Playground Pier facts for kids

Playground Pier is a cool four-story pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It sits right on the famous Boardwalk and is home to a fancy shopping mall and restaurants. This pier is about 900 feet long, stretching out over the Atlantic Ocean. It even connects to the Caesars casino with a special walkway on the second floor.

Playground Pier has a long history! It used to be known as the Million Dollar Pier from 1906 to 1981. Then, it became the Ocean One shopping mall from 1983 to 2003. The current pier opened in 2006 and got its new name, Playground Pier, in 2015. Today, Caesars owns it. The pier once had many high-end stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Panoramic view of The Pier Shops at Caesars

Exploring the Floors

When the pier reopened in 2006, its four floors were designed in unique ways:

• The Boardwalk (First Floor): This floor looks just like the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk! Here, you can find shops selling gifts, fun items, and other cool things.
• The Skybridge (Second Floor): This level has a direct connection to Caesars casino. It lets shoppers easily go between the mall and the casino, avoiding the busy Boardwalk below. The shops here used to be more upscale, and the design made it feel like you were shopping under the stars.
• The Promenade (Third Floor): This floor is where you'll find restaurants, bars, and clubs on one side. On the other side, there's a long glass window with comfy Adirondack chairs. You can sit in sand here, making it feel like you're relaxing right on the beach!
• One Atlantic (Fourth Floor): This is a large, 14,000-square-foot space. It's used for special events like weddings and big parties.

A Look Back in Time

Million Dollar Pier (1906-1981)

The Million Dollar Pier was built by Captain John L. Young and Kennedy Crossan. Captain Young was a great showman. He opened his new pier on July 26, 1906. It was originally called Young's Million Dollar Pier. It was an amazing 1,900 feet long!

This pier was truly grand. It had what was said to be the world's largest ballroom. There was also a huge Hippodrome Theater with 4,000 seats. You could find an Exhibit Hall, a Greek Temple, an aquarium, and even a roller skating rink! In 1908, Captain Young built a mansion on the pier for himself. Its address was "No. 1 Atlantic Ocean." At the end of the pier, people could watch daily fish net hauls, often led by Captain Young himself.

1921 Sanborn Map of Million Dollar Pier

For many years, the pier hosted big events. This included the 1925 Miss America Pageant. Dance marathons were held there from 1931 to 1933. In the 1930s, the pier offered a circus, live shows, orchestras, and movies.

The pier faced money problems over time. In 1938, George Hamid, a circus owner, took over running the pier. He worked to make it more modern.

In 1949, a fire caused a lot of damage to the pier. About 300 feet of it, including the ballroom and skating rink, were destroyed. When the pier reopened in 1950, the area near the Boardwalk became an open deck with rides and games. People no longer paid to enter the pier. Instead, they paid for each ride or game.

In 1953, Captain Young's mansion was taken down. The pier also lost a 50-foot section during Hurricane Donna in 1960. By 1980, new owners planned to build a new shopping mall pier. In October 1981, while the old pier was being taken down, another fire destroyed much of what was left. A completely new pier was then built.

Ocean One (1983-2003)

In 1983, the new 900-foot-long pier opened. It was named Ocean One. This pier was a shopping mall.

Pier at Caesars (2006-Present)

In 2002, the Ocean One Mall was bought by Gordon Group Holdings. They decided to completely rebuild it. Ocean One was torn down to its basic structure. When the pier reopened in 2006, it was given a new name: The Pier Shops at Caesars.

Over time, the pier faced challenges. Many stores started to leave, and there were a lot of empty spaces. This was partly because more people started shopping online. Also, Atlantic City faced more competition from casinos in other states. The pier once had over 75 stores, but this number dropped to 59 by 2013.

On June 26, 2015, the shopping center was renamed to its current name, Playground Pier.

By 2019, the number of stores at Playground Pier had dropped even more, to only about 10. Popular stores like the Apple Store and Gucci left. Only the restaurants on the third floor mostly remained.

In early 2020, Caesars Entertainment bought the pier. They have said they plan to invest money to bring back more shops and restaurants. Their goal is to have the pier bustling with as many as 75 stores and restaurants again, like it was in its busiest days. They also plan to make needed repairs and updates.

The Fountain Show

The fountain

The pier used to have an amazing attraction called "The Show." It was the world's largest indoor water fountain display inside a shopping mall! The fountain danced and moved to music. The show happened every hour and had different versions for day and night. People loved watching it, and they often clapped when it finished. The best place to watch was usually from the mall's second floor.

However, as of March 2015, the fountains were covered up with flooring. The water show no longer takes place.

Images for kids

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  The Beach at The Pier

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  1921 Sanborn Map of Million Dollar Pier

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  The fountain

See also

In Spanish: The Pier Shops at Caesars para niños