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55-610: The original layout of the Ocean Center Building had two ground floors: an entrance above the shoreline on the bluff level to take advantage of its address on 110 West Ocean Boulevard, and an east entrance at the base of the Pine Avenue incline providing beach access and accommodating the Walk of a Thousand Lights of The Pike amusement zone . At the time the building housed a collection of shops, offices and parking. At beach level there

110-609: A carousel at the Pike in Long Beach, and he took up residence with his son, Arthur Looff and the rest of his family in the second story above the shops in the carousel hippodrome building that would later become home to Lite-a-Line. Buster Keaton filmed a scene from The High Sign (1921) at the Long Beach Pike carousel. The horses of the original Long Beach Looff Carousel carved in 1911 were destroyed by fire in 1943. A new outdoor carousel

165-403: A large wooden dual-track roller coaster , built out on pilings over the water. The Pike operated under several names. The amusement zone surrounding the Pike, Silver Spray Pier, was included along with additional parking in the post- World War II expansion; it was all renamed Nu-Pike via a contest winner's submission in the late 1950s, then renamed Queen's Park in the late 1960s in homage to

220-539: A larger, more modern auditorium was constructed. Filling of the shoreline area continued in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the Tidelands Filling Project. In 1954 there were 218 amusements in the park, but during that time the zone began to face stiff competition from Knott's Berry Farm and then Disneyland (both less than 20 miles (32 km) away) and the rough, free-for-all reputation of The Pike may have discouraged some families from attending. In

275-505: A pedestrian overpass supporting teaser artwork resembling a steel roller coaster, an outdoor amphitheater, an antique Spillman carousel (1920) and a solar-powered Ferris wheel . However, the mostly entertainment-focused commercial concept was not ultimately successful. Borders , a main anchor of the center, closed in 2011. GameWorks shuttered and re-opened as Kitchen Den Bar, which also closed along with several other entertainment-oriented businesses. In 2013, Restoration Hardware opened in

330-652: A roadway along its crest was constructed around it, connecting Pine St. and the Long Beach Pier eastward to Linden St. Because its shape resembled a rainbow, it was named Rainbow Pier. For a short time, the Long Beach Pier and Rainbow Pier both existed, sharing combined shore access at the Pine street incline. In the late 1940s, the City of Long Beach began filling in the water area enclosed by Rainbow Pier, creating Rainbow Lagoon and Wilmore Park, additional public trust lands upon which

385-457: A secluded booth with table service on linen. Charles I.D. Looff was one of the first great American carousel master carvers, having installed the first successful carousel at Coney Island , and developing amusements, carousels and roller coasters around the U.S.; examples of his carousels at Santa Monica Pier Looff Hippodrome (1922) and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with brass ring feature (1911) still stand. In 1911, Charles I.D. Looff installed

440-465: A service building on the end. Sheltered at the mouth of the Los Angeles River, the public pier served a range of purposes, primarily for trade and commerce, servicing freight and passenger shipping, but also served anglers fishing as well as pedestrian strolling. A simple wooden boardwalk was laid directly at the top of the sand west along the shoreline connecting the pier to the new bathhouse. Pike

495-576: A shack on top, the caption should read "Niagara Barrel". The Pike's first more traditional wooden roller coaster opened for business in June 1907. It was built by Fred Ingersoll and named the Figure 8 after the shape of the tracks. It was built on pilings that reached out over the water. According to a 1966 editorial in the High Tide , the newspaper of Redondo Union High School, a rider met tragedy when he disobeyed

550-594: A sign instructing riders not to stand up: "He apparently thought this would spoil his fun, so he proceeded to stand up. Unfortunately, his head was knocked off." Figure 8 was closed in 1914 and demolished to clear the way for new development. In 1914, the Pike Amusement Zone undertook several upgrades and a roller coaster named the Jack Rabbit Racer was opened in May 1915, becoming the second largest racing coaster in

605-457: A steel monorail track and could swing freely. The cars traveled up an inclined lift track to the top of an expanding, spiral cone-shaped, steel tower. As they began their spiral descent, centrifugal force caused them to swing outward before returning to the station. This is commonly acknowledged as the first suspended roller coaster type ride. This tall steel tower figures prominently in early postcards of Long Beach Pier (Pine Ave., later to join

