Morey's Piers facts for kids
| Previously known as Wilbert Morey, Bill Morey | |
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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°W |
| 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 fun seaside amusement park. You can find it on the famous The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. This park has been run by the same family since 1969. Today, the Morey Brothers, Will and Jack, who are the second generation, are in charge. Morey’s Piers has over 100 rides and attractions. These are spread across its three amusement piers and two awesome beachfront waterparks.
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Discover Morey's Piers
Morey's Piers is made up of three different piers, each with its own unique feel. There are also two exciting water parks right on the beach!
Surfside Pier: Classic Fun
Surfside Pier is located at 25th Avenue in North Wildwood. This was the very first pier, opening way back in 1969. It started with a huge fiberglass slide that cost only 25 cents to ride! That original slide was later turned into a waterslide for the pier's water park.
Some of the cool rides at Surfside Pier include:
- The Zoom Phloom, a classic water ride.
- The thrilling AtmosFEAR.
- The Great Nor'easter roller coaster.
- And the newer Runaway Tram roller coaster.
Mariner's Pier: Traditional Favorites
Mariner's Pier is located at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood. This pier feels like a traditional amusement park. It has many classic rides that families love.
You can find rides like:
- The Super Scooters (bumper cars).
- The spinning Teacups.
- The fast-paced Musik Express.
- The Sea Serpent roller coaster.
- And the amazing Giant Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel that stands 156 feet (47.5 meters) tall! It was built in 1985. Sometimes, in the summer mornings, you can even eat breakfast while riding the wheel! The park has added a "no single riders" rule for the Giant Wheel to help keep everyone safe.
Adventure Pier: Thrills and Speed
Adventure Pier is located at Spencer Avenue. This pier is known for its more adventurous rides.
Here you'll find:
- The Grand Prix Raceway for some racing fun.
- The famous wooden roller coaster, The Great White.
- The Skyscraper ride.
- The Spring Shot ride.
- A Screamin' Swing.
- A Skycoaster.
- And a fun maze.
You can also find helicopter tours, shops, and places to eat here.
Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club
Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club is right on the beach, behind Surfside Pier. It's a great place to cool off!
This water park has:
- Lots of exciting water slides.
- A relaxing lazy river.
- A hot tub with a bar nearby for adults.
- And a special area just for kids.
Raging Waters Water Park
Raging Waters Water Park is located behind Mariner’s Landing. It offers even more water fun!
This park features:
- Two unique play areas for little kids called Shipwreck Shoals and Camp KidTastrophe.
- Fast speed slides.
- Another lazy river.
- Shotgun Falls.
- And an activity pool with fun challenges.
History of Morey's Piers
How Surfside Pier Began
In 1969, two brothers, Bill and Will Morey Sr., bought two pieces of land on the boardwalk in North Wildwood. They called it Morey's Pier. That summer, they opened with a huge fiberglass slide called the Wipe Out. People paid 25 cents to slide down in burlap sacks! Later, in the mid-2000s, this pier was renamed Surfside Pier, which is what it's called today.
The Growth of Mariner’s Pier
The Morey family expanded their park in 1976. They bought Marine Pier and renamed it Mariner’s Landing. The pier had been damaged by fire, so many rides had to be removed. But the pier kept growing! In 1984, they added the Sea Serpent roller coaster. In the late 2010s, new attractions arrived, like a permanent beer garden and a new family roller coaster called "The Wild Whizzer." Mariner’s Landing was also rebranded as Mariner’s Pier.
The Water Parks' Story
In 1985, waterslides were added to Mariner’s Landing, creating Raging Waters waterpark. A second Raging Waters was built on Surfside Pier in 1988. This second park was completely updated and reopened in 2006 as Ocean Oasis Water Park & Beach Club. It now has cool features like Bonsai Beach, the Endless River, and many new waterslides.
The Evolution of Adventure Pier
Another pier, Fun Pier, was bought and renamed Wild Wheels. The Moreys wanted it to be an "interactive amusement center" where customers could actively participate. This pier became home to the famous The Great White wooden roller coaster. It also got the Skyscraper ride, the Spring Shot, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, and the Grand Prix Raceway. In 2006/2007, Wild Wheels was renamed Adventure Pier. Over the years, some smaller rides were removed to make way for bigger attractions. In 2016, the Grand Prix Raceway was made much larger. In 2020, Morey's announced plans to add new eating places using recycled shipping containers.
The Old Hunt's Pier
Hunt's Pier was another pier that Morey's eventually bought. It stopped being an amusement pier in 1990. Over the years, it changed names several times, like Conko's Party Pier and Dinosaur Beach. Dinosaur Beach closed in 1998. After that, the pier was mostly used for storage and parking. One famous ride, the Golden Nugget Mine Rescue, stayed on the pier until 2009. It was then moved to another park called Knoebels Amusement Resort and renamed the Black Diamond. Today, the old Hunt's Pier has shops, restaurants, and a "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" mirror maze.
Rides and Attractions
Morey's Piers has a huge variety of rides across its three piers. Here are some of the main ones you can find:
Surfside Pier Rides
- AtmosFear: A thrilling drop tower ride.
- The Great Nor'easter: A suspended looping roller coaster.
- It: A spinning ride that swings you high in the air.
- Kong: Flying scooters that let you control your ride.
- Runaway Tram: A family roller coaster that replaced the old Flitzer.
- Zoom Phloom: A classic log flume water ride.
Mariner's Pier Rides
- Giant Wheel: The iconic, tall Ferris wheel.
- Ghost Ship: A spooky walkthrough attraction.
- Musik Express: A fast, spinning ride with music.
- Pirates of the Wildwoods: A dark ride adventure.
- Sea Serpent: A roller coaster that goes forwards and backwards.
- Super Scooters: Fun bumper cars.
- Wild Whizzer: A spinning roller coaster perfect for families.
Adventure Pier Rides
- Grand Prix Raceway: Go-karts for racing your friends.
- Great White: A large and exciting wooden roller coaster.
- Screamin' Swing: A giant swing that launches you high into the sky.
- SkyCoaster: A mix between skydiving and hang-gliding.
- Spring Shot: A reverse bungee ride that shoots you straight up.
Former Rides
Over the years, many rides have come and gone at Morey's Piers. Some were replaced by newer, more exciting attractions. Others were moved to different parks or closed down. One well-known former ride was the Flitzer.
The Flitzer was a steel roller coaster on the Surfside Pier. It was one of the smaller roller coasters at Morey's Piers. The Flitzer first opened in 1983. It was announced that the Flitzer would close for good in 2018. A new roller coaster called Runaway Tram replaced the Flitzer in 2019. You can still see three of the Flitzer's old ride cars at the entrance to the Runaway Tram!
Flitzer Refurbishments
The Flitzer was taken down and updated during the winter of 2004-2005. Its theme was changed from space to surf. The ride was also moved to a new spot on the pier.
Other Flitzer Coasters
The Flitzer was a popular type of roller coaster. Other parks also had them. For example, Playland's Castaway Cove and Jenkinson's Boardwalk in New Jersey both had Flitzer coasters. Jenkinson's Flitzer was later moved to Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Maryland. Today, very few permanent Flitzer models are still running around the world.
Images for kids
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The Giant Wheel lit up at night.
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