Bally's Atlantic City
Encyclopedia
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel
and casino
on the Boardwalk
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was opened in 1930 and the Dennis Tower was opened in 1921. The casino is famous for being situated at Park Place and the Boardwalk, an address popularized by the board game Monopoly
, which is based on the streets in Atlantic City.
and planned to preserve the Blenheim half of the hotel, along with adjacent Dennis Hotel for his Park Place Casino. Palley was successful in getting the Blenheim part of the hotel placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, while planning to raze the Marlborough to make way for a new modern hotel. However, he stepped aside after the Bally's Manufacturing Corporation purchased a controlling interest in the project. After Bally's took control, they announced plans to raze the Marlborough, Blenheim, and the adjacent Dennis Hotel, despite protests, to make way for the new "Bally's Park Place Casino and Hotel". However, in an effort to offset costs and get the casino opened as fast as they could they chose to keep the Dennis Hotel, which would serve as the temporary hotel for Bally's until a new tower was built.
In November 1978 Bally's demolished the Marlborough-Blenheim, and quickly cleared the land to begin building the Bally's Park Place Casino. On December 30, 1979 the casino opened with the newly renovated Dennis serving as the hotel. In 1989 Bally's constructed a 750-room hotel tower in a modern style, with an exterior of light pink glass. On July 2, 1997, The Wild Wild West Casino at Bally's
opened as the second casino at Bally's.
In 2000, Bally's Park Place changed names and became Bally's Atlantic City. The adjacent Claridge Hotel and Casino was purchased and incorporated into Bally's in 2003, being renamed the Claridge Tower. After this purchase, the Wild Wild West Casino at Bally's began to be marketed as and considered a separate casino, with Bally's being dropped from the casino name in 2005. The boardwalk side of the Bally's casino was renovated in 2009, with a row of unsightly shops being demolished, opening up the Dennis Tower onto the boardwalk, and a concrete wall being redone into a decorative facade.
Bally's Tower is the largest and is the main tower.
Claridge Tower was built in 1930 and incorporated into the complex in 2003.
Dennis Tower was built in 1921 and was the original hotel at Bally's.
Garden Tower was built in the late 1980s and is located on top of the bus center.
39°21′25.55"N 74°25′39.86"W
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
on the Boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was opened in 1930 and the Dennis Tower was opened in 1921. The casino is famous for being situated at Park Place and the Boardwalk, an address popularized by the board game Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
, which is based on the streets in Atlantic City.
History
In 1977 Reese Palley bought the Marlborough-Blenheim HotelMarlborough-Blenheim Hotel
The Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel was a historic resort hotel property in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built in 1902-1906, demolished in 1979.In 1902, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the Boardwalk, and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was financially...
and planned to preserve the Blenheim half of the hotel, along with adjacent Dennis Hotel for his Park Place Casino. Palley was successful in getting the Blenheim part of the hotel placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, while planning to raze the Marlborough to make way for a new modern hotel. However, he stepped aside after the Bally's Manufacturing Corporation purchased a controlling interest in the project. After Bally's took control, they announced plans to raze the Marlborough, Blenheim, and the adjacent Dennis Hotel, despite protests, to make way for the new "Bally's Park Place Casino and Hotel". However, in an effort to offset costs and get the casino opened as fast as they could they chose to keep the Dennis Hotel, which would serve as the temporary hotel for Bally's until a new tower was built.
In November 1978 Bally's demolished the Marlborough-Blenheim, and quickly cleared the land to begin building the Bally's Park Place Casino. On December 30, 1979 the casino opened with the newly renovated Dennis serving as the hotel. In 1989 Bally's constructed a 750-room hotel tower in a modern style, with an exterior of light pink glass. On July 2, 1997, The Wild Wild West Casino at Bally's
The Wild Wild West Casino
The Wild Wild West Casino is a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, it was originally an expansion of Bally's Atlantic City, but in recent years it has been considered a separate property...
opened as the second casino at Bally's.
In 2000, Bally's Park Place changed names and became Bally's Atlantic City. The adjacent Claridge Hotel and Casino was purchased and incorporated into Bally's in 2003, being renamed the Claridge Tower. After this purchase, the Wild Wild West Casino at Bally's began to be marketed as and considered a separate casino, with Bally's being dropped from the casino name in 2005. The boardwalk side of the Bally's casino was renovated in 2009, with a row of unsightly shops being demolished, opening up the Dennis Tower onto the boardwalk, and a concrete wall being redone into a decorative facade.
Gaming
The two casinos at Bally's have over 220000 sq ft (20,438.7 m²). of gaming space with over 5000 slot machines, Keno, simulcast, and many table games, among other features.Bally's Casino
Bally's Casino offers slots and video poker, plus a poker room and baccarat room, called Baccarat Palace.The Ridge
The Ridge casino, stylized as theRIDGE, is the casino in the Claridge Tower. The casino was renovated in 2008 from a standard casino floor to an upscale lounge-casino.Dining
- 6ix: A Bistr
- Arturo's
- The Bagel & Doughnut Connection
- Ben & Jerry's
- Harry's Oyster Bar and Grill
- Johnny RocketsJohnny RocketsJohnny Rockets is an American restaurant franchise whose concept is to create a classic American restaurant atmosphere. The theme is the diner-style restaurant that had become a common sight by the 1950s...
- Noodle Village
- Pickles
- Sunday Brunch
- The Reserve
Taste of the Shore
Taste of the Shore is a food court featuring famous Atlantic City Boardwalk establishments:- Walt's Original Primo Pizza
- Sack O' Subs
Amenities
Bally's Atlantic City contains the Spa at Bally's, the Bellezza salon, the Claridge Fitness Center, an indoor pool, and the Family Fun Center.Shopping
There are a few stores in the complex:- Luxury at $10
- Studio
- Park Place Jewelers
- The Gift Shop
- The Spa Pro Shop
Bars and Nightclub
There are two bars in Bally's, the Lobby Bar and Harry's Oyster Bar, along with one nightclub, Blue Martini.Hotel Towers
Bally's has four hotel towers:Bally's Tower is the largest and is the main tower.
Claridge Tower was built in 1930 and incorporated into the complex in 2003.
Dennis Tower was built in 1921 and was the original hotel at Bally's.
Garden Tower was built in the late 1980s and is located on top of the bus center.
See also
- Bally's Las VegasBally's Las VegasBally's Las Vegas, formerly the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The Las Vegas resort is located within the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.. The hotel features 2,814 extra-sized...
- Caesars Entertainment
- List of tallest buildings in Atlantic City
External Links
- Main Website
- Casino Connections - Castle in the Sand by David G. Schwartz
- Stephen Piccolo's Gaming in Atlantic City.... A History of Legalized Gambling in New Jersey
39°21′25.55"N 74°25′39.86"W