OCEAN CITY, N.J. - A favorite spot at the Jersey Shore is coming to an end.
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, an amusement park that has drawn generations of families for nearly 100 years, will close at the end of the 2024 season.
In a letter posted on social media Friday, owner Jay Gillian said the 94-year-old family-run operation on the boardwalk was “no longer a viable business.”
“It’s been my life, my legacy and family,” said Gillian, who is Ocean City’s mayor. “It’s sad to let go.”
An Ocean City institution, Wonderland is a familiar place that has drawn families from throughout Pennsylvania – the Lehigh Valley included.
“It’s been my life, my legacy and family. It’s sad to let go.”Jay Gillian, operator of Gillian's Wonderland Pier
For many youngsters, rides on the bumper cars, carousel, honking dune buggies and boats with bells are rites of passage.
“I tried my best to sustain Wonderland for as long as possible – through increasingly difficult challenges each year,” Gillian wrote.
“But it’s no longer a viable business. We will terminate our multi-year lease in a couple months. Wonderland and 6th Street Pizza will remain open through Indian Summer Weekend (Oct. 12-13) to give everyone plenty of time to use up their tickets.”
The future of the site remains unclear.
Gillian defaulted on $8 million in loans and the park was put up for auction in 2021, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Last year a developer proposed a 325-room hotel next to Wonderland.
“The property itself is no longer mine, so I can’t speak to its future,” said Gillian, who said he will retire after working 47 years on the boardwalk. “But I’ll always have a lifetime of priceless memories, and I hope you will too.”