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660-593: A three-dimensional model and are looking to perhaps have it rebuilt in Southern California. The last remaining Cyclone Racer roller coaster car is located in the Pike Museum at 2500 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach CA 90806. The Pike was frequently a location for filming television programs and movies. In the 1970s, the city of Long Beach began redevelopment of the area, expanding into the Pacific Ocean, eliminating

715-655: Is a long walk to seawater from the Ocean Center Building. When the Long Beach Harbor and breakwater were developed, and the Los Angeles River straightened and levied by the United States Army Corps of Engineers , the Pacific Ocean no longer swept the alluvial granite sand away and the deposits of sandy beach continued to widen. By the 1950s the sand of the beach had grown so wide that the space between

770-552: The Ocean Center Building containing Hollywood on the Pike cabaret and an amusement arcade , one could stroll west along the midway past storefront games, such as ball-pitch and shooting galleries , as well as outdoor amusement machines such as fortune predicting weight-scales, and several large indoor collections of coin-operated Electro-mechanical amusements - pinball, skill-prize merchandisers, penny-pitch, nickelodeon viewers, love and strength testers, fortune tellers,

825-557: The Queen Mary opened to the public in 1971 as a self-guided maritime museum tour on the upper decks and engine room, a hotel utilizing the former luxury staterooms of the mid-decks and Jacques Cousteau 's The Living Sea . Focus and attention was further diverted from Queens Park with Shoreline Village and Rainbow Harbor marina, serviced by Shoreline Drive, built to connect to the Long Beach Freeway on even more ocean landfill south of

880-405: The 1950s, the area underwent another face-lift. Advertising with coupons appealing to families appeared in local newspapers. A Kiddieland collection of carnival flat rides, a "Bud" Hurlbut miniature train and petting zoo were installed on the silted-in new sand and public restrooms were built of concrete and cinder-block near a new picnic area, giving it a post-World War II modern look, and the park

935-588: The House of Mirrors and more. Among the most popular coin-operated amusement machines and devices were the redemption games which dispensed tickets, such as skee-ball . Proximity to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard , and its many sailors on extended leave during retrofitting, supported an ink economy because of the tradition of sailor tattoos . The dense collection of tattoo shops made next-door and cross-street neighbors of many minor and world-renowned artists,

990-789: The Magnolia Bridge in anticipation of the RMS Queen Mary 's imminent arrival (a connecting road which was later demolished when found unneeded, proving the Cyclone Racer was removed unnecessarily. ) The Cyclone Racer was the last remaining seaside dual-track roller coaster of its kind in the United States until it was disassembled and cataloged in September 1968 with the promise to Long Beach citizens that it would be rebuilt elsewhere. Enthusiasts seeking to re-create this roller coaster have made

1045-481: The Pike, as locals continued to call it. Planning for Shoreline Drive and a cloverleaf connection to the new Magnolia Bridge was the excuse to demolish the Cyclone Racer in 1968. Since 1975, the area has been a major portion of the Grand Prix of Long Beach route. In 1979, the Pike amusement zone was officially closed and demolished. By the time the lease with the city ended, The Pike had fallen into disrepair and most of

1100-597: The Rancho reclaimed the land for non-payment and resold the area to the Long Beach Land and Water Company. Drake Park is named for Col. Charles Rivers Drake, who donated the park's land in 1904. Drake developed the precursor of The Pike amusement zone, and established the Virginia Country Club. The Willmore City Heritage Association was founded in 1976. This Los Angeles County, California –related article

1155-505: The United States. From low-brow seedy dives like Rudy's (cocktails) and open front liquor stores to upscale cabarets featuring suggestive girly-shows like Hollywood on the Pike, many an opportunity existed for visiting sailors and locals to get drunk. A variety of eating establishments ranged from snack stands with corn-dogs, cotton candy, popcorn and hot nuts, or one could sit at soda-pop fountains and counter service restaurants like Lee's Barbecue with menus of chicken, ribs and fish meals, to

