South Jersey's Abandoned Amusement Park
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- Опубліковано 27 жов 2022
- South Jersey's Abandoned Amusement Park
Many people don’t know that there is an Abandoned Amusement Park in New Jersey (South Jersey).
In it’s hay-day this park had six go-kart tracks, helicopter rides, bumper boats, bating cages and more.
Unfortunately in 2002 this amusement park was Abandoned leaving it to decay and be returned back to nature.
Now that this park has been sitting for 20 years, lets go an explore this park via drone.
[NOTE: DO NOT visit this park as you will get stopped by the police and arrested]
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Wonderful channel good stuff man God bless keep it up walk down memory lane me and my whole family enjoy your videos reminds me so much of my childhood growing up in Philly going down the Wildwood thanks for everything you're doing keep it up man peace Johnny wajda 2022 philly
my family owned it. used to broadcast 106.3. Now it’s just a empty tower.
I remember being sad when the Gorilla wasn't there anymore. Had no idea it was saved. Thought they just scrapped it, so that's good to hear.
I know right!!! I had no idea as well until a few years back. I got excited haha
The guy that saved the gorilla actually saved the slide as well and it's in his front yard not to far from the gas station.
The guy who bought it came to where I worked once.
The gas station is a ripoff compared to the other ones near it though!
The radio tower was built new in 1997 for what is now WCZT, 98.7 The Coast. Later it was also used by 106.3 WJSE, but both stations departed for other sites around 2017 as the tower needed to come down to make way for eventual property redevelopment. That tower actually had a somewhat unique "fold over" design -- the center part was designed so that if the tower ever fell, it would fold in half on itself reducing the danger to anyone nearby. Topic suggestion... a video about the old WCMC/WZXL (and original location of what became WMGM-TV) building. Always enjoy your videos -- and great to hear that Mighty Joe the gorilla is safe!
Love the topic suggestion about old radio towers. Do it!
I remember back in the 70's when it was just a go kart track. Loved going there as a kid!
I believe back then it was just one or two tracks. A lot smaller
@@WildwoodVideoArchive, It was one track when I went. This was back in the early-mid 70's. I also remember in the 80's there was a go kart track on Indian Trail Rd. (around where the Home Depot is) that had karts that had Yamaha engines and the Karts were quick. The track was very curvy so you couldn't get them up to speed. I think it only lasted a few years. Love your videos. They really make me miss Wildwood (but in a good way).
@@rksnj6797 I never knew there was a track at the Home Depot location. I just looked on historicaerials and the squiggly track is on the 1984 and 1987 aerial survey.
I remember drifting go karts on sand that was on the turns at this place in 1992. Most fun and memorable time I’ve ever had go karting.
As always job well done sir! I was raised on that track from the late 1970s and drove my first go-karts there. I did watch it expand in the late 1990s but as a young adult i was more interested in the boardwalk then that old track. I have regretted that forever. But to tell a funny quick story. One day in the summer of 1998 ish, my Daughter Alexis (4 or 5 years old) was sleeping and as we came past the park she saw the Monkey and spoke out from complete surprise to the packed car, Monkey lost his glasses. Now, none of us have a clue where that came from,. The monkey never had glasses on. But to this day when the family passes there, approximately 10 times a month she still gets teased about it. I am very very thankful to you and Randy Senna for keeping our childhood memories up to date. THANK YOU! Jeffrey Kane
Well considering that it was made of what...glass fiber...she was predicting the future in a way when it fell.
So happy to see someone saved the gorilla, I remember that place growing up and driving down to the wildwoods, thank you for sharing Joey, have a happy Halloween 👍🙏❤️😎🎃👻🦇
No problem! Have a great Halloween 🎃
That was our last stop before heading north on GSP. Enjoyed a round of mini golf and competitive go-kart races.
Love the cars traveling backwards around 7:42. Too funny.
OMG we went there in the 70's! I wasn't tall enough to go on the go karts but my sisters and brothers all did. I remember standing there with tears watching them.
awesome video! I grew up going to Wildwood & will never forget this mini golf corse. Great to see kong is still up!
Wow, I love this video! You presented it well, showed the before and after shots... It's such a shame that it's in such a state of disrepair. Thanks for posting this!
