Gillian’s Wonderland Pier UPDATE
It’s been less than a month since Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City officially closed its doors after 94 years of operation.
The Wildwood Video Archive stopped by in September to film what the pier looked like and to document it while it was still open and filled with families.
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier UPDATE
Since that update, the laughter and smell of fresh pizza in the air have disappeared, replaced by an eerie stillness.
As of this publication, there’s still no word on what will happen to this historic park. ICONA mentioned a few months back that they were conducting feasibility studies to determine what could replace it, with an update possibly coming toward the end of 2024.
In the meantime, plenty of work is being done on the now-closed pier.
Just days after their October 13th closure, crews were seen outside painting over the wall murals that used to welcome visitors to the pier.
In recent weeks, we’ve noticed even more changes. The front “Gillian’s” sign has been removed, along with the rotating “Wonderland” lights.
Crews have also begun removing all the whimsical decor from the building. The fantasy murals, shields, and characters have been taken down, with the exception of the dragon.
This week, we saw that the turrets on the front of the building are also being dismantled, with all of their tops now removed, and the northernmost turret completely taken down.
The 6th Street Pizza and Grill has also seen some changes, as all of its signage on the glass has been removed. However, all of its interior contents, including old signage, remain inside.
Looking into the pier, there’s not much visible. This is the time of year when amusement parks typically pack away rides for the winter to protect them from the elements. At the shore, salt air can be tough on metal, so the sooner they store the rides, the less maintenance they’ll need in the long run.
From ground level, some noticeable changes include the removal of trash cans, signage, and the draining of the log flume.
From an aerial view, a few other changes can be seen (yes, we did bring the seagull with us).
The frisbee ride is beginning to be dismantled, with its platform now near the main ramp and some parts set off to the side.
Other parts look like bumper carts, the bear ride, and other unknown parts.
Prior to filming our videos we did go online to see if any rides from this park were for sale on any of the used ride database.
At this time we did not see any which could mean we could see these rides again next summer.
Until ICONA decides what to do with the park most likely we won’t see much changes. As soon as there is an update we will let you know.
Below is our full tour of what can be seen from Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. Before you watch, please subscribe as we aim for 100,000 subscribers.