Lost Internet Museum

Navigation ยท 1990s-2000s

Splash Pages

The velvet rope before the actual site.

What it was

Splash pages greeted visitors with a logo, animation, mood image, or enter button before letting them reach the real content.

Why people remember it

  • They made websites feel like places with front doors.
  • They were often slow, theatrical, and unnecessary.
  • The impulse survives in landing pages, onboarding, and cinematic home screens.

What replaced it

Usually a platform feature, a private analytics dashboard, a cleaner app pattern, or a feed. The behavior rarely disappears; it gets renamed and absorbed.