WHATS GOING ON WITH OLD HUNTS PIER, NJ

Just wondering if anyone out there knows what is going to happen to old hunts pier in wildwood, nj. I've hear the morey org. hs control of some of the rides on it (one i believe they donated). Anyone know of any happenings or future plans? Its a shame the way it went downhill.. it was my fav. pier growing up as a kid.

A VERY big shame... I grew up on the Keystone Kops, Wacky Shack, Golden Nugget, Skua (Pirate Ship) and Jungleland. The Flyer was my first coaster and is the reason I am a coaster enthusiast... I was eleven when it was torn down and was in tears when I returned that summer to find it gone! It is sad to see what has become of that great amusement pier.

As far as I know, Morey's does indeed own the pier was has no intentions of putting mechanical rides there. What that means, I have no idea, but I guess they aren't looking to turn it into a fourth "rides" pier. Its a shame, too, because I'm sure they could use the room for expansion. Then again, maybe they are doing fine with what they have. Years ago, there was a rumor that Morey's tried to buy the pier when Hunt wanted to sell it (way back in the 80's) and connect it to Morey's Pier (which sits about fifty feet to the north), but the city didn't want to "give up" the beach that sat between the two piers (which is strange, because there is seven miles of beach on the island.) and didn't want Morey to have a monopoly on amusements in Wildwood. If that is true, I suppose that the city finally let Morey buy the pier under the condition that the two piers not be connected.

Not too long ago, it was RUMORED that Morey's would preserve the Golden Nugget by renovating the ride with some kind of "History of the Wildwoods" theme but nothing more has been said of that plan. Sad as it may seem, I have almost written the ride off because it continues to deteriorate with no upkeep being performed on it. Each year, it looks worse and worse. I didn't take a look this year to see if anything was happening, but I'm pretty sure that it is the same situation as last year. And the year before that.

If Morey's wanted to get serious about the pier, they could rebuild the Flyer (the Great White could really use a little brother, and Wildwood could use a non-steel family coaster) and invest in some custom attractions for the rest of the pier, making it a sort of family park that Hunt's used to be (after all, it was kind of like Disneyland on the NJ coast!). I'm sure that Sally Interactive could perform some work on the Golden Nugget (like they did on Rye Playland's Old Mill) and make it into something great again.

The potential is there...

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Indeed it is a shame. I also grew up with all off the rides you mentioned. I don't know what it was about the pier as a whole but even with the other two morey's piers my favorite was always Hunt's. I guess the originality of the rides and the overall ambiance made it a unique experience, one that can only be found at the Jersey shore i would say. I constantly found it hard to pick my favorite ride. Ans when i got to ride the golden nugget after a few years of it being dormant, it was a trip back in time... although they rigged it up to fit the dinosaur beach theme, which didn't impress me as much as the origional. I've been to wildwood every year for 24 years now and have seen the piers change, but i was deeply saddened when i saw Hunts Pier slowly deteriorate. If morey's can ressurect the same sort of ambiance that was once there, I think Hunts can flourish once again. Although i don't know how many more different rides they can fill up the pier with... but i assume there are many out there to make it a must visit, one of a kind, attraction at wildwood. the possibility of saving the beaches between the pier can possibly be turned into something of similar use.. such as an add on to the water park, a food court on the beach, even coasters spanning from pier to pier. As far as morey's having a monopoly on the boardwalk.. i say if others have tried and failed, it may be the only way to go. Well i guess time will tell what will happen to the pier. Maybe oneday morey's will read messages like this and realize the potential... who knows, but at least the memories are still there.

-Todd

I'm not saying that a "Morey Monopoly" is a bad thing... that company has been very good to the town(s), and they have single-handedly played a huge role in the resort's recent successful years. They obviously do things right, so I see no reason to let them continue to do what they do. Then again, I could understand a little hesitation on the part of the town, because I wouldn't want my town to be dependant upon one company.