After the Fun Park closed it was Code Red Paintball. Didn't last much longer than a season but the guys were pleasant and I always wondered where they ended up.
I've been so curious about this place ever since I was little. Unfortunately since I was born in 1999 I never got to experience this park. Thanks for informing us about it.
I’m guessing you never knew Castle Dracula, either. It burned Jan 16, 2002. Or, Golden Nugget running. It closed after 1998 when Dinosaur Beach closed. Dinosaur Beach used to be Hunt’s Pier. In 1999 Morey’s bought it and it is mostly sheds for maintenance and storage with a mirror maze along the boardwalk. Dinosaur Beach and Islander actually both opened in 1996 and had a brief life span. Golden Nugget was razed Feb 2009 and the track was reused in Knoebel’s Black Diamond.
Wildwood Video Archive: thanks for posting.
I loved this video of this lost gem of South Jersey. If you find anymore, post them on UA-cam, thanks again Joey.
I used to race go karts there in the 1970's as a teen ! My mom and dad would drop me off before going to Uries Resturant ! It was just a small oval go kart track , with a gas station next to it! Great memories !
I used to go there with my dad as well in the 70s. I was too short to ride the boardwalk go karts, but was allowed to drive those.
Great video Joey. If my memory is right, since I have been going to Wildwood for the past 51 years straight, this was the last place to get gas before hitting the garden state parkway. Definitely before Wawa was built.
Love the videos can’t wait untill my week at the beach in 2023
See you in 2023
Crazy, we stopped there for the go carts in 1995 or 1996 after a record show at the old convention center. I had my video camera that day on so someday maybe I can post clips from it when I dig it out.
Thank you, Joey for another great Wildwoods video!
Post it Rick!
Please do😊
Great job Joey! My son was born in 1989, when the park was open he was a kid. He used to say he would work there when he grew up. Good memories!
Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.
LOL. There have been A LOT of amusement parks abandoned here in South Jersey. For example, Pitman had an amusement park that became a race track that became a toxin waste dump that became a superfund cleanup site, that became Alcyon Lake, complete with a public park.
Everybody Likes Pitman
90s baby here. I feel like I remember it a little bit but I can’t be 100% sure. I do remember TW Sports in Mays Landing though. That was my absolute favorite place to go in elementary and middle school.
For as much time as I have spend in WW, I never knew this place was an amusement park. As a kid, my family always stayed in North Wildwood, so I spend countless hours on the boards. It has not been until recent years that my wife and I have starting staying in the Crest. Very interesting to learn about this place, even though it is gone.
Thanks Joey. Remember passing by there over the years. Love the history lesson, always informative. Can't wait till July 2023. Take care , enjoy Halloween& a shout out to Julia.
I remember a go cart track in the 70s and the small cinder bock building next to it selling fountain sodas and hotdogs. There was also a giant slide where you used a burlap bag like the whipeout.
We usually went to the go cart track in North Wildwood. It was on the left as you came over the last rickety bridge going into north wildwood. Half of the track is now under the new north wildwood blvd, and the other half is in the concrete lot at Illinois and North Wildwood blvd.
Very interesting, come to Wildwood every summer and I always wondered what that area once was. Great video, I enjoy all if your posts. Thanks
It’s always sad to see these parks shut down and abandoned… especially if you went as a kid. Great childhood memories that you experienced as a kid and would like to share the same experience with your children but can’t and now only a memory
Ive always wanted to make this space into a drive in movie theater.
Ah man! That's an excellent idea! Maybe even have a soda fountain/diner adjacent, so you have income during the day? That would be cool! That would be a great location for that sort of thing!
@@ryano.5149 Right, and I honestly didn't even know this area was as big as it is!
I remember seeing this as a kid in the 90s when my parents took me to Menz restaurant we’d always pass it. Wish I could’ve stopped by!
Seagull Sam. Met him when I stopped by to take a look. He was the owner. Way back when, he bought 2 parcels of land on the courthouse steps. Went from the bridge to where the parkway wasn't at the time.
Condo's. He was supposed to have a top floor as part of the sale price. He told me he probably wouldn't live to see it. Sadly he was right.
Was fortunate enough to be given access to walk around. Lots of stuff in trailers from the old days.
