From the Editor
This week, we learned that Wonderland Pier will be shutting its castle doors for a final time in just a couple of short months. Our memories of this enchanted place, however, will last a lifetime.
For nearly a century, Wonderland has filled the air with children’s laughter as they raced from ride to ride, faces lit up with the thrill of the carousel’s spinning horses and the dizzying tilt-a-whirl. Families stroll hand in hand, down the wooden planks of the Boardwalk to enter the kingdom. As the sun dips lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the pier, the lights of the rides flicker on. It’s pure magic.
When I close my eyes, I jump through time. My babies rode the firetruck and the boats with their little hands waving at me, as they circled around. Afterwards, they would scamper up the ramp, as I scrambled for quarters to make the bears sing. Oh how they loved those singing bears!
At 8 years old, they rode the “big kid rides” for the very first time – the swings, log flume, the scrambler – all with giggles of excitement. I would carry around that clunky camcorder attempting to capture the moments.
Wonder Bear’s birthday was treated as a national holiday in our family. All the rides were reduced to one ticket on that special day. On a tight budget with three children, we looked forward to this day every year!
At 16, our twin daughters began their first jobs as ride operators at Wonderland. Donning their uniforms, complete with bow ties, they learned the value of hard work and the satisfaction of earning a paycheck. On the ride home, they would swap stories. “Someone threw up on the pirate ship. Ewwww…” they’d shriek with laughter. They worked at Wonderland for two consecutive summers before spreading their wings to try out other boardwalk jobs.
As always, childhood faded and adolescence bloomed, then adulthood. Our son, on the autism spectrum, our forever boy, remained enchanted with those rides well into his 20s.
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier offered nearly a century of children’s smiles, laughter, and cherished family memories. Seasons change, and businesses change. We mourn the loss of a legend, and honor it as we transition into a new era down the shore.
Thank you, Gillian Family and pier personnel, for raising my children on thrills and giggles. I extend a warm Wonder Bear hug to you.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
