Hunt's Pier
| Location | Wildwood, New Jersey, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°59′20″N 74°48′14″W / 38.989°N 74.804°WCoordinates: 38°59′20″N 74°48′14″W / 38.989°N 74.804°W |
| Owner | William Hunt |
| Opened | May 30, 1957 |
| Closed | 1985 |
| Previous names | Ocean Pier |
| Later operated as: The New Hunt's Pier, Conko's Party Pier, and Dinosaur Beach | |
Hunt's Pier was an amusement pier located along the Wildwood, New Jersey, boardwalk from 1957 through 1985. Over its nearly 30 years in operation, Hunt's was home to many classic dark rides, roller coasters, and other attractions.
Hunt's Pier dates back to the early 1900s when it was known as Ocean Pier, the first major pier on the boardwalk. Home to ballroom dancing and musical acts, Ocean Pier was purchased by William Hunt in 1935 and converted to an amusement park with rides, including a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and a dark ride.
On Christmas Day 1943, Ocean Pier burned down. Hunt built a new, all-concrete pier in its place. On May 30, 1957, Memorial Day, the revamped Hunt's Pier opened. The amusement park began with only four rides, though it boasted 10 rides by the time of its grand opening on June 21, 1957.
In 1985 Hunt's Pier was sold and re-emerged in 1989 as The New Hunt's Pier, retaining many of the rides operated by the original Hunt's Pier and adding a steel roller coaster called Kamikaze. In 1988, Conklin Shows bought the pier and renamed it Conko's Party Pier. This latest incarnation of the pier was short-lived, and by the end of 1992, many of the rides had been disassembled and the New Hunt's Pier had gone bankrupt. The Kamikaze was sold and currently operates under the name Ninja at Six Flags Over Georgia.
The Cantonoso family, owners of Steel Pier in Atlantic City, bought the defunct pier in 1995. By 1996, the pier had been renamed Dinosaur Beach and had added dinosaur motifs to the classic Golden Nugget Mine Ride, a decision derided by fans as not being in good taste. In addition to a water coaster and an amphitheatre, Dinosaur Beach included the first spinning wild mouse, which opened in 1997. The only classic rides operating at Dinosaur Beach were the Golden Nugget, Log Flume, and Rapids, with most of the Hunt's legacy gone. In 1998 Dinosaur Beach closed, and over the next few years most of the rides disappeared.
The pier is currently owned by Morey's Piers and is used to house maintenance equipment and the boardwalk tram cars. A grill, beach shop, and Adventure Maze are now on the front of the pier. Morey's has plans to build a wooden roller coaster which will cross over from the Surfside Pier to the back of Hunt's Pier.
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