St. Clair Shores in Macomb County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

A High-Class Public Amusement Resort

Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, September 27, 2026

1. A High-Class Public Amusement Resort Marker

Inscription.
Built on Lake St. Clair just north of 9 Mile Road, the Jefferson Beach Amusement Park was one of the most popular entertainment destinations for metro-Detroiters and featured the longest roller coaster in the United States.

Fred Pearce, whose family had been in the roller coaster and amusement park business for generations, headed the multi-million-dollar development. Construction began in early 1927. In addition to the roller coaster, Jefferson Beach boasted a Ferris wheel, bathhouse, carousel, arcade, and ballroom. Electric lighting illuminated the beach of white sand trucked in from the shores of Lake Michigan.

The midway and rides were arranged south of the 1,000-foot-long roller coaster, with picnic grounds and a baseball diamond to the north. The Merry-Go-Round constructed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company sat at the center of the park's rides. Pearce hired local architect George Haas to design the park's structures. The largest was the two-story Coliseum with a ballroom featuring a floating dance floor.

A fire destroyed several of the park's buildings in 1955. While it remained open for another

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three years, it was the beginning of the end. The focus of operations moved to the sale of boats and marine equipment and service. With the successful birth of this full-scale marina, Jefferson Beach closed as an amusement park in 1959.

Erected 2026.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.

Location. 42° 28.488′ N, 82° 53.328′ W. Marker is in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, in Macomb County. It is at the intersection of Blossom Heath Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue on Blossom Heath Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 331 Blossom Heath Boulevard, Saint Clair Shores MI 48080, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan

and in Greater Detroit.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, September 27, 2026

2. A High-Class Public Amusement Resort Marker

distance of this marker: Blossom Heath (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Blossom Heath (within shouting distance of this marker); The Finest in the Country (within shouting distance of this marker); Guardians of the City (within shouting distance of this marker); The Underground Economy (within shouting distance of this marker); Shore Line Interurban Railway (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Shore Line Interurban Railway (about 400 feet away); Blossom Heath Inn (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Clair Shores.

Also see . . . City History.

The City once was home to an amusement park named Jefferson Beach. Built in 1927, it featured the longest roller coaster in the United States. In 1955 a fire destroyed several buildings in the park. While Jefferson Beach attempted to rebuild, its owners slowly converted the park to a marina. In 1959 the remaining amusement park buildings were destroyed to make room for the marina.

(Submitted on October 5, 2026, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)

Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, September 27, 2026

3. A High-Class Public Amusement Resort Marker

Location of the marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2026, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 5, 2026, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.