Hunt's Pier
Encyclopedia
Hunt's Pier was an amusement pier located along the Wildwood, New Jersey
boardwalk from 1957 through 1985. Over its nearly 30 years in operation, Hunt's was home to many classic dark ride
s, roller coasters and other attractions.
, a roller coaster and a dark ride.
On Christmas Day, 1943, Ocean Pier burned down. Hunt built a new, all-concrete pier in its place. On May 30, 1957, Memorial Day
, the revamped Hunt's Pier opened. The amusement park began with only four rides, though it boasted 10 rides by the time of its grand opening on June 21, 1957.
In 1985 Hunt's Pier was sold and re-emerged in 1989 as The New Hunt's Pier, retaining many of the rides operated by the original Hunt's Pier and adding a steel roller coaster called the Kamikaze. In 1988, Conklin Shows bought the pier and renamed it Conko's Party Pier. This latest incarnation of the pier was short-lived, and by the end of 1992, many of the rides had been disassembled and the New Hunt's Pier had gone bankrupt. The Kamikaze was sold, and it runs under the name, the Ninja
, at Six Flags Over Georgia
.
The Cantonoso family, owners of Steel Pier
in Atlantic City
, bought the defunct pier in 1995. By 1996, the pier had been renamed Dinosaur Beach and had added dinosaur motifs to the classic Golden Nugget Mine Ride, a decision derided by fans as not being in good taste. In addition to a water coaster
and an amphitheatre
, Dinosaur Beach included the first spinning wild mouse
, which opened in 1997. The only classic rides operating at Dinosaur Beach were the Golden Nugget, Log Flume and Rapids, with most of the Hunt's legacy gone. In 1998 Dinosaur Beach closed, and over the next few years most of the rides disappeared.
and is used to house maintenance equipment and the boardwalk tram cars. A grill, beach shop, and Adventure Maze are now on the front of the pier. Morey's has plans to build a wooden roller coaster which will cross over from the Surfside Pier to the back of Hunt's Pier.
and was engineered by John Allen. It was removed in 2009, and a ceremony commemorating the ride was held in January of that year in anticipation of its removal.
In early 2009, Knoebels' Amusement Resorts entered into agreement with Morey's Piers to acquire the trains, tracks, and ancillary mechanical equipment from the Golden Nugget ride. The equipment was moved to Pennsylvania in early 2009 for a planned reproduction of the Golden Nugget at its Elysburg
park. The ride, renamed the Black Diamond
is anticipated to open for 2011 season. The original stunts and gags included in the ride were not part of the sale and have been retained by Morey's Piers for usage elsewhere.
The George Boyer Museum in Wildwood currently houses artifacts from Hunt's Pier, including Keystone Kops characters and Hunt's Pier flags. Near Historic Cold Springs Village, Hunt's abandoned storage and maintenance site still holds signs and parts of former rides, including boats for the Log Flume, trains for the Flyer that are currently under restoration, and letters that were part of the Hunt's Pier Skyline Golf sign that stood opposite from the pier on top of the Ocean Theater.
Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a popular summer resort destination. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's year-round population was 5,325...
boardwalk from 1957 through 1985. Over its nearly 30 years in operation, Hunt's was home to many classic dark ride
Dark ride
A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
s, roller coasters and other attractions.
History
Hunt's Pier dates back to the early 1900s when it was known as Ocean Pier, the first major pier on the boardwalk. Home to ballroom dancing and musical acts, Ocean Pier was purchased by William Hunt in 1935 and converted to an amusement park with rides including a Ferris wheelFerris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, a roller coaster and a dark ride.
On Christmas Day, 1943, Ocean Pier burned down. Hunt built a new, all-concrete pier in its place. On May 30, 1957, Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, the revamped Hunt's Pier opened. The amusement park began with only four rides, though it boasted 10 rides by the time of its grand opening on June 21, 1957.