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1210-466: The arrival of the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach. 1979 was the year Long Beach city council refused to renew the land leases and demolished all of the structures and attractions it could that weren't trucked away. The Pike museum is located in Looff's Lite-A-Line at 2500 Long Beach Blvd. The first major attraction to the seashore at Long Beach was recreational bathing, long before trains and cars, when

1265-413: The body and asked the public to put a nickel in its mouth to see the corpse. A carnival runner turned up and claimed McCurdy was his long lost relative. It then made its way across carnivals and amusement parks until people forgot it was an actual mummy. The body was returned to Oklahoma, where it is buried. A grand bath-house was constructed at the shore and was scheduled to open on Independence Day, 1902,

1320-525: The businesses had already left. The City of Long Beach then removed the remaining structures. Various plans for development of the area took form over the next twenty years. In 1999, the California Coastal Commission approved a plan for the construction of The Pike at Rainbow Harbor commercial and entertainment complex in the downtown shoreline area. The name is only a nod in reference to the original amusement zone, bathing beach and boardwalk —

1375-616: The construction and 2003 opening of The Pike at Rainbow Harbor , an entertainment-retail center that pays homage to its past as an amusement zone. The revised center spanned between the Long Beach Convention Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific . The tourist-oriented development had a large number of restaurants and a 14-theater megaplex Cinemark movie theater. There is a four-level, fee parking structure, metered street parking,

1430-478: The country. It again was designed by Fred Ingersoll , with the help of John Miller . It was part of the Silver Spray Pier, which included several new rides and concessions. One could look down through the tracks and see the water. In the mid 1920s, several expansions were made to the area, and the Jack Rabbit Racer was remodeled, raising the ride's dips to a greater height and steepness. An elevated band shell

1485-547: The day on which the Pacific Electric Railroad established service connecting communities along the line to offices and shopping in Downtown Los Angeles and bringing bathers and families south to shoreline recreation. Admission was charged for use of the clear, 'vacuumed', indoor freshwater pool, changing-rooms, and waterslide, all of which lay beyond a colonnade and sundeck. An interior balcony surrounding

1540-417: The early 1920s, the first Long Beach Municipal Auditorium was constructed on 20 acres (81,000 m ) of tidal zone landfill located south of today's intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Long Beach Boulevard. After the construction of the auditorium, there were problems created by storms and coastal erosion in the area. In order to protect the auditorium from these problems, a horseshoe-shaped breakwater with

1595-411: The entire amusement zone. As it grew from a simple beach access made of planks to a midway of concessions , it included The Plunge bathhouse (pictured), Sea Side Studio souvenir photography, the Looff carousel , McGruder salt water taffy , pitch and skill games, pony rides, goat carts, fortune teller, weight guesser and a variety of dark and thrill rides, amusements and attractions large and small. In

1650-446: The filming of The Six Million Dollar Man , someone spotted a mannequin in the corner on the ride Laff in the Dark. When he reached for the arm and it shockingly came off, it was then noticed that this was no dummy but a man. The man was later identified as Elmer McCurdy , an outlaw in the early 20th century who had been shot by police. McCurdy had no living relatives, so the undertaker took

1705-463: The ground floor along Ocean Blvd. and Pine Ave. will have space for restaurants and boutiques. The Pike The Pike was an amusement zone in Long Beach, California . The Pike was founded in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades , food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house. It was most noted for the Cyclone Racer (1930–1968),

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1760-550: The history of the Pike, some of which can be seen on display at his relocated "Lite-a-Line". The cupola was removed with its crest of popcorn lighted orb and saved intact by Cincola in 2010, but the roof was dismantled, it remains the last surviving original structure of The Pike. According to its misnamed Queens Pike entry in the Roller Coaster DataBase, The Pike had the following roller coasters: Bisby's Spiral Airship, built in 1902, had cars that were suspended beneath

1815-497: The importance of the livery, which closed as the automotive culture of Southern California developed. It was converted into a skating rink in 1906, then a dance hall by 1911, named The Majestic, featuring big bands. In the 1950s, it changed hands and was renamed The Lido Ballroom. Long Beach downtown featured several theaters, many of which were along the Walk of 1000 Lights. Starting east of Pine Street with access at Ocean Blvd. and The Pike

