Is Wildwood the future home for the NRCM?
also
In the last decade Wildwood and Wildwood Crest have become world famous for their abundant “Doo Wop” architecture.
Architectural students study and visit from all over the world.
Nothing like it anywhere.
Now if there are other things to see while at the Museum then its worth the drive.
Like a few coasters at the same location.
And it make for a great stop on a Mid-Atlantic / Northeast rode trip.
within 80-150 miles of Wildwood we have about 70 + coasters.
ALso Cape May with its old Victorian homes / Mansions attract visitors and ex. Gay Governors
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*** Edited 7/26/2007 8:31:32 PM UTC by PcMan***
Now if there are other things to see while at the Museum then its worth the drive.
Like a few coasters at the same location....within 80-150 miles of Wildwood we have about 70 + coasters.
So basically those interested enough in coasters to travel around to ride them (coaster enthusiasts) would visit the NRCM?
You don't say! ;)
I grew up in South Jersey so I am obviously biased, but it doesnt get much more family friendly then our beaches. It is constantly rated as a top family beach destination by parenting magazines, so to claim that it doesnt scream family is ignorant, especially for someone who I think doesnt have kids. Trust me after I had kids, my views have changed dramatically. Great Adventure used to be great when I was growing up, now I refuse to take my family there and thats with all the so called changes.
As for the weather, dont worry. In 26 years I lived here 0 major hurricanes, maybe a Cat 2 when I was very young. Our weather is extremly tame.
Rob Ascough said:
Actually, some would consider Wildwood the birth of rock & roll because it was where The Twist was debuted.
There's something I call these people, it's "completely wrong."
The boardwalk itself is nothing more than the same pizza, fudge, t-shirt, body piercing shops and arcades repeated over and over. And the trams with the shrill recording "WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE", that's relaxing. The motels all seem trashy (avoid The Starlux!) too.
As "midwest out-of-towners" we didn't get Wildwood, but will still likely return someday. It seems more like a town built for the locals and that's cool, tradition is a great thing. But we'd be better off a half-hour west at the Holiday Inn Express in Absecon.
And next visit we'll budget much, much more time for Ocean City, MD. Could easily see spending a couple of days there.
As far as the museum is concerned, anywhere is better than a warehouse.
In all the years I've been going to Wildwood, I've never thought the place dumpy. Honky tonk, yes... dumpy, no. I'm not sure why you felt anxious or unsafe there, unless you managed to park your car at the extreme west end of Wildwood, but if you were spending time on the boardwalk, it's unlikely you did that.
Again, I'm not trying to say you're wrong, it's just that what you said is a bit surprising. Hopefully you'll go back and give the place another chance because I'm pretty sure your visit was a fluke.
What has been the number one cause of property damage along the Wildwood piers? That's right, it's fire, and there's been plenty of arson. Can fire and arson happen anywhere? Absolutely, but with wide-open spaces such as the piers, it allows for more michief.
I wanted to reply to some other peoples comments about New Jersey. First off, my late grandparents rented a place in Stone Harbor (three blocks from the Alantic Ocean) every summer. It's a very bright, extremely upscale place for people to vacation.
The majority of residents are stinking-rich Philadelphians (the grandparents were from Allentown) who stay there on the weekends. There are plenty of mansions right on the beach that are easily millions of dollars a piece.
Practically every year, the relatives (minus the grandparents) would travel the long bridge(s?) over into Wildwood. The difference was like night and day. Wildwood just didn't seem as classy, and was a little bit scary, especially once on the boardwalks. It almost felt like one big extended carnival.
But oh, the memories. My first Schwarzkopf (Jumbo Jet), My first Vekoma Boomerang (Sea Serpent), and every year I looked foward to The Golden Nugget. I want to see that running again so badly to find out if it matches up with my memories of it (it's only been twenty-years or more).
The Morey's offered the Pier level of a steel-prefab building, that once housed the arcade for Dino Beach. The building was built in 1996, and upstairs houses the maintenence offices.
The building is in great shape, and can be quickly turned into something special for the museum, since no one else has really stepped up and said 'here you go'. The Morey family has been more than generous to many other charites, family parks, and fundraisers since I have known them.
Hunt's Pier has on the planning wish list many fuctions, including 70% of the proposed wooden coaster, the possible re-opening of the Nugget, and other ventures.
Would the NRCM survive alone? No. Would it survive as a subsidised venture. Yes. Does the museum have a home for the cars and such? I am not sure. Is this a good start in the right direction? Yes. Would the open boardwalk give the proper foot traffic? Yes. Would I-drive be better? Yes. Can this gig pay the Orlando rent? No.
So, back to the here and now, the Morey's made the offer. If you don't like Wildwood, so be it. You won't find a better oceanfront arsenal of rides then Morey's Piers. Not even Santa Cruz. Not even close.
Now, the Moreys have even more plans on the drawing boards for other attractions on the pier, and all tied together, makes giving up 1500sq ft some sense. What might happen isn't important. What is important is that one self-less family is standing up with different approaches to the Jersey Shore vacation, and by the way, adding $50 million in rides too.
i'm typing this on my phone from wildwood and I think wildwood is getting better every year
enjoy.
moreys is wildwood
good night *** Edited 7/27/2007 6:00:19 AM UTC by PcMan***
You're absolutely right about Wildwood's boardwalk. I've been to many of this country's large seaside parks and boardwalks and I don't think any has the presence that Wildwood has when it comes to rides. From what I can tell, a roller coaster museum is going to work where there is a significant amusement element. How Wildwood makes a bad choice is completely beyond me. No one is going to travel to New Jersey just for a coaster museum, and there are more than enough people that currently travel to New Jersey that either ignore its faults, or don't believe they exist in the first place. People who have visited the state a few times in their lives are in no position to make any kind of claim whatsoever, just like I'm not able to claim to know anything about Ohio from my few visits to that state.
I figured that the Escape from Dinosaur Beach building was the one that Morey's had in mind. It's not the prettiest thing in the world but it's huge and has something of an amusement history. Besides, buildings can be given new facades to look better and that is certainly no exception. I'm guessing that Morey's has ditched their original plans to fill Hunt's Pier with restaurants and shops? I'd love to see Hunt's function as some kind of amusement pier in the future, and they way you're talking AJ, that seems like a possibility.
And thanks for telling it straight when it comes to the Morey family. Wildwood bias aside, I think they have one of the finest amusement parks in the country with an outstanding collection of rides that are well-maintained, excellent atmosphere that is kept spotless and terrific employees that know a thing or two about flawless operations. As for the family itself, they are much more involved in Wildwood as a whole than you'd think. They own motels and hotels and are completely behind the push to preserve Wildwood Doo Wop heritage. In many ways, notalgia is part of their business plan, and it seems to be working.
Agent Johnson said:
Please save the Nugget memories. If so many riders loved the ride, how come there were never lines at Dino Beach? Right.
Like I said, it's been more than twenty years since I rode it. My memories of it were on par with The Haunted Mansion at Knoebels (since it had some of the same-type effects--a revolving barrel around the track/the waterfall that all the sudden stops), albeit with some more excitement since it had some roller coaster elements.
I bet my career that is John Allen was alive, he would say "Agent Johnson, we can do better with today's technolgy and safety. Build a new one."
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