headquartered in New York City, with manufacturing facilities in Hartford, Connecticut. Underwood produced what is considered the first widely successful, modern typewri ...

, Hoover, and Pennsylvania Rubber Company. In 1921, the first Miss America pageant, then known as the Atlantic City Pageant, was hosted at the pier. The pageant was designed to attract visitors after Labor Day. The pier was damaged in the 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane and reopened in the 1950s. A new art center called Atlantic City Art Center opened when the pier reopened during the Atlantic City's Centennial celebrations as the Garden Pier Civic Center. In 1985, the Atlantic City Historical Museum opened and displayed 150 years of the city's history. The pier closed in 2010 after hurricane damage and went under extensive renovation in 2012. Garden Pier location was purchased in March 2016 by Philadelphia-based developer Bart Blatstein. As of the 2019, both the Atlantic City Historical Museum and the Atlantic City Art Center moved and is now a part of the Atlantic City Experience located at the

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's pri ...

History

References

Further reading