Steel Pier Atlantic City From August, 1968 – A Typical, Magical Day

Here is a magical look at The World Famous Steel Pier Atlantic City, during August, 1968, followed by some great history.

This was just a typical day at The Steel Pier.

We are able to recreate this day from 55 years ago together because of this photo (below) from Kenneth McIntyre.

It illustrates the substantial amount of activities, musical performances, first run movies, Ed Hurst television program, the Ed Hurst record hop, Tony Grant’s “Stars of Tomorrow” and so much more.

Look at this great newspaper advertisement from August, 1968.

You couldn’t do anything like this today. That’s not me saying it. George Hamid, Jr. said that in an interview that we did not long before he died.

The original Steel Pier was a magical place, where all things seemed possible.

Just look above at all the wonderful things that you could do … all in just one day at The Steel Pier.

George Hamid booked The Beatles at the height of their American “Invasion.”

The Beatles could not appear at Steel Pier, as tte demand was too great. Hamid booked The Fab Four at Historic Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall.

Steel Pier has quite an experience with Ricky Nelson. The crowds were so big that Steel Pier literally swayed from side-to-side and back-and-forth.

On August 31, 1958, which became better known as the day Ricky Nelson "Rocked The Steel Pier." 44,000 fans broke the all-time attendance record.

There was a very real concern that The Steel Pier could have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean.

Joe Grady (of Grady & Hurst) was so shaken by this … that it was tte last day he would appear at The Steel Pier. He never returned.

Look how magical The Steel Pier was on opening day, June 18, 1898.

A brand new century was right around the corner. It was a time of great excitement in America.

Famed sharpshooter and cowgirl Annie Oakley was the first entertainment act booked at The Steel Pier in 1898.

The Steel Pier was a wooden structure, reinforced with steel girders and concrete, which originally measured out at one thousand feet over the Atlantic Ocean.

It became known as "A City at Sea," "The Showplace of the Nation" and "A Vacation in Itself" among other descriptions of this magical place.

Steel Pier became the greatest mecca of entertainment for the first seven decades of the 20th Century.

This continued until the doors were finally closed for the last time on Labor Day weekend in September of 1978 with the "Crystal Blue Persuasion" sounds of rocker Tommy James and the Shondells.

It was unprecedented. Many decades of music, theater, children's shows, a water circus with divers, stunts, a subterranean diving bell, and many other attractions.

General Motors and Ford Motor Companies were important exhibits too, which brought people from all over America to the pier to see the latest innovations in car manufacturing and technology.

In 1978, the pier would be sold to Resorts International Casino, who purchased it with no intentions of operating the venue in its original form.

However, they did utilize the pier for boxing and professional wrestling events into 1982. Sadly in 1982, the pier was destroyed in a multi-general alarm fire.

This would mark the end of an era and The Steel Pier as an entertainment venue in the form of the previous eight decades.

Former United States President Donald Trump is also a former owner of The Steel Pier.

I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane together.

The rich history of Atlantic City is remarkable.

Directly below is a wonderful photo gallery, featuring photos of The Steel Pier, many that have never been seen before.