If you have suggestions or comments, you might want to contact Morey's. I have corresponded with them in the past and they have always responded, whether I had a suggestion for them or a question about Wildwood's past. As far as "big" amusement parks go, they are very guest-oriented... a very friendly bunch.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002
*** This post was edited by Rob Ascough 7/29/2003 8:53:33 AM ***

the only thing I see happening is the race to put in as many go-kart tracks as possable.... I want the old hunts pier back!! ..Sportland pier too for that matter

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..."so many coasters,so little sick time"....

...oh and I for got...Nickels and Mariner's west need to go back too!!...hehehehe

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..."so many coasters,so little sick time"....

Haha yeah all those go cart rides... and those other piers would be nice to have back... what went up in dracs castles place anyway.. the only thing i saw was a little water park.. i havn't been there this year yet (end of aug for me) yeah those were some great piers.. it just seems to have fallen out of the loop.. even the pier with all the shops.. big the first few years but now its kinda half full. anyway i'll probably have to give morey a little email and see if i can get any info.

basically alot of what i wanted to say has been said, but I also liked Dinosau Beach, i thought it was a neat little theme park, and EFDB was a cool ride. Id also like to bring up the fact of The Wildwoods in general. I was there last year, and this year (earlier), and only then did I notice the buildings and retro hotels they are starting to tear down, in favor of rich snob-type luxury appartments and townhomes. Thats such a shame, I hate seeing it because they are all flashy/out of place and destroy the look of everything. When you first come into rio grand, lookon your right past Uries, or on your left, and you see them, a crap load of them. They also popped up a block north of Nickel's pier/Splashzone. It makes me sick. I know they will never completely take over, but the fact that they are tearing down lanmarks and putting them so close to the boardwalk. *sigh.....*

I don't remember seeing those buildings last year, probably cause i wasn't there for more than a day or too, but i'll have to look for them this time around. I have noticed though in the past few years more and more newer townhouses taking place of old houses... maybe thats what you are talking about.. but anyway..I know the wildwoods cherish their doo wop style architecture, and i think every year they get noticed more and more for it. i don't know what to say about the new buildings 'cause i havn'et really noticed them yet, but one i did notice was in north wildwood - it was an old "lighthouse" type structure, a lookout that i believe was used in ww II or something.. and its was up for sale for the longest time... then one year a huge new townhouse was there and the odd tower house of the past was gone. i guess i can see the wildwoods trying to jazz up the city by tearing down older houses and putting up new ones... as long as they keep the motels that are doo wop and keep that theme going i think both can live together. ps - anyone else love samuels? haha

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Teek79 said:
Haha yeah all those go cart rides... and those other piers would be nice to have back... what went up in dracs castles place anyway.. the only thing i saw was a little water park.. i havn't been there this year yet (end of aug for me) yeah those were some great piers.. it just seems to have fallen out of the loop.. even the pier with all the shops.. big the first few years but now its kinda half full. anyway i'll probably have to give morey a little email and see if i can get any info.

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Dracula's Castle is still just an empty lot, with a sand pit, but the dock for the dungeon boat ride is the only thing left standing next too teh water park. everything is filled in wiht sand and trampolines, where the once and mighty scary looking castle and its actors would scare no matter what time of day.

wood coaster fan

The condos really multiplied since last summer... I couldn't believe how many new ones there were this summer, as well as new empty lots where old "landmarks" used to stand that are being prepped for condos. It seems that, each winter, three or four old motel owners sell out to developers and those old motels are demolished. Not that I can blame them- when the land that the motels stand on can be worth up to $10 million, I'm sure that the owners of the motels realize that they can make more by selling out than they can by running the motel for the rest of their lives.

On the upside, I noticed that a lot of the old, run-down buildings in Wildwood are also being sold and demolished so that new condos can be built, which is nice to see. Perhaps, over time, the riff-raff that used to bring the actual town of Wildwood down will be displaced and the town will become cleaner and more family-oriented like the Crest and North Wildwood.

Also nice to see is some motels making serious investments... the motel I always stay at in the Crest (Cape Cod Inn) is adding another floor for luxury suites, and Morey's Starlux motel (which they bought and remodeled a few years back) is refurbishing a pair of Airstream trailers for rental, just to offer something new and different. Wildwood is proof that, the more things change, the more they actually stay the same.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002