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For generations of Bronx residents, Orchard Beach has been the place to spend a summer day. But for the last 17 years, one of its most iconic features—the grand Orchard Beach Pavilion—sat largely closed off, fading into the background of the Bronx’s only public beach.
Now, that's changed. The historic pavilion reopened on May 20 following a $114 million restoration that returned the landmarked structure to public use for the first time since 2009. The project restored most of the building's original architectural details but added modern accessibility features and upgraded infrastructure designed to serve beachgoers for decades to come.
If you've only ever thought of Orchard Beach as a place to escape the city for a few hours, it's worth remembering just how ambitious the site was when it first opened.
The beach itself, originally a collection of islands and shoreline campsites, was created as part of Robert Moses' massive 1930s public works campaign. The end product included a promenade, parking areas and a monumental bathhouse complex that quickly earned Orchard Beach the nickname "The Riviera of New York." Designed by architect Aymar Embury II and completed in 1936, the pavilion was the centerpiece of the entire project, with limestone-clad colonnades, soaring terraces, blue tile accents and expansive public spaces.
More than 18,000 people attended opening-day festivities in 1936 and the beach attracted more than 50,000 visitors during its first weekend. Over time, portions of the pavilion fell into disrepair—and while the city completed smaller restoration efforts over the years, much of the structure remained inaccessible. The building eventually closed entirely in 2009.
As part of the new restoration, workers reconstructed the pavilion's historic roofs, repaired structural concrete, restored limestone cladding, glazed terracotta, terrazzo flooring and metalwork and upgraded lighting throughout the site, along with adding new landscaping and trees.
Perhaps most notably, the project finally makes the pavilion accessible to everyone. New ADA-compliant ramps now connect the upper and lower levels of the structure, providing improved access between the pavilion and the beach.
Visitors can now access the pavilion's ground floor, upgraded restroom facilities and upper balconies, which offer views of Orchard Beach and Long Island Sound. New food and retail concessions will begin opening later this summer and a restaurant space is scheduled to debut in 2027.
Nearly 90 years after it first opened, one of New York City's most impressive public beach landmarks is finally back in business—and just in time for another summer on the sand.