We boarded our Victorian Trolley at Gardner’s Basin to begin our tour highlighting one of Atlantic City’s most provocative eras: when it was considered the grand dame of resorts with luxury hotels, speakeasies and a free-wheeling nightlife. Our tour guide was a colorful old gent who kept us laughing as he morphed into different characters as he begin his historical account of the 1920’s era.
As we departed from Gardner’s Basin, we were treated to a short history lesson on the attached housing that was built by Donald Trump in an effort to appease the hundreds of people that were displaced as he was buying property to build casinos.
We enjoyed his stories about the speakeasy lifestyle, the gangsters, and the illegal booze parlors and women of the night. He talked about Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the political boss and racketeer of Atlantic City, who helped shape much of the atmosphere seen and felt in Atlantic City even today.
Pictured above is a home owned by the Sinatra family located across the inlet in Brigantine. He mentioned that Nancy Sinatra occasionally visits the area.
The Absecon Lighthouse is the tallest in New Jersey and the third tallest in the country. It’s light can be seen for 19 miles.
We arrived for lunch at the Irish Pub where we would also tour the Elwood Hotel. (built in 1904)
Before heading back to Gardner’s Basin, we were treated to a ride through a secret tunnel which is used to bring celebrities and politicians into Boardwalk Hall (formerly the Convention Center). Evidently, these tunnels were used to bring alcohol into the city during the prohibition years.
The tour was great! Although none of us are strangers to Atlantic City, we enjoyed learning about the 1920’s era.
The tour was one of many tours offered by Atlantic City Trolley Tours.
