Palace Amusements
Palace Amusements was a historical indoor amusement park in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was built in 1888 and expanded several times over its history; but after a worsening economic situation in both Asbury and the country in the mid-1980s, it went out of business in 1988.
Previously known as Palace Merry-Go-Round | |
![]() Palace Amusements in 1997 | |
Location | Asbury Park, NJ |
---|---|
Status | Defunct |
Opened | August 17, 1888 |
Closed | November 27, 1988 |
Owner | Ernest Schnitzler (1888–1920) August Williams (1920–1939) Edward Lange & Zimel Resnick (1939–1986) Sam & Henry Vaccaro (1986–1988) |
Theme | Indoor amusement park |
Area | 0.9 acres (0.36 ha) |
Attractions | |
Total | 12 |
Roller coasters | 1 |
Water rides | 1 |
![]() ![]() | |
Location | Asbury Park, New Jersey |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°13′4″N 74°0′12.76″W |
Built | June 1888 |
Built by | Ernest Schnitzler |
Architect | Ernest Schnitzler William B. Stout |
Architectural style | Late Victorian |
Demolished | May 26, 2004 |
NRHP reference No. | 00001406[1] |
NJRHP No. | 3705[2] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 22, 2000 |
Designated NJRHP | October 12, 2000 |
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 hit "Born to Run" in the lines "Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones / Scream down the boulevard".[3][4]
References
- "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). National Park Service. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- "Palace Amusements Building (ID#3705)" (PDF). New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Monmouth County. NJ DEP Historic Preservation Office. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- "'Springsteen' Park Said Historic". Associated Press. October 19, 2000. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Jordan, Chris. "Palace Amusements and Tillie rise from the grave". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
Media related to Palace Amusements at Wikimedia Commons