St. Joseph in Berrien County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Silver Beach Amusement Park
Photographed by Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
1. Silver Beach Amusement Park Marker
The park prospered through the 1950s, but faltered when attendance fell in the 1960s. A series of financial setbacks silenced Silver Beach in 1971. The Shadowland Ballroom closed soon after. The beach became a public park in 1990, continuing a long tradition of fun by the water.
(Left Photo Caption)
Postcards from the Silver Beach Amusement Park, circa 1909 (top) and 1920 (bottom).
Postcards: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
(Right Photo Caption)
The Comet rollercoaster dominates this late 1950s view of Silver Beach on a busy day. The Shadowland Ballroom, lower right, was the frequent site of big band concerts and dance contests.
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
Erected by City of St. Joseph, The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, and the Public History Program at Western Michigan University.
Topics.
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Location. 42° 6.547′ N, 86° 29.032′ W. Marker is in St. Joseph, Michigan, in Berrien County. It is on Lake Boulevard north of Elm Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Joseph MI 49085, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Michigan and specifically in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eleven Inch Dahlgren (here, next to this marker); Lighthouses on the Bluff (a few steps from this marker); La Salle Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); United States Life Saving Service (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lighthouses on the Pier (about 400 feet away); St. Joseph Maritime Heritage (about 400 feet away); Fort Miami (about 700 feet away); St. Joseph's Firemen (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Joseph.
More about this marker. The marker is the third of 12 interpretive signs along the St. Joseph Maritime Heritage Trail.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. These are the markers of the St. Joseph Maritime Heritage Trail. To study the markers in their order along the trail, read each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . .
Photographed by Duane Hall
2. Lighthouses on the Bluff Marker
Photographed by Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
3. Silver Beach Amusement Park, circa 1909
Photographed by Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
4. Silver Beach Amusement Park, circa 1920
Photographed by Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
5. The Comet Rollercoaster and the Shadowland Ballroom
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,124 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 28, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.
