The Claridge Hotel was one of the original “Boardwalk Empire” era hotels which gave Atlantic City its reputation as the “playground of the gilded age”.

The 24-story hotel, opened in 1930 during the Great Depression, was the most famous and by far the grandest of Atlantic City’s illustrious hotels. General Electric provided the Fountain of Light in the center of Brighton Park, in front of the Claridge, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison.

During the Boardwalk Empire era, the Claridge was known as the “Skyscraper By the Sea” because of its Manhattanesque design and height of 370 feet. It was also the first and only hotel to have running hot and cold, fresh and saltwater, as saltwater was believed to have health-giving properties.

Located a few steps from the Atlantic City boardwalk, the iconic hotel remains one of the last architectural masterpieces from the Boardwalk Empire Era, frequented by legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Mantle, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Princess Grace of Monaco.