Morey's Piers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks

Previously known as Wilbert Morey, Bill Morey
Location	3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood & North Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates	38°59′08″N 74°48′34″W / 38.98557°N 74.80932°W / 38.98557; -74.80932
Status	open
Opened	1969
Owner	Wilbert Morey II, Jack Morey
Slogan	America's Boardwalk
Operating season	April – October

Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a 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.

Great White

Description

The Great Nor'easter

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

Giant Wheel

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. 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, a Skycoaster, a maze, 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 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. 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

Giant Wheel at night

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, a Skycoaster, a maze, 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 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 2009, when it was relocated to Knoebels Amusement Resort 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

Flitzer' was a steel roller coaster on the Surfside Pier in the amusement park Morey's Piers. The Flitzer was 1 of the 3 small coasters at Morey's Piers. It opened in 1983 and was manufactured by Zierer in 1969. In 2018, it was announced that the Flitzer would close for good after September 23, 2018. Due to weather, the send off for the ride was postponed to September 30, 2018. A roller coaster called Runaway Tram replaced the Flitzer in 2019. Three of the Flitzer's ride vehicles are now at Runaway Tram's entrance.

Refurbishments

In the 2004-2005 winter the Flitzer was taken down to be refurbished. They also changed the theme of the ride from space themed to surf themed. The ride was also moved when the RC-48 was removed from the pier. The Doo Wopper and the Flitzer was put in place of the RC-48.

Other Flitzer coasters

Among several other installations of the Flitzer roller coaster, two existed at Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City and Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach. Playland's Flitzer was initially sold to Deggeller Attractions but was later scrapped, and Jenkinson's Flitzer has been relocated to Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City, Maryland under the name Barracuda. As of 2021, the only other permanent Flitzer model left in operation (in addition to Barracuda) worldwide is Speed Track at Rand Show in Johannesburg, South Africa. Other surviving Flitzer models also operate in traveling fairs, including Racing and Indy Racer Coaster (Reithoffer Shows).

Cancelled rides