In 1985 Hunt's Pier was sold and re-emerged in 1989 as The New Hunt's Pier, retaining many of the rides operated by the original Hunt's Pier and adding a steel roller coaster called the Kamikaze. In 1988, Conklin Shows bought the pier and renamed it Conko's Party Pier. This latest incarnation of the pier was short-lived, and by the end of 1992, many of the rides had been disassembled and the New Hunt's Pier had gone bankrupt. The Kamikaze was sold, and it runs under the name, the Ninja
Ninja (Six Flags Over Georgia)
Ninja is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia. Designed by Vekoma, Ninja was originally built for Conko's Party Pier in New Jersey, where it was known as Kamikaze...
, at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
.
The Cantonoso family, owners of Steel Pier
Steel Pier
Steel Pier is a amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, located opposite The Boardwalk from Trump Taj Mahal.The pier was owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts until 2011, when it was sold to the Catanoso Family under the "Steel Pier Associates, LLC" name. The Catanosos previously leased the...
in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, bought the defunct pier in 1995. By 1996, the pier had been renamed Dinosaur Beach and had added dinosaur motifs to the classic Golden Nugget Mine Ride, a decision derided by fans as not being in good taste. In addition to a water coaster
Water slide
A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...
and an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, Dinosaur Beach included the first spinning wild mouse
Spinning roller coaster
A spinning roller coaster is a roller coaster with cars that rotate on a vertical axis.- Virginia Reel :The first spinning roller coaster was the Virginia Reel, first built in 1908 by Henry Riehl. Instead of trains, the ride had "tubs" with seats built around the perimeter facing inward...
, which opened in 1997. The only classic rides operating at Dinosaur Beach were the Golden Nugget, Log Flume and Rapids, with most of the Hunt's legacy gone. In 1998 Dinosaur Beach closed, and over the next few years most of the rides disappeared.
Present day
The pier is currently owned by Morey's PiersMorey's Piers
Morey’s Piers is a seaside amusement park located in Wildwood, New Jersey. It started when Morey brothers, Will and Bill bought two boardwalk lots in North Wildwood at 25th and 26th streets. They called it Surfside Pier and opened in the summer of 1969 with a giant fiberglass slide called the Wipe...
and is used to house maintenance equipment and the boardwalk tram cars. A grill, beach shop, and Adventure Maze are now on the front of the pier. Morey's has plans to build a wooden roller coaster which will cross over from the Surfside Pier to the back of Hunt's Pier.
Legacy
Hunt's Pier featured many unique rides and attractions including a classic wooden roller coaster called the Flyer, indoor rides such as Keystone Kops and Whacky Shack, and an outdoor boat ride called Jungleland. For many years, The Golden Nugget had the honor of being the oldest ride on the Wildwood Boardwalk still surviving in its original form and location. The Golden Nugget originally opened in July 1960 on the newly constructed oceanside section of Hunt’s Pier. The Golden Nugget was built three stories high with the top floor designed to imitate a mine car ride through the desert. The classic coaster ride was specially constructed for Hunt’s Pier by the Philadelphia Toboggan CompanyPhiladelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
and was engineered by John Allen. It was removed in 2009, and a ceremony commemorating the ride was held in January of that year in anticipation of its removal.
In early 2009, Knoebels' Amusement Resorts entered into agreement with Morey's Piers to acquire the trains, tracks, and ancillary mechanical equipment from the Golden Nugget ride. The equipment was moved to Pennsylvania in early 2009 for a planned reproduction of the Golden Nugget at its Elysburg
Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Elysburg is a census-designated place in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,067 at the 2000 census. The area's biggest attraction is Knoebels Amusement Park, which has two wooden roller coasters.-Demographics:...
park. The ride, renamed the Black Diamond
Black Diamond (roller coaster)
The Black Diamond, formerly known as the Gold Nugget, is a steel roller coaster currently being relocated to Knoebels' Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania from Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey.- History :...
is anticipated to open for 2011 season. The original stunts and gags included in the ride were not part of the sale and have been retained by Morey's Piers for usage elsewhere.
The George Boyer Museum in Wildwood currently houses artifacts from Hunt's Pier, including Keystone Kops characters and Hunt's Pier flags. Near Historic Cold Springs Village, Hunt's abandoned storage and maintenance site still holds signs and parts of former rides, including boats for the Log Flume, trains for the Flyer that are currently under restoration, and letters that were part of the Hunt's Pier Skyline Golf sign that stood opposite from the pier on top of the Ocean Theater.