1870-583: The inaugural run of the Pacific Electric Railway Long Beach Line on the morning of July 4, 1902 – which established service connecting communities along the line to offices and shopping in downtown Los Angeles as well as bringing bathers and families south to Pacific Ocean shoreline recreation. Stretching Pine Avenue south from Ocean Avenue into the Pacific Ocean, the Long Beach Municipal Pier had an upper and lower deck to

1925-431: The lobby was divided by varying heights of the roof, allowing outdoor roof-top balcony space to select offices, turrets and a tower. The roofline is different when viewed from the east or west. Battlements along the different roof heights give the observer the impression of the building as being a castle. Though originally built next to the shoreline, a number of geological and engineering changes have made it so today there

1980-420: The location of a former night club, hailed as a new retail anchor for the complex. Shortly after, it was announced that the center would be heavily revised - this time with a greater focus on retail shopping. Renamed The Pike Outlets , it includes several outlet stores such as Nike Factory Store, Forever 21 , H&M , and Gap Outlet. The Cinemark movie theater and most of the restaurants remained open during

2035-484: The most famous being Bert Grimm's tattoo shop and tattoo artist Rick Walters . Grimm's work contributed to the development and popularity of the American Traditional tattoo style . Kari Barba purchased Grimm's shop in 2003, and it operates under the name Outer Limits Tattoo. Started in 1927, this shop is the last remaining business from the original Pike, and the oldest continuously-operating tattoo studio in

2090-479: The name to Long Beach in 1892. The amusement zone began in 1902, as a beach and grand bath house resort at the Long Beach terminus of the Red Car interurban commuter electric railroad system Pacific Electric Railway southern expansion from Los Angeles. A grand bath house was constructed at the shore, scheduled to open Independence Day, 1902. The grand opening of the bath house, known later as The Plunge, coincided with

2145-451: The new coaster was built on pilings over the ocean, several hundred feet beyond the shore. Eventually the entire pier stood over sandy beach, not water, because of the sand deposition due to the slowing of water caused by the new harbor expansion and breakwater. Over 30 million riders rode on the Cyclone before it closed in 1968. It was removed to clear space for a Shoreline Drive cloverleaf to

2200-584: The only roads were dusty rutted paths littered with horse manure. Residents of Southern California escaped the summer heat by crowding the shore and beaches to enjoy the cool ocean breeze and the Pacific Ocean chilled by the Aleutian current. With the surge of health-conscious new residents and the ease of access to a beach near the services of local merchants, Willmore City became a destination. In 1888, Long Beach Land and Water Company bought William E. Willmore's failed plat of Bixby's Rancho Los Cerritos and changed

2255-467: The outdoor shopping mall bears no resemblance whatsoever to its historic predecessor. Concerns remained over the lack of a nearby recreational bathing beach, and solutions were sought for bringing back the excitement of the area’s heyday. With numerous debates over the area and its use as a portion of the track for the Long Beach Grand Prix , the main development of the area did not occur until

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2310-552: The pool and an outdoor one facing the beach offered people-watching on reclining lounges. The name was later changed to The Plunge. When it closed, it was converted to the Strand Theater. Until 1902, primary access to bathing was over unpaved roads by horse and buggy. A large livery and stables had been built to care for the animals of the bathers. Opening the Pacific Electric Big Red Car line to Long Beach diminished

2365-477: The recreational bathing beach by pouring landfill over it. The city had purchased the RMS Queen Mary in 1967 and permanently docked the ship in Long Beach across the mouth of the Los Angeles River from the shoreline area of the Nu-Pike where a new road circled the parking lot and Londontowne shopping-dining complex serviced by a London Double Deck omnibus to Downtown Long Beach. The Nu-Pike was renamed Queens Park when

2420-407: The redevelopment, which was completed by 2015. Willmore, Long Beach, California Willmore is a neighborhood in Long Beach, California . It is adjacent to Downtown Long Beach . The neighborhood is named after a forerunner of Long Beach, Willmore City. The township was developed by William E. Willmore on 4000 acres leased from Jotham Bixby and Rancho Los Cerritos in 1881. In 1884,

