Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and was run by second generation Morey Brothers, Will and Jack. Morey's Piers has more than 100 rides and attractions across its three amusement piers and two beachfront waterparks.
Surfside Pier is located at 25th Avenue, in North Wildwood. It was the first of the three piers, opening in 1969 with a giant fiberglass slide that cost 25 cents to ride. The slide was closed at the end of the 2010 season and refurbished as a waterslide at the pier's water park, Ocean Oasis. Surfside Pier includes the Zoom Phloom, AtmosFEAR, The Great Nor'easter, and Runaway Tram.
Mariner's Pier
Giant Wheel
Mariner's Pier, located at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood, is like a traditional amusement park, with classics like the Super Scooters, Teacups, Musik Express, Ignis Fatuus, Sea Serpent and the Giant Wheel, a 156-foot (47.5 m) tall Ferris wheel built by Vekoma, which opened in 1985.[1] In the early mornings of the summer, breakfast can be eaten on the wheel.[2][3] In June 2011, 11-year-old Abiah Jones died after falling from the Giant Wheel. Since then, a "no single riders" policy was created for when guests ride the ferris wheel to ensure the safety of the guests.
Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club is on the beach behind Surfside Pier. It includes water slides, a lazy river, a hot tub with bar access and a kids area.
Raging Waters Water Park
Behind Mariner's Landing is Raging Waters Water Park. It includes two unique kiddie play areas at Shipwreck Shoals and Camp KidTastrophe along with speed slides, a lazy river, Shotgun Falls and an activity pool full of challenges.
History
Surfside Pier
In 1969, Bill and Will Morey Sr. purchased two lots of boardwalk in North Wildwood at 25th and 26th streets. They called it Morey's Pier and opened that summer with a giant fiberglass slide called the Wipe Out. Guests paid 25 cents to slide down the ride in burlap sacks. Sometime in the mid-2000s, what was referred to as Morey's Pier was rebranded Surfside Pier by management and continues to go by that name to this day.
Mariner’s Pier
Giant Wheel at night
The Moreys extended their operation in 1976 when they purchased Marine Pier and renamed it Mariner's Landing. At the time of purchase, the pier was fire-damaged and seven of the existing 12 rides on the pier had to be thrown away. However, the pier kept growing. In 1984, the Moreys purchased the Sea Serpent roller coaster. The late-2010s brought new attractions to the pier, such as a permanent biergarten, a new family friendly rollercoaster called “The Wild Whizzer” and the renaming of Mariner's Landing to Mariner's Pier. The new branding is now being used by Morey's Pier Management.
Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis Waterparks
In 1985, waterslides were installed on Mariner's Landing and called Raging Waters waterpark. The project was masterminded by designer and architect Fred Langford. A second Raging Waters was built on Surfside Pier in 1988. This park was overhauled and relaunched as Ocean Oasis Water Park & Beach Club in 2006 and features Bonsai Beach, Endless River and various new waterslides.
Adventure Pier
Fun Pier was purchased and renamed Wild Wheels. The Morey's described it as an "interactive amusement center" with active participation by customers. This pier became home to The Great White, the Skyscraper ride, a The Spring Shot ride, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, batting cages, and the Grand Prix Raceway. In 2006/2007, in conjunction with the new Surfside Pier branding at 26th Avenue, Wild Wheels became Adventure Pier. In 2012, the Skyscraper was relocated to the pier from the old Hunt's Pier, replacing two rides. The pier began removing smaller rides off the pier around this time as well, such as the Snake Slide, Apache Helicopters and a Carousel. In 2016, the Chambers of Checkers Maze was moved and rebranded to make way for a larger Grand Prix Raceway that will now occupy most of the back pier. In 2020, Morey's announced a gateway project that includes the removal of boat tag, the existing Kohr Brothers' custard stand, and the old "SkyRide" station. In the place of these structures, multiple recycled shipping containers will be retrofitted and home to multiple new eating establishments, including a Curley's Fries and a new Kohr Brothers building. No dates were given, but it is expected to be completed in 2021 or 2022.