The building to the left of the ice cream parlor was an old mechanic shop. And it had that old grease smell to it.
Cool place. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Joey!
Some locals called the property Sea Gull Sam's after the owner Sam Cardille. Remember in the late 70's? when they had the concrete water slide with the go cart track out front. Rode the slide on a mat but you would still get scraped up. Seem to remember a couple of commercial fishing boats docked at the back of the property in the 70's-80's. Think at one time, about 2005 or 2006, there was talk about putting in condos and a high end Marina, kind of like the Canyon Club in Cape May. They were also going to have a hotel with and small convention center and a restaurant.
You are right that they were going to put bay-front condos up on that land. It was probably more like 2002-2003ish, when the first building boom was starting in Wildwood. We had one of the trailers there, as did a few others in my family. They kicked all of those owners out, just for the whole project to fall through anyway. It was really a bummer.
I missed your comments here and kinda wrote the same thing... I got cut up a few times on that waterslide... You also had to watch banging your head while going down
Great video! I'm subscribing!
What fascinates me so much about this video is that we actually stopped in this parking on our way out of Wildwood once. I was so sad to see an old place like this abandoned and got out and walked around, but only in the front. I had no idea what was in the back.
I did find the weirdest thing in the parking lot however. I now have a Blues Brother doll with only one arm.
Another fascinating thing about this video is that a while back we were doing a try to find the memorial to the "Mexican Lindbergh" Mexican Air Force Capt. Emilio Carranza who crashed in the Pine Barrens and actually came upon Miighty Joe at that gas station.
Very well done. 👍
Hi Joey fairly new to your channel. Love it. So many memories visited we from late 1969's -1980's. "George" was KONG a airplane tide on Morey's pier near curly fries from 1971- about 1980. Will check for pictures & let you know. Thanks
I remember that water slide... made of concrete! You would have the tar beat out of you going down and always go home with bleading scrapes! It was very popular as it was one of the first of its kind among water slides. It's sad to see these places dilapidated having grown up enjoying them.
Cool I kinda remember this place...
As mentioned Joey the place was a good alternative to the wildwoods but the location to get there and people that just wanted a place to walk to wasn't enough. I'd like to see a inexpensive places to stay or a massive place to go eat out and enjoy any entertaining venture or a massive monument dedicated to all veterans from the beginning of all wars like a massive place to learn all about our history along with a eating place that would be different but with today's economy who knows?
Thank you as always Joey. The pins look great 👍 suggestion; I'd like to see the seagull with a Christmas tree 🎄 in its mouth lo...l. curious, Why couldn't you put maybe the saying on the ice cream cart the fugy wugy man with Duncan's initials??. Thanks again and thank Julia as well.
Love all you guys are doing for us all .God bless! 🙏
This is like a huge Mandela effect. I had no clue this place was even here. I have been going to wildwood since I was born. I’m 40. Wow
I knew about George but honestly I grew up in Wildwood, Born in 86 and left in 03... and I never knew about that park... I lived right down the street on Oak Ave from Marniers Landing. My mom worked up on the piers for many years, usually in the wardrobe, sometimes a ride op.
1:02 You should have a Santa with a huge aluminum cooler at his hip with a canvas strap over his shoulder. That's how I remember the fudgie man from the 1960's. Hot sun, the beach, and fudge icicle (maybe with a little sand on it), nothing better!
The good old days
There was once a water slide there. It wasn't very well maintained. There were a lot of dead flies in the water of the water slide when my siblings and I were there.
I saw another guy, The Germ, do a video on this awhile ago. He went onto the property. Your 2 videos complement each other very well.
I have been going to Wildwood for years all my life I do remember the gorilla thank you for the Memories I would love to see some photos from those days
I became an Eagle Scout in Middle Township and attended both Wildwood High school and Graduated from Middle Township in 98
I grew up in Wildwood from 1987 until 1995 when my parents passed
This video brought me back Joey. I'll never forget the gorilla! I always wondered what happened to that place! Awesome video and big fan of the channel of course!
Enjoyed replay
I was already 20 years old by 1996, but I do think I heard of this place. I was also born and raised in CA. Good history though.