2475-452: The shoreline and the Ocean Center Building was paved as a parking lot and is now Seaside Way. Coastal landfill continued, the beach filled in, then Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village were built upon the fill. Ocean Center has made use of frontage which had originally been a boardwalk placed onto the sand easing access from Pine St. and the shore end of the Long Beach Pier to the bathhouse (1902), later named The Plunge. The low-tech boardwalk

2530-407: The west side of Rainbow Pier.) Often confused – Many photos and postcards seen on the web are mis-captioned Bisby's Spiral Airship. If the structure has one long thin approach of steel to the top of a cylinder and camel-back return, that's Bisby's Spiral Airship. If the structure pictured is a thick wooden cone spiral slide, the entrance next-door east of Lee's Barbeque with a switchback stairway to

2585-480: Was Lowes, known for first-run major releases. Several small shop-front theaters, exhibiting side-shows and independent films, came and went along the Walk of a Thousand Lights, but one big (and very tall) one, the Virginia, was later converted into the dark ride Whispering River. The Strand Theater offered a double feature, after being converted to a picture house when The Plunge closed. A Pike attraction from 1909 to 1930

2640-458: Was a shopping arcade (architecture) archway key-stoned a restaurant (later converted to a penny arcade ) and an immense menswear store (later converted to the Hollywood on the Pike cabaret ,) and several small shops up the sidewalk incline of Pine St. There was a monthly rental parking space above the shops. The rest of the building was reserved for retail and office space. The office space above

2695-477: Was built into the coaster with track running right over it. Jack Rabbit Racer was removed in 1930. One of the best-known historic coasters, the Cyclone Racer was built in 1930 to replace the Jack Rabbit Racer. The Cyclone Racer was a dual-track (two trains could launch side by side at the same time), racing wooden roller coaster, the brain child of Fred Church and built by Harry Traver . To increase thrill,

2750-438: Was constructed nearby, and then the building was used as a gaming hall for Lite-a-Line bingo/pinball game and for many years was the last remaining building to survive the Pike demolition that began in 1979. The roof structure and cupola had been saved in the parking lot west of Pine Ave and the Ocean Center Building on Seaside Way was awaiting preservation by Mike Cincola, who married into the Looff family and has preserved much of

2805-433: Was originally known as The Pike , which later changed context to include the entire entertainment zone of rides, snack stands and midway games. The area has been featured in thousands of tourist photographs and several television shows and motion pictures, such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World . The boardwalk was paved in concrete and illuminated by strings of lights hung across it from the roofs of its shops and games, then

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2860-471: Was renamed The Walk of 1000 lights . The Ocean Center Building arcade presented the first impression to many visitors as a grand gateway to fun. The building is currently being converted from office space into residential units. In 2017 the office building was purchased by Long Beach based Pacific6 with plans for conversion to residential units. The project was started in 2019, and when finished it will have approximately 80 units with access to rooftop terraces,

2915-400: Was renamed "Nu-Pike" as result of a write-in naming contest. In 1969, the name changed to Queen's Park, to coincide with the public opening of the historical ocean liner RMS Queen Mary , which the city had purchased as a combination tourist attraction and hotel. The park retained this name until closing and demolition (1979–1980). Most locals continued calling it The Pike. In 1976, during

2970-498: Was the Wall of Death. Reckless Ross Millman, among America's first motorcycle daredevils, built a motordrome near the Jack Rabbit Racer. The Long Beach Municipal Band played most Sundays and holidays. The band was led by Herbert L. Clarke, who had been a member of John Philip Sousa's Band. Beginning at the entrance to the Walk of a Thousand Lights through the arcade archway entrance of the last surviving building associated with The Pike,

3025-470: Was the name of the wooden boardwalk connecting the Pine St. incline of the Long Beach Pier west along the shoreline to The Plunge bath house . It gradually grew in length, was widened, and later poured in concrete and illuminated with strings of electric bulbs as The Walk of a Thousand Lights, the midway anchoring the widely dispersed attractions and The Pike changed context from the original wooden boardwalk to

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