Morey's Piers
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Location | 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood & North Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Coordinates | 38°59′08″N 74°48′34″W / 38.98557°N 74.80932°WCoordinates: 38°59′08″N 74°48′34″W / 38.98557°N 74.80932°W |
Slogan | America's Boardwalk |
Owner | Wilbert Morey II, Jack Morey |
Opened | 1969 |
Previous names | Wilbert Morey, Bill Morey |
Operating season | April – October |
Website | www |
Status | Operating |
Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a classic 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 is currently run by 2nd 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.
Description[]
Surfside Pier[]
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. Surfside Pier includes the Zoom Phloom, AtmosFEAR, The Great Nor'easter, and Runaway Tram.
Mariner's Pier[]
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.
Adventure Pier[]
Adventure Pier, located at Spencer Avenue, includes Grand Prix Raceway and the famous wooden coaster The Great White, the Skyscraper ride, a The Spring Shot ride, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, helicopter tours, and a boat tag game.
Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club[]
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.
Mariner's Landing[]
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.
Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis Waterparks[]
In 1985, waterslides were installed on Mariner’s Landing and called Raging Waters waterpark. The waterpark opened a day early due to the ocean pollution. 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 was later relaunched as Adventure Pier and became home to The Great White, the Skyscraper ride, a The Spring Shot ride, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, a boat tag game, batting cages, and the Grand Prix Raceway. In 2020, Morey's announced a Gateway project that includes the Removal of Boat tag, The existing Kohr Brother's 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 Sept. 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 2008 when it was purchased by Knoebels' Amusement Resort and restored in their park 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
Rides and attractions[]
Surfside Pier[]
Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Type | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
AtmosFear | 2005 | Larson | Drop Tower | |
Balloon Race | Zamperla | Balloon Race | ||
Carousel | Bertazzon | |||
Convoy | 2018
Unknown (Mariner's Landing) |
|||
Cycle Jump | ||||
Cygnus X-1 | 2008 | Wisdom Ind. | Gravitron | |
Dante's Dungeon | 2005 | Bertazzon | Dark Ride | |
Doo Wopper | 2005
1998 (Adventure Pier) |
Zamperla | Zig Zag Coaster | |
The Great Nor'easter | 1995 | Vekoma | SLC | |
It | 2011 | KMG | Afterburner/Fire Ball | |
Jump Around | 2005 | Zamperla | Jump Around | |
Happy Feet | 2012 | Zamperla | Happy Swing | |
Kang'A Bounce | 2012 | Zamperla | Removed for the 2015 season, before returning in 2016 | |
Kong | 2015 | Larson | Flying Scooters | |
Magic Bikes | 2008 | Zamperla | Magic Bikes | |
Rock and Roll | 2001 | Bertazzon | ||
Rockin' Tug | 2004 | Zamperla | Rockin' Tug | |
Runaway Tram | 2019 | Zierer | Force | |
Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner | |||
Tiny Tea Party | S&W Amusements | |||
Wacky Whip | Zamperla | |||
Zoom Phloom | 1985 | Hopkins | Log Flume |
Mariner's Landing[]
Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Type | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airplanes | Zamperla | Mini Jet | ||
Baby Venice | SBF Visa Group | |||
Flying Galleons | 1997 | Zamperla | ||
Balloon Race | Zamperla | Balloon Wheel | ||
Carousel | Bertazzon | |||
Crazy Bus | Zamperla | Crazy Bus | ||
Giant Wheel | 1985 | Vekoma | ||
Ghost Ship | 2010 | Morey's Piers | Walkthrough | |
Hangry Seagull | Zamperla | Jumpin' Star | ||
Henekee | Henekee | |||
Kiddie Swings | Bertazzon | |||
Kite Flyer | 2002 | Zamperla | Kite Flyer | |
Moby Dick | 2000 | Wisdom Ind. | Genesis | |
Musik Express | Bertazzon | Musik Express | ||
Pirates of the Wildwoods | 2004 | Reverchon Ind. | Dark Ride | |
Pink Elephants | Venture Rides | |||
Riptide | 2012 | Chance Rides | Pharaoh's Fury | |
Rollie's Coaster | 1999 | Pinfari | Zyklon | |
Sea Serpent | 1984 | Vekoma | Boomerang | The first Vekoma Boomerang in the United States |
Seagull Cycles | 1997 | Zamperla | ||
Sunny's Lookout Lighthouse | 2005 | Heege | ||
Super Scooters | 2009 | Bertazzon | Bumper Cars | |
Tea Cups | MACK Rides | TeaCup Ride | ||
Waltzer | Empire Amusements | |||
Wave Swinger | 2014 | Zierer | Wave Swinger | |
Wild Whizzer | 2018 | SBF Visa Group | Spinning Coaster |
Adventure Pier[]
Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Type | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boat Tag | ||||
East Coast Helicopter Tours | 2014 | |||
Grand Prix Raceway | 1993 | Creative Karts | ||
Great White | 1996 | Custom Coasters Inc. | Wooden Coaster | |
Luna's Lost Labyrinth | 2016 | Minotaur Adventures | ||
