Who can believe that the sleepy little Seal Beach everyone loves for its quaint charm was once the Seal Beach, California filled with chills, thrills, screams, roars and even seal barks.

The black and white historic photo above show an earlier version of Seal Beach Pier and a ride called the Scintillator.  The dapper gents in the picture and a woman or two, perhaps, all wore hats back in the good 'ol days. With long fishing poles, the men are watching the water below the pier, hoping for the catch of the day.  Beyond them the Seal Beach Pier is gated with a danger sign that warns of high voltage beyond where the Scintillator towers above.  On the tower structure of the ride is a huge design of a seal, and a dome of an open air tower.

The Seal Beach Pier during the prohibition was not only known for its thrills. It had a reputation as a place the "rum runners" could bring liquor ashore in barrels.

So the sleepy little Seal Beach that you see today with its shops on Main Street, its Irish pubs and surfing shops was once a tourist attraction to rival most. It's amazing what 100 years will bring, and how a city's disposition can change.