Wonderland Pier Rides Up For Sale

For those holding out hope that the beloved rides from the now-closed Wonderland Pier in Ocean City would remain part of the local landscape, recent developments may come as a disappointment.

A new advertisement confirms that nearly all of the iconic rides are officially up for sale, signaling the end of an era for the storied amusement park.

The potential sale of these rides first gained traction through the Facebook page Save Wonderland.

This newly created page, run by a group of passionate Wonderland Pier fans, advocates for the preservation of the pier in its original form.

The page has quickly become a hub for updates, discussions, and expressions of nostalgia for what many consider a cornerstone of Ocean City’s Boardwalk history.

A podcast has even been created to help give information about upcoming meetings and updates on the piers progress.

The amusement park they want to see preserved is Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, which had been an Ocean City icon for 94 years. They officially closed its doors this past October.

For nearly a century, the pier served as a destination for families, thrill-seekers, and lovers of the Boardwalk’s unique charm. From its colorful signs to its whimsical murals, Wonderland Pier embodied the essence of Ocean City’s family-friendly reputation.  

In the days following its closure, pieces of the pier’s legacy began to disappear.

Also See: Brooklyn Developer Makes Last-Ditch Effort to Save SS United States

The signs and murals, cherished symbols of the park, were removed, leaving behind an empty and somber reminder of what once was.

Now, with the rides up for sale, it seems that the physical remnants of this beloved amusement park will soon scatter far and wide.

The Save Wonderland page were the ones who found a now deleted advertisement showcasing all of the rides that are for sale from Wonderland.

An advertisement from Rides4U, a company specializing in used amusement rides, listed numerous iconic attractions from Wonderland Pier that were now available for purchase. These include:

Sanford/Windows Monorail Elevated Train
Barock Germany Barock Swing
O.D. Hopkins Canyon Falls Log Flume
Wisdom Raiders
Zamperla Crazy Submarine
Zamperla Speedway
Bertazzon Music Express
Sellner Wonder Bear
Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl
Hampton Dune Buggy
Zamperla Jump Around
Fajume Wacky Worm
Bertazzon Haunted Dark Ride
Zamperla Samba Balloons
Zamperla Flying Elephant
Trabant Wipe Out
Fredericksen 65’ Fun Slide
Wisdom Moby Dick
Zamperla Kite Flyer
Glass House
Climbing Spectrum Stationary Climbing Wall

Along side these names were prices totaling $1,713,000.  The reason why the advertisement is now removed was due to the Giant Wheel and Carousel being listed when they are not on the chopping block.

These two attractions are going to be part of the ‘soon-to-be proposed’ “ICONA in Wonderland” resort.

This resort will be a 7½-story hotel featuring 252 rooms which will pay tribute to the historic amusement park.  One way they are doing this is by investing $1.5 million into restoring the historic carousel and $1 million to upgrading the lighting package on the Giant Wheel.

There is no word on what will happen to these attractions if the proposal is submitted and ultimately rejected though.  As these iconic rides find new homes and the transformation of the pier progresses, the Ocean City community finds itself at a crossroads—mourning the past while cautiously looking toward the future.

The Wildwood Video Archive stopped by the pier a few weeks back for a tour. Watch the video below and be sure to subscribe.