Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Arson 1970

Saltair just seemed like it was so cool. Anon

This second, more modest iteration of the Saltair resort was built after the original Saltair complex burned down in 1925. Due to the Depression, changes in traffic patterns and the rise of motion pictures, the new resort never achieved the popularity of its prior incarnation. Its dance floor was the largest in the world when it was built and the resort became known primarily as a dance palace and a venue for traveling bands. In 1931, Saltair II was damaged by fire and in 1933 the receding waters of the Salt Lake required the construction of a miniature railway to access the water. Saltair II closed temporarily during World War II and then permanently in 1958. An arson fire in 1967 destroyed much of the resort and the remainder was destroyed by a second arson fire in 1970. A third Saltair was constructed in 1981 on a nearby site out of a salvaged aircraft hanger but it was not a success and was all but abandoned until, in 2005, several music industry investors bought the new building for use as a concert venue.