The iconic Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, a family-run amusem*nt park on Ocean City’s boardwalk for 94 years, plans to close after this summer due to financial hardship, the owner announced Friday.
“I tried my best to sustain Wonderland for as long as possible - through increasingly difficult challenges each year,” owner Jay Gillian said in a message posted on Facebook. “But it’s no longer a viable business. We will terminate our multi-year lease in a couple of months. The property is no longer mine, so I can’t speak to its future.”
Gillian, who is also Ocean City’s mayor, said he has been working at the amusem*nt park since he was 13.
“After 47 years working on the Ocean City Boardwalk, I have little choice but to retire and close Gillian’s Wonderland Pier and 6th Street Pizza and Grill, embarking on a new chapter in my life,” Gillian said. ”The 94 years of tradition at Gillian’s amusem*nts on the Boardwalk have been cherished by so many people, none more than me.”
The iconic facade of the park resembles a white and red castle and its 144-foot tall Giant Wheel that towers over the Ocean City beaches is visible from miles away, including the Garden State Parkway. The amusem*nt rides include a historic carousel built in 1926.
Gillian said those with tickets for the rides would be able to use them through the fall when the business ceases operations.
He thanked all of his employees for their hard work and help in trying to sustain the family business.
“The memories I’ve made with my family and the joy of meeting so many wonderful team members and guests will always hold a special place in my heart,” Gillian said. “I have worked with so many talented people, too many to name, and in the end, I was able to work with our kids and see our 13 grandkids take their first rides. So many great family memories.”
A representative from the company did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.
“It’s been my life, my legacy and my family. It’s sad to let go,” Gillian said.
Gillian entered a partnership with Icona Resorts Chairman and CEO Eustace Mita in 2021 after Gillian’s Pier declared bankruptcy and was at risk of being auctioned off in a Sheriff’s sale.
Icona Resorts operates boutique hotels in Avalon, Cape May and Wildwood Crest.
“The closing of Wonderland was a surprise to us like everyone else,” Mita said in a statement to NJ Advance Media Friday. “Our hope was that Wonderland would be able to continue but it was not viable any longer, as was explained to us by the Gillian family.”
The businessman shared fond memories of the amusem*nt, saying his family’s been going there for 80 years. He recalled going as a child, then taking his kids to the park, and now his grandchildren.
At the time the partnership formed in 2021, Mita released a statement saying he was “...looking forward to working alongside Jay and his family, and both families are committed to providing a wholesome guest experience.”
But in 2023, Mita proposed a $150 million, 325 bedroom beachfront hotel on the boardwalk to the city’s mayor and council that would appear next to Gillian’s Pier.
Gillian was mayor of Ocean City at the time of Mita’s proposal and opposed the idea.
“After consideration of the ICONA presentation to city council at their Feb. 23 [2023] public meeting, I spoke to Eustace Mita to express my concerns,” Gillian said in a letter on the city’s website at the time. “I told Mr. Mita that while I understand the need for hotel rooms in Ocean City, I cannot and will not support his proposal to the council.”
In order for the proposal to be approved, Mita would have needed the zoning board and council to waive zoning laws banning hotels on the boardwalk. Had the proposal gone through, it would have been the first hotel built in Ocean City in 50 years.
“As far as the future goes, Wonderland is a landmark site in Ocean City and Cape May County,” Mita said Friday. “We will take till the end of the year to evaluate what’s best for the city and what’s best for this landmark site. It deserves first class treatment from us and that’s how we intend to approach it.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include additional comments.
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