Screamin' Swing | 2005 | S&S Power | Screamin' Swing | |
SkyCoaster | 1994 | Skycoaster Inc. | Skycoaster | |
Skyscraper | 2012
2000 (Surfside Pier) |
Gravity Works | ||
Spring Shot | 2002 | Funtime | Slingshot |
Former rides[]
Name | Opened | Closed | Manufacturer | Type | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breakdance | 1985 | 2005 | Huss | Breakdance | |
Carousel (Adventure Pier) | 1996 | 2015 | Chance Rides | 28-Foot Carousel | |
City Jet | 1975 | 1984 | Schwarzkopf | City Jet | |
Condor | 1988 | 2011 | Huss | Condor | Replaced by KONG |
Curse of the Mummy 3D | 2000 | 2011 | |||
Flitzer | 1983 | 2018 | Zierer | Flitzer | Replaced by Runaway Tram |
Can Am Raceway | 1993 | 2018 | Creative Karts | ||
Dante's Inferno | 1981 | 2005 | Soli | Dark Ride | Renovated into Dante's Dungeon |
Dark River | 1992 | 2003 | Reverchon | Dark Ride | Replaced by the Pirates of Wildwood |
Enterprise | 1977 | ||||
Fireball Express | 2002 | ||||
Gravitron | 1983 | 2007 | Wisdom Ind. | Gravitron | The first Gravitron ride ever built, replaced by Cygnus X-1 |
Haunted House | 1972 | 1984 | Jim DeMusz/Fred Mahana | Walkthrough | |
In Concert | 1975 | ||||
Inverter | 2000 | 2009 | Chance Rides | Inverter | |
Jersey Junkyard | 1996 | 2011 | Hollingsworth | Dark Ride | Formerly Casa Macabra between 1996-1998 |
Jet Star | 1973 | 1999 | Schwarzkopf | Jet Star | |
Jumbo Jet | 1975 | 1987 | Schwarzkopf | Jet Star 3 | |
Katapult | 1985 | late 1980's | Schwarzkopf | Katapult | |
King Kong | 1971 | 1980 | |||
Maelstrom | 2000 | 2018 | KMG | Spin Out | |
Petersburg Schlittenfahrt | 1985 | ||||
Poseidon Adventure | 1974 | ||||
RC-48 | 2000 | 2004 | Pinfari | RC48 | |
Sea Dragon | 2011 | Pirate Ship | Replaced by Riptide | ||
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) | 2013 | S&S Power | |||
Sky Ride | 1997 | 2011 | |||
SkyCoaster (Surfside Pier) | 2015 | Skycoaster Inc. | Skycoaster | Replaced by the Kang'A Bounce | |
Star Trek: Journey to the Planet of the Apes | 1975 | ||||
The Storm | 1999 | Moser | Super Loop on Top | ||
Tilt-A-Whirl (Adventure Pier) | 2011 | Sellner | |||
Tornado | 2016 | Wisdom Ind. | Tornado | ||
Wave Swinger (Original) | 1977 | 2013 | Replaced by an upgraded version of the same ride in 2014 | ||
Wipeout | 1969 | 2010 | Mat Slides | ||
Zipper | 1970 | Chance Rides | Zipper | ||
Zyclone | 1988 | 1989 | Pinfari | Zyklon | |
Zyklon | 1967-1969 | 1999 | Pinfari | Zyklon | |
Wild Mouse | 1957 | 1966-1968 | B.A. Schiff & Associates | Wild Mouse |
Incidents[]
The Great Nor'easter[]
In August 1995, a 36-year-old employee 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.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Her parents, Twanda and Byron Jones, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the ride's operator.[7]
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.[7]
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. [8]
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.[9]
For the 2012 season, the Sea Dragon has been replaced with a newer model of the same ride called Riptide.[10]
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.[11]
References[]
- ^ Writers, RICHARD DEGENER and DAN GOOD, Staff. "Ride experts call 11-year-old Pleasantville girl's fatal fall from Wildwood's Morey's Pier Ferris wheel a freak occurrence". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ /humans.txt. "Eat · Morey's Piers & Beachfront Water Parks". www.moreyspiers.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ Breakfast in the sky offered on Wildwood Ferris wheel
- ^ "Archives - Philly.com". articles.philly.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ Urgo, Jacqueline L. (June 30, 1998). "Investigators Seek Cause Of Ride Mishap It Was The Wildwood Attraction's First Accident. It Will Stay Closed Until Officials Finish Their Work". Philly.com. Interstate General Media.
- ^ "Wildwood Ferris wheel accident kills girl from Pleasantville". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Parents of N.J. girl who died on Ferris wheel sue ride's operator". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Seagull hits teen in face while on SpringShot ride in Wildwood, NJ".
- ^ "5 hurt after NJ amusement park ride collapses". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ /humans.txt. "Media Relations · Morey's Piers & Beachfront Water Parks". www.moreyspiers.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "UPDATE: Child Injured on Log Flume Ride in North Wildwood". Cape May County Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
Further reading[]
- 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. ISBN 978-0-9799051-5-5. OCLC 430841404.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morey's Piers. |
- Operating amusement attractions
- Morey's Piers
- Amusement parks in New Jersey
- Piers in New Jersey
- The Wildwoods, New Jersey
- Buildings and structures in Cape May County, New Jersey
- Tourist attractions in Cape May County, New Jersey
- 1969 establishments in New Jersey
- Family-owned companies of the United States