Wildwood Boardwalk 1974 (Kong, Planet of the Apes, Haunted House...)

Home movies of the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey in the Summer of 1974. Most of the attractions in this video are long gone, but fondly remembered by Wildwood visitors.

HUNT'S PIER:
Flyer
Log Flume
Golden Nugget Mine Ride

MOREY'S SURFSIDE PIER:
King Kong
Star Trek/Planet of the Apes
Haunted House
Zipper

SPORTLAND PIER:
Supersonic Roller Coaster
Yo Yo

And lastly, a brief shot of long-time Wildwood resident "Rosie" of Glenwood Avenue, who rented rooms to countless Wildwood vacationers over the years in her green and white house.

Music: "Root Beer Rag" by Billy Joel

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• wildwood
• new
• jersey
• boardwalk
• 1974
• planet
• of
• the
• apes
• haunted
• house
• flyer
• log
• flume
• morey's
• hunt's
• pier

[bsh1111]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, we stayed at Rosie's apt. house every year when I was a kid .do you remember her playing that old player piano in the hallway.

[OceanKingNY]

@bsh1111 No, I don't remember the piano at all. The spot that Rosie's house was on is now a parking lot. The man who runs the lot remembers her well, so say hi to him the next time you're in Wildwood.

[BDRUMMER]

I loved that spinning UFO ride. I think that was even before Close Encounters came out!

[OceanKingNY]

Yes, "Close Encounters" was released 3 years later in 1977. This ride was based on "Star Trek" (original series) and "Planet of the Apes" (popular movie franchise at the time). But the spaceship looks like the Jupiter 2 from "Lost in Space." It all added up to a lot of fun!

[RBansky]

Our family stay on the boardwalk in an apartment building that had (8) units and was between 17th & 18th and the boardwalk. The structure that is currently there is Montego Bay. The building had Air Conditioning but you really did not need it. You would open the windows in the place and get one heck of a breeze.

If you were not careful it would actually slam the doors the the apartments.

There was not TV just the radio you brought down with you and my Dad listened to of course WCMC.

[OceanKingNY]

Thanks for reminding me about the radio station. I remember if you bought tickets for a show at the Convention Center and you said, "I listen to WCMC," you got a discount!

[bazelope]

Ah, the good old days when English was the first language of the Morey's Pier ride workers and most of the tourists didn't have 75 gang tattoos. The good old days when kids had fun without carrying concealed weapons and weren't burdened with those pesky house arrest electronic anklets. The good old days when the jewelry and T-Shirt vendors on the boardwalk didn't resemble members of the Taliban. Hey, 12 year old: You missed the last of the great days in Wildwood: The early 1980's!

[chazcov08]

Watch the tram car, please... watch the tram car, please...

[Glenn1441]

My family