The Pleasure Pier is returning to Galveston after a 51-year absence, and the new version will be a lot more exciting and colorful than the original.
This summer, Tilman Fertitta expands his restaurant and hospitality empire – which includes Landry’s Seafood and the Kemah Boardwalk – to include an amusement park. The 1,130-foot-long pier will feature restaurants, souvenir shops, and 16 rides. The center point of the carnival will be a 100-foot-tall roller coaster, a tower that swings riders 230 feet over the surf, and a giant Ferris wheel.
The original Pleasure Pier at 25th and Seawall began in 1943 and lasted until Hurricane Carla washed it away in 1961. The air-conditioned ballroom was the largest on the island and it attracted the biggest names in show business, including a presidential campaign rally for Dwight Eisenhower. Despite the glitter, the city-owned facility struggled financially for most of its existence. It fell into disuse after 1957 when the illegal gambling halls along the seawall were closed and the tide of tourists dropped to a trickle.
After Hurricane Carla, the Flagship Hotel was built on what was left of the concrete pier. Billed as the nation’s only over-the-water hotel, it lasted until 2008. Hurricane Ike blew off the hotel’s walls and buckled the ramp to the mainland. Beginning this summer, the pier will spawn a new generation of memories.
1,082nd in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in April 20 • 2012.
