The Riviera Ballroom, added to Riverview Park in 1940, was built to replace the original Dance Hall and was an "open air ballroom" meaning that the sides opened out to wooden decks or verandas with tables and chairs.   The cost of the project in 1940 was $35,000 .  The warm summer nights furnished evening lake breezes that swept through the ballroom to keep the temperature tolerable for the dancers and guests.  A moonlight night on the veranda overlooking the lake along with Glenn Miller playing in the background are memories that are priceless for many today, we're sure.

If inclement weather should come upon the area, large canvas curtains could quickly be lowered by ballroom staffers on all the openings and secured with naval style fasteners making the interior fairly well protected from the elements.  Actual wooden shutters could also be secured outside the dropped curtains if needed for a semipermanent enlosure but this would take a crew of workers nearly a day to install.

When The Park was closed by Adventureland many of the rides and attractions were moved to Adventureland Park.  All of the remaining buildings except the Riviera Ballroom, the Merry Go Round Pavillion, and the park office building were torn down.  The property was sold (donated) to the city of Des Moines for $1.00. 

The abandoned Riviera was burned down by suspected arsonists in August of 1981.  Sadly it was slated for possible inclusion onto the official list of Iowa's Historical Sites just prior to its destruction.