PALACE AMUSEMENTS was a historical indoor, Open-Year-Round
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 ...
in
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188 .
It was built in 1888 and expanded several times over its history.
With Asbury Park falling on hard times, starting in the 1970s, and peaking in the early-to-mid 1980s, the town's "resort feel," as a destination location, simply was no longer there.
At that point, Asbury Park was losing the sizzle it once had.
Plus, Asbury Park simply did NOT have the fun, "down the shore" beach-town, family-oriented appeal that it did for so many years.
With that, fewer and fewer people, other than "locals," and those living relatively near-by, frequented Asbury Park.
And, with fewer visitors came less revenue for Asbury Park's Hotels, Restaurants & Bars, Events at the Convention Center, Boardwalk Businesses and, certainly, PALACE AMUSEMENTS.
Add in the economic difficulties of the late 1970s/early 1980s and Asbury Park truly took a hard, and direct, hit.
A hit like no Hurricane or Nor'Easter could ever affect. As a result, The Palace went out of business in 1988.
Several efforts were made to save the structure, including its hand-carved carousel, murals and decorations. But, in 2004, after an independent structural inspection, the building was deemed unsafe (it had already been damaged in several areas) and was ordered demolished.
A local grassroots organization was able to save several pieces from the building, including the famed
Tillie mural.
Bruce Springsteen
The Palace is mentioned in 1974
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
hit
"Born to Run" in the lines "Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones / Scream down the boulevard".
See also
*
References
External links
Palace Amusements MuseumPhotos of the now-demolished Palace AmusementsSave Tillie
{{Authority control
Cultural infrastructure completed in 1888
1888 establishments in New Jersey
1988 disestablishments in New Jersey
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Defunct amusement parks in New Jersey
Amusement parks in New Jersey
Demolished buildings and structures in New Jersey
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Monmouth County, New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Amusement parks opened in 1888
Amusement parks closed in 1988
Buildings and structures demolished in 2004
Former National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey