The imposing front entrance of Mannequins Dance Palace on a cloudy August afternoon, about one month before the place was shuttered. When things were slow you could walk right in the downstairs entrance but on most nights an elevator ride was required.
During the glory years of Pleasure Island the elevator would take you all the way up to the 3rd floor attic from where you had to work your way down. In the latter years the elevator would just drop you off on the 2nd floor. While there were two full bars up there, they were rarely ever used.
Numerous mannequins were displayed around the club. In fact, many of them still hang from the rafters to this day awaiting their fate. The most infamous of the mannequins were the ones that hung upside down, lowered occassionally from the ceiling, green eyes glowing. It was eerie. It was incredible.
A neon mannequin greeted those coming off the lift. Installed around six months before the closing of the clubs was announced, it was a typical example of one PI hand not knowing what the other PI hand was doing.
The famous revolving dance floor. Not only was Mannequins jammed with ceiling and wall mounted lighting equipment but the floor itself also had a system installed that lit it from underneath!
Typical jammed scene on the revolving dance floor. Some evenings the dance floor revolved in one direction for hours and then would suddenly come to a brief stop, and then continue revolving in the other direction!
Since walking out of Mannequins around 2:30am on that final night, I’ve never been able to get back inside. In January, 2010 a reader named PI Fan provided the Blog with two pictures taken inside the club post-closure. Apparently the side garage door was open and these were snapped. This one shows the revolving floor still there along with the side opening for going on and off the floor. All of us have fond memories of watching newcomers walking up to the floor and realizing for the first time that the floor was spinning! All of us have memories of watching the uninitiated trying to get on and off without falling!
Looking in from the side garage door, a view towards the main bar where fave bartenders Bobby C and Gordo used to tend. After nearly 5 years, we should soon know the fate of Mannequins, once voted the #1 dance club in America!
