"Ghost Town" in NJ...

Say the words "ghost town," and most people picture tumble weeds rolling across the dusty streets of some long forgotten western boomtown. There is another kind of ghost town though, much closer to home, where sand, not dust sweeps across the splintered boardwalk. The faint echoes that emanate from the hollow buildings here are the swirling strains of a calliope organ, and the din of childrens laughter. Asbury Park, New Jersey is one such ghost town.

At the southern end of the boardwalk is the Casino, built in 1903

Not far from the casino stands the minty aqua-green facade of the Palace Amusements building. The character, which was given the name Tilly, has greeted visitors to Asbury Park with his wide-eyed, maniacal smile since he was first painted on the Palace back in the 1940's.


Asbury Park is not the beach that people growing up in Jersey came to love. Now it seems more like a real "Ghost Town"