Then: Palace Pier, July 29, 1931. It's hard to believe that a large waterfront entertainment palace existed here in this now-barren part of the lakefront.

It opened June 10, 1941 and was inspired by the amusement piers along the coast of the UK, such as the Brighton Pier. The pictures below are dated 1931 — either it took quite some time to build, or the date is wrong. 

Our Palace Pier didn't last long, it burned down in 1963.

Now: May 2011