I’ve always wondered what this park looked like before it was abandoned
I Absolutely love The Jersey Shore from Keansburg all the way towards Cape May
I remember in the 70's when it was only go-carts a driving range and I think a putt-putt golf coarse.
The first water slide was a big dirt hill with a concrete slide set into it. It was two or three lanes I think. This was in the 70s. The go carts had been there for many years at that point. I rode the go carts at least once as a kid and we did the water slide several times. It was very popular for a while but then there was a much larger fiberglass water slide built on right off the beach in Wildwood. It had crazy turns and was several stories tall. The old concrete one was a straight shot with a couple of very mundane left and right swerves. It didn't last much longer after the new water slide was built. There was just no comparison.
My parents and Lou Morey had the islanders under contract from 1999-2002. They had massive plans draw up for the construction of marina, hotel, restaurants and retail space. They had received all of the approvals from the state for the project but were not successful securing the funds for the project. They also used to have camel named Fred, that they offered camel rides. In the winter they also had an ice skating rink.
I miss this place
Smashed a lot of go-karts at that joint !🤣🤣🤣
Awesome they saved the Gorilla! Hate seeing all of the character that places use to have disappear.
Not sure if my parents ever took me there growing up, but the go-carts do look very familar.. But yeah, I wondered where the gorilla came from at Joe's Gas n Deli on Rt.206 out in the Indian Mills area.. Now I know it's George! It's good to know they saved a piece of so many people's childhood memories. Someone should make that abandoned property into another small-size family amusement park, not condos or hotels or anything else that'll potentially cover up what remains of 3 decades of childhood memories and family-time that so many families these days don't even spend together!
I'm not sure if this was the go karts we passed coming into Wildwood by way of Rio Grande. I was born in 1957 and have been coming to Wildwood all my life.
Most likely it was
I remember this place. I think I was there maybe once as a kid.
George the Gorilla was freaking awesome 💜 🦍
Interesting to know where the Gorilla came from! Id always pass it on my way to Atlantic City and would always get excited to see it on my drives there and back home.
Going back further than this before it became Islander it had the I think first waterslide in the Wildwood's. It was made of cement. It wasn't a long ride. Almost straight down with 2 zig zag turns. You would get scrapes on your skin from the cement. Not long after that opened they built 2 fiberglass ones in wildwood. One at the old aqua circus and one in Diamond Beach. They were more like today's waterslides but lacked water pressure and you could get stuck in dry spots and had to wait for another gush of water.
Ty Joey for another great video. I always wondered what happened to the gorilla. Obviously I know now. I been past it over the yrs on 206. Never thought it was that specific one till now.
Next time your on 206 look for him. He is now called mighty Joe
Yeah I saw it on 206 w it being called that. Least it was saved which is always a good thing to see something saved then not. Have a wonderful evening Joey. Hope to meet you one day.
It’s always great to see history saved. In this case it was to honor his son.
Have a great weekend!
That's for sure. Have a wonderful weekend as well.
Nice shots! I work down the road from here. I’m glad to hear the gorilla was saved. I’m suprised that property isn’t condos yet.
Cool vid, Joey! I can remember driving by that place back in the '80s and then the mid-'90s when it really got going. Those go-carts were definitely the main attraction and the place was really hopping in the summertime, but as you mentioned, by 1999 it was all over. I always believed that so many businesses on Rio Grande Ave used to fail back in the day, but I hope they put in a big hotel or something over there soon.
It’s a shame that it failed but it was a fun place. I remember they also had birds there to take photos with
@@WildwoodVideoArchive⁷
@@WildwoodVideoArchive If my memory serves me correctly, I believe there were quite a few accidents on those go-carts back in the day. I wonder if that had anything to do with its downfall.
@@nickcef Makes me think of Action Park.
In the late 70S use to be a go cart track and concrete waterslide. We had a house in the Crest, and my mom would let me at 8 years old walk there. Imagine letting an 8 year old walk Rio Grand ave alone, and over a bridge. If you fell off your mat on the waterslide you would get jacked up for sure. Wouldn't trade my childhood in Wildwood for anything.
The original park that was the in the 70s had the first water slide for the area. I remember it was made from concrete and you would come home with lots of scrapes on your elbows and knees.
We always had a great time there with our two sons.
