Iconic Wildwood Boardwalk Store to Close

Much has changed on the Wildwood Boardwalk through-our the decades. Amusement parks grew, the waterline pushed back from under the boardwalk and businesses changed hands.

For the past 70 years though one thing stayed the same, Eleanors Gifts.

Located at 3316 Boardwalk (aka Wildwood Ave and the Wildwood Boardwalk), Eleanor’s Gifts stood the test of time. What started as a souvenir and novelty store had grown to include many beach items, shirts, and more.

One thing that never changed was its sign. The iconic Eleanor’s Gifts sign hasn’t seen a facelift in over 50 years. It still has the original font and color scheme that used to be popular all over the boardwalk. Not too many stores have lasted that long on the boardwalk. The oldest is currently in Douglas Fudge which opened its doors on the Wildwood Boardwalk back in 1919. 

Unfortunately, not everything is made to stay open forever. The owner of Eleanors Gifts, Dan Karvounis, took to Facebook this week to announce that the store will be closing at the end of this season.

Karvounis’ message read,  “After 70 years on the boardwalk. The year of our namesake, Eleanors passing. We will be closing the door for the last time this year.”

When asked by a fellow patron in the comment section why he was closing Karvounis responded with “old age.”

There is no word in his post on what will be happening to this location for next summer. We will be sure to bring you updates in the off-season on this property. 

We want to wish Karvounis a happy retirement and thank his family for keeping Eleanors Gifts open for this long. 

Be sure to stop by during your last vacation to say goodbye to this iconic Wildwood Boardwalk business. 

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