Garden Pier stood apart from the other piers in Atlantic City. Opened in 1913, its "uptown" location placed it away from the frenzied activity of the "downtown" Boardwalk. The Spanish Renaissance architecture of the buildings and the beautifully landscaped gardens gave the pier a formal appearance which attracted an upscale crowd. The centerpiece of Garden Pier was the stately B.F. Keith's Theater which for many years rivaled any of those on Broadway. Here, Tobacco Road and George White's Scandals premiered. One of the city's largest ballrooms was on the pier. In it a young Rudolph Valentino worked as a dance instructor and large conventions met before the Atlantic City Auditorium was built.

Although for many seasons Garden pier's giant Underwood typewriter attracted large numbers, ultimately the uptown location made it less commercially successful. After languishing for a decade, the pier was purchased by the City of Atlantic City. A new era for Garden Pier began when in 1953 it became the home of the Atlantic City Art Center. Florence Valore Miller, a charter member, became the center's permanent executive director in 1962. For years songstress Lucille "Aunt Lucy" Russo gave local youngsters their first taste of stardom in Garden Pier's Civic Center with her Boardwalk Star Revue. In 1985 the art center invited the newly incorporated Atlantic City Historical Museum to share space on the pier. Through the dedication of Mrs. Miller and Councilman Walter Collette, and with public funds provided by the City of Atlantic City, Garden Pier today has been restored to its earlier splendor for even greater public use and enjoyment.