I drive by Mighty Joe's frequently. I didn't know that the Gorrila came from Wildwood. I always wondered why they have that big sign on his chest. Now I know it's to cover the holes for the slides. Interesting!
Funny enough I grew up right near 206 SJ and ended up 206 NJ ...idk lol I miss SJ with Seaside Pines Philly damn near anything nearby but this side of a mountain thing is nice too I suppose
The torn down Christian Admiral Hotel in Cape May was quite impressive even in abandonment. There is a building in Garden City NY that was St. Pauls school designed by Stanford White. Unbelievable although idle and in disrepair.
I grew up down the street from the Christian Admiral..I remember playing in the deserted building, exploring the basement bowling alley..now it's all condos 😔
Strange..I remember seeing the gorilla but not the park. But remember seeing the gorilla on 206. Didn't know it was the same one! Wow!
We shouldn't have lost this many memories that were there just a few decades ago.
Hi, I have some information on the Gorilla from this park. I remember him being an attraction at the old Hunt's pier when pier was just limping along after the owners removed many of the classic rides. It was there may be a season or two before the pier became Dino Beach. I think I have a picture buried somewhere in my collection. If I find it I will pass it on.
Thanks for the info! If you could please find that and send me a message that would be amazing
Whenever there's a radio broadcast related mystery in the South Jersey area, my mind immediately goes to Carl McIntire. I wouldn't be surprised if that abandoned tower had something to do with one of his schemes.
Looks like an areal view of my youth.
If my memory is correct George was originally on Sportland Pier.,
Wilwood "Beach" as you called it hàd No piers. Wxcept Crest Piwr wixhwas a Family Style dance hall. Ibe known that since 1963.
People wonder why children today are the most ill behaved, disrespectful and destructive they have ever been. Its plain to see they have too much time on their hands and too little to occupy it. I am 60 now but remember a myriad of things to do, there were 3 amusement parks within a hour of our house, not to mention bowling, skating, arcades, ballfields, shooting ranges. All that is gone now, mostly due to mismanagement, greed or just plain stupidity. Want kids to behave, give them something to do!
North Jersey used to have Palisades Park.
I visited that park many times
Does anyone remember a Park Like Area where there was a collection of old buildings somewhere in or near Northern New Jersey? I remember my parents taking myself and siblings there but I don't remember what it was called.
I remember seeing it when I left wildwood and I would wonder what it was
So many great parks, perhaps you should have chosen Palisades Park, a really great park.
I worked there from 1977 until 1982
Played mini golf here once. I believe it was 1999.
Life after people
I'm not a Wildwood guy (Sea Isle) , but I have to guess the reason for its demise was location. It had plenty of fun attractions, but since it was off island and vacationers had the boardwalk and amusement piers as a convenient alternative, people just didn't bother piling the kids in the car and going back over the bridge to visit it.
My family owned houses across the street from the park in shawcrest
Found a postcard it was on morels pier
What year was the ice-skating rink there?
The gorilla was originally part of the Kong ride out on the Boards.
Thank you was interesting live in south jersey did not know about. Must be carefully build it they will come. Yours truly Evans w Robinson ret sgt
There also was wild animals kept back there specifically a giraffe
My dad wanted to buy the gorilla. It was too big for our property.
i remember George the Gorilla being on the boardwalk behind a King Kong attraction in the late 70's/Early 80;s before being moved onto that amusement park
That is a different one. Sadly that one was destroyed
It was wczt and WJSE tower.
I really don't remember that rides in the back but the slides were there before Kong was there, and dinasaur beach was mariners pier, and the go karts were out front in front of Kong!! And both were owned by the catanoso family who now own the steel pier they also owned fort Apache when it was a trailer park you really could talk to Anthony catanoso I'm sure he'd be glad to talk to you or if you like to get started I'll call you if you like cause there's a lot of stuff you could be video thanks
My dog would bark and the gorilla every single time we drove by it. One time I was in the ball pit there and I was only one in it and I look up and there was a huge spider right in the middle of the ball pit I was terrified because when you move all the balls move. I miss the good Days. I grew up in Wildwood and I can't stand what it is now I won't even take my kids there😢. And that's weird because I saw the gorilla and some other rides that were no longer being used in a lot behind my high school being stored and that was around 2003 I had to say.