Morey's Piers
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a seaside amusement park located on
The Wildwoods The Wildwoods are a group of five communities (four distinct municipalities and one census-designated place) in Cape May County, New Jersey. These are situated on the Island of Five Mile Beach, a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. These Jer ...
'
boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...
in Wildwood and
North Wildwood, New Jersey North Wildwood is a City (New Jersey), city located on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city and all of Cape May County are part of the Ocean City, New Jersey, Ocean City metr ...
. 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.


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, Ocean Oasis. 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 Teacups, or spinning teacups, is a type of amusement ride characterized by teacup-shaped spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor, which may also spin. Design Typically, each set of six teacups has a center bearing mounted underneath, ...
,
Musik Express A Music Express is an amusement ride based on the original Caterpillar rides of Germany. Several near-identical ride designs are also produced by other companies: Musik Express by Italian company Bertazzon and US Majestic Rides, Himalaya ...
, Ignis Fatuus,
Sea Serpent A sea serpent is a type of sea monster described in various mythologies, most notably in Mesopotamian cosmology (Tiamat), Ugaritic cosmology ( Yam, Tannin), biblical cosmology (Leviathan, Rahab), Greek cosmology (Cetus, Echidna, Hydra, Scy ...
and the Giant Wheel, a tall
Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...
built by
Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is an amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is a syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld. History The company originally manu ...
, which opened in 1985. In the early mornings of the summer, breakfast can be eaten on the wheel. 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 Screamin' Swing is a pneumatically powered pendulum ride designed and manufactured by S&S - Sansei Technologies. The ride was first installed and operated in 2004 at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, United States The United ...
, a
Skycoaster Skycoaster is the name of a free-fall and flight-simulating amusement park attraction produced and managed by Skycoaster Company, LLC.. On the Skycoaster, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are harnessed in specialized Flight Suits (in a face-down, p ...
, a
maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead ...
, helicopter tours, and various shops and eateries.


Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club

Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club is on the beach behind Surfside Pier. It includes
water slide A water slide (also referred to as a flume, water chute, or hydroslide) is a type of Playground slide, slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at swimming pools or water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and ...
s, a
lazy river "(Up A) Lazy River" is a popular tune and song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The melody is by Arodin, arranged and with words modified by Carmichael. It is considered a jazz standard and pop standard, and has ...
, 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

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 Screamin' Swing is a pneumatically powered pendulum ride designed and manufactured by S&S - Sansei Technologies. The ride was first installed and operated in 2004 at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, United States The United ...
, a
Skycoaster Skycoaster is the name of a free-fall and flight-simulating amusement park attraction produced and managed by Skycoaster Company, LLC.. On the Skycoaster, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are harnessed in specialized Flight Suits (in a face-down, p ...
, a
maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead ...
, 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 Knoebels Amusement Resort () is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is the United States's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including thre ...
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.


Rides and attractions


Surfside Pier


Mariner's Landing


Adventure Pier


Former rides


Cancelled rides


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.


Sea Serpent

In June 1998, the
Sea Serpent A sea serpent is a type of sea monster described in various mythologies, most notably in Mesopotamian cosmology (Tiamat), Ugaritic cosmology ( Yam, Tannin), biblical cosmology (Leviathan, Rahab), Greek cosmology (Cetus, Echidna, Hydra, Scy ...
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.


Giant Wheel

On Friday June 3, 2011, 11-year-old Abiah Jones, a student at PleasanTech Academy Charter School in
Pleasantville, New Jersey Pleasantville is a city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 20,629, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 380 (+1.9%) from the 2010 census count o ...
, 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. Her parents, Twanda and Byron Jones, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the ride's operator. 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.


SpringShot

In July 2021, a 13-year-old girl from
Weatherly, Pennsylvania Weatherly is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania and is located northwest of Jim Thorpe and south of Wilkes-Barre. The population was 2,525 at the 2010 census. History Originall ...
, was struck in the face by a seagull during the ride, but was not injured.


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. For the 2012 season, the Sea Dragon has been replaced with a newer model of the same ride called Riptide.


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.


Bomb Threat

On June 6, 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 7, 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 Pleasant reported similar bomb threats during that week.


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Photos of Morey's Piers over the years
* {{Authority control 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