National Historic Landmark

Atlantic City Convention Hall

Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey
Listed
February 27, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87000814

About this property

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Built from 1926 to 1929, it was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the new Atlantic City Convention Center in 1997. Boardwalk Hall was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987 as one of the few surviving buildings from the city's early heyday as a seaside resort. Boardwalk Hall seats 14,770 people at maximum capacity, while accommodating a reduced capacity of 10,500 for ice hockey. The venue contains the world's largest musical instrument, a pipe organ with over 33,000 pipes, eight chambers, the world's largest console with seven manuals and over 1200 stop tabs, and one of two 64-foot (20 m) stops (the other found in the Sydney Town Hall). Also included in this organ are pipes operating on 100 inches of pressure, the Grand Ophicleide being the loudest and also most famous. The Guinness Book of World Records noted "a pure trumpet note of ear-splitting volume, six times louder than the loudest train whistle." However, these stops are actually well-refined and are not overpowering in Boardwalk Hall due to its huge interior. In 2018, New Jersey approved legislation to dedicate Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in honor of Jim Whelan, a former mayor and state senator who died in 2017. The hall's Adrian Phillips Theater is named for a former president of the Miss America Organization. The Miss America Pageant, founded in 1921 in Atlantic City, was held at Boardwalk Hall from 1940 until 2004. The Pageant returned to the hall in 2013 and was last used for Miss America 2019. Boardwalk Hall hosted the August 1964 Democratic National Convention that nominated U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson as the Democratic Party's candidate for the 1964 U.S. presidential election, nine months after the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, in November 1963. Stockton University currently utilizes Boardwalk Hall for undergraduate degree recipient ceremonies each year in May.

Location

Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey
39.35488, -74.43811

Categories

ENGINEERINGENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Shelburne Hotel
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0.2 mi
Madison Hotel
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St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church
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Santa Rita Apartments
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0.8 mi
Segal Building
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0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Little Egg Harbor
1778Revolutionary War
12.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Atlantic City Convention Hall listed on the National Register?

Atlantic City Convention Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Atlantic City Convention Hall?

Atlantic City Convention Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Atlantic City Convention Hall a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Atlantic City Convention Hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Atlantic City Convention Hall?

The period of significance for Atlantic City Convention Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Atlantic City Convention Hall?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Atlantic City Convention Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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