Fabulous Atlantic City By the Beautiful Sea

The famous seaside plank is not all Atlantic City is known for: There's Miss America, high-diving horses, Monopoly and much more. They're all celebrated (and merchandised) at Fabulous Atlantic City By the Beautiful Sea, a new gift shop and tourist attraction located, appropriately, at the corner of Park Place and Boardwalk.

It's the perfect real estate for a Monopoly shop, complete with a game board floor and fixtures topped with replicas of the classic game pieces. Antique Monopoly games and memorabilia are displayed in feature cases, and the Monopoly logo adorns fixtures.

Elsewhere in the 2400-square-foot store, serpentine sand and wood plank flooring leads shoppers to other departments, including a beach shop with replicas of King Neptune and other sand sculptures created on the beach across from the famous Boardwalk. A life-sized diving horse and rider descend from a 22-foot ceiling painted as a faux sky, reminiscent of Atlantic City in its entertainment heyday. And the store is (literally) wrapped in its own history: A six-foot-high, billboard-like photo mural encircles the store, recalling other colorful moments on an off the Boardwalk. Looks like Atlantic City is…um….on a roll.

Design: Vinyard Design Collaborative, Glen Ellyn, Ill.–Barry Vinyard, principal; Dan Ohrnstein, project designer; Jennifer Gunji, project designer

Client Team: Hilton Gaming Corp., Atlantic City, N.J.–Steven Shaiken, senior vice president; Renae Rippentrop, director of retail

Project Architect: David Rudzenski Architects, Gibbsboro, N.J.; Design.Extension Inc., Villa Park, Ill. (design documents)

Consultants: Vicki Gold Levi, New York City (historical consultant)

Suppliers: Audio/video: M& M Video, Cherry Hill, N.J. Ceilings: Irvin Studios, Atlantic City, N.J. Flooring: Amtico Intl. Inc., Atlanta

Graphics: Andres, Chicago Lighting: Indy Lighting, Fishers, Ind.; Spero Lighting, Cleveland; Hinkley Lighting, Cleveland Props/Decoratives: Skyline Design, Chicago

Photography: John Shelves, Summit Studios, Chicago