Palace Amusements

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palace Amusements
(U.S. National Register of Historic Places)
Location:	Asbury Park, New Jersey United States
Built/Founded:	1888
Architect:	Ernest Schnitzler, William B. Stout^[1]
Added to NRHP:	November 22, 2000
Reference #:	00001406^[1]

Palace Amusements was an historical indoor amusement park in Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA. It was famous for having one of America's greatest hand-carved carousels, for its Ferris wheel that carried passengers for more years than any other in history, and for inspiring a generation of artists, photographers and songwriters (including Bruce Springsteen). Thanks to its iconic wall murals, including a grinning fun face knowing as Tillie, the Palace was one of the most identifiable building on the Jersey Shore. Honored by a place on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, the Palace operated for 100 years (from 1888 to 1988). Demolition, in 2004, came over the protest of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Asbury Park Historical Society, Preservation New Jersey, and the Save Tillie organization. Prior to demolition, Save Tillie rescued over 125 artifacts from inside the Palace, and three wall murals (including Tillie) that are now in storage, for reuse when a new building is constructed on the Palace site.

In May 26, 2005, on the first anniversary of the destruction of the Palace, the Save Tillie group launched the official online museum.