The Old Hunt's Pier
Hunt's Pier was also eventually purchased for more rides and attractions. Hunt's Pier went defunct in 1990 and became Conko's Party Pier in 1991, Ocean Pier in 1993–1994, and was leased by the Catanosos in 1995 and called Atlantic Pier with kiddie rides on the front and the rest of the pier closed off with a white wall, and 1996–1998 Dinosaur Beach with the Golden Nugget Mine Rescue, Long Neck River Log Flume, and Raptor Rapids as the three surviving rides from Hunt's Pier to be reused for Dinosaur Beach. Dinosaur Beach permanently closed September 1998 and was then used for maintenance, storage, and tram-car parking with go-kart rides. The Golden Nugget remained on Hunt's Pier until 2009, when it was relocated to Knoebels Amusement Resort and reopened as the Black Diamond. As of 2021, no announcements have been made to add any attractions, and the pier is instead home to various shopping and eating establishments, a maintenance and storage facility, and a "Ripley's Believe It or Not!"-themed mirror maze.
It was operating at the Old Hunt's Pier (labeled a Surfside Pier ride), Relocated to Adventure Pier & Replaced Curse of the Mummy 3D & Jersey Junkyard in 2012
Spring Shot
2002
Funtime
Slingshot
No Single Riders (Since 2022)
Former rides
Name
Opened
Closed
Manufacturer
Type
Description
Breakdance
1985
2005
Huss
Breakdance
Carousel (Adventure Pier)
1996
2015
Chance Rides
28-Foot Carousel
Castle Dracula
1977
2002
Nickels
Walkthrough
Destroyed by fire
City Jet
1975
1984
Schwarzkopf
City Jet
Destroyed by fire
Condor
1988
2011
Huss
Condor
Replaced by Kang’A Bounce in 2012
Curse of the Mummy 3D
2000
2011
replaced by Skyscraper
Can Am Raceway
1993
2018
Creative Karts
Dante's Inferno
1981
2005
Bertazzon
Anton Schwarzkopf
Dark Ride
Renovated into Dante's Dungeon
Dark River
1992
2003
Reverchon
Dark Ride
Replaced by the Pirates of Wildwood
Enterprise
1977
unknown
Fireball Express
2002
2004
Replaced by Sea Dragon
Flitzer
1983
2018
Zierer
Flitzer
Replaced by Runaway Tram
Gravitron
1983
2007
Wisdom Ind.
Gravitron
The first Gravitron ride ever built, replaced by Cygnus X-1
Replaced by Riptide following a 2011 incident where the mast broke off
Seal Flume
1990
2008
Zamperla
North Pole
Destroyed in the 2008 Mariner's Landing fire
Shark Bite (Surfside Pier)
1999
2018
Zamperla
Pounce and Bounce
Shark Bite (Adventure Pier)
unknown
2013
S&S Power
Sky Ride
1997
2011
Chairlift (3-CLF)
SkyCoaster (Surfside Pier)
unknown
2015
Skycoaster Inc.
Skycoaster
Replaced by the Kang'A Bounce in 2016
Star Trek: Journey to the Planet of the Apes
1975
unknown
The Storm
1999
unknown
Moser
Super Loop on Top
Tilt-A-Whirl (Adventure Pier)
unknown
2011
Sellner
Tornado
unknown
2016
Wisdom Ind.
Tornado
replaced by Luna's Lost Labyrinth
Wave Swinger (Original)
1977
2013
Replaced by an upgraded version of the same ride in 2014
Wipeout
1969
2010
Mat Slides
Refurbished as a water slide and relocated to the water park, Replaced by It
Zipper
1970
unknown
Chance Rides
Zipper
Zyclone
1988
1989
Pinfari
Zyklon
Zyklon
1967-1969
1999
Pinfari
Zyklon
Replaced by Rollie's Coaster
Wild Mouse
1957
1966-1968
B.A. Schiff & Associates
Wild Mouse
Boat Tag
unknown
2022
Unknown
Boat Tag
Replaced by Curley's Fries & various other stands; sold to Malacari's Produce & Deli
East Coast Helicopter Tours
2014
2019
Hangry Seagull
unknown
S&S - Sansei Technologies
Frog Hopper
Formerly Jack in The Box
Refurbishments
In the 2004–2005 winter the Flitzer was taken down to be refurbished. They also changed the theme of the ride from space themed to surf themed. The ride was also moved when the RC-48 was removed from the pier. The Doo Wopper and the Flitzer was put in place of the RC-48.
Other Flitzer coasters
Among several other installations of the Flitzer roller coaster, two existed at Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City and Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach. Playland's Flitzer was initially sold to Deggeller Attractions but was later scrapped, and Jenkinson's Flitzer has been relocated to Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City, Maryland under the name Barracuda.[4] As of 2021, the only other permanent Flitzer model left in operation (in addition to Barracuda) worldwide is Speed Track at Rand Show in Johannesburg, South Africa.[5] Other surviving Flitzer models also operate in traveling fairs, including Racing and Indy Racer Coaster (Reithoffer Shows).
Cancelled rides
Name
Intended Opening Date
Manufacturer
Type
Description
Boardwalk Flyer
2013
Great Coasters International
Wooden Coaster
Would have crossed between Surfside Pier and the former Hunt's Pier.
Incidents
The Great Nor'easter
In August 1995, a 36-year-old employee, Dallas White, was picking up trash in a fenced area beneath the ride and was struck in the head by a passenger's foot and killed. Shortly after this accident, Morey's Piers employed a new restricted section which prevents anyone underneath the ride while it is in motion.[6]
Sea Serpent
In June 1998, the Sea Serpent roller coaster suffered its first ever accident, injuring 14 of the 23 riders on board, some of whom were stranded upside down. According to Will Morey, chief executive officer of the Morey Organization, the accident was thought to have been due to a wheel coming off a rear axle, causing the coaster train to jerk to a stop midway through the ride, as it was looping backwards.[7]
Giant Wheel
On Friday June 3, 2011, 11-year-old Abiah Jones, a student at PleasanTech Academy Charter School in Pleasantville, New Jersey, died after falling between 100 and 150 feet from the Giant Wheel. She fell at about 12:30 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m. at the Cape Regional Medical Center.[8]
Her parents, Twanda and Byron Jones, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the ride's operator.[9]
Investigators were unable to determine how the girl, who was riding alone, got out of the gondola. A report by the state Department of Community Affairs found the ride's restraints to be working properly and suggested that to get out of the car, a passenger probably would have had to stand. The report recommended that children be forbidden from riding the Ferris wheel alone.[9]
SpringShot
In July 2021, a 13-year-old girl from Weatherly, Pennsylvania, was struck in the face by a seagull during the ride, but was not injured.[10]
Sea Dragon
On August 20, 2011, five people were injured as a result of the center mast on the Sea Dragon breaking. One person was sent to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, while four others had minor injuries that were treated at the scene of the accident. The spokeswoman for Morey's Piers and Beachfront Waterparks did not answer questions from the media regarding the incident.[11]
For the 2012 season, the Sea Dragon has been replaced with a newer model of the same ride called Riptide.[12]
Zoom Phloom
On July 2, 2010, a child was severely injured on the ride when he had a seizure, which caused him to strike his head on the car he was riding in, making him completely unconscious. Shortly after, the Morey's Piers management forbade guests to ride Zoom Phloom alone.[13]
Bomb Threat
On June 6th 2021 at 7:40 PM, a bomb threat was delivered to Wildwood Police Department via 9-1-1 call targeting all three Morey’s amusement piers. A mass evacuation was ordered and a major emergency response followed, among the agencies and resources to respond were the Federal Bureau of Investigation, K-9 units from Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties, Atlantic City Police Department Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Cape May County Department of Health Hazardous Materials/CBRNE Team. A meticulous search was conducted and finished at 12:30AM June 7th 2021 with no explosives or Weapons of Mass Destruction found. Business promptly resumed the next day with no enhanced security or preparedness measures. Multiple other venues across Southern New Jersey including Jenkinsons Boardwalk in Point Pleasent reported similar bomb threats during that week. Story link.
Wright, Jack (2009). A wild ride: the story of Morey's Piers, Planet Earth's greatest seaside amusement park. Cape May, N.J: Exit Zero Publishing. ISBN978-0-9799051-5-5. OCLC430841404.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morey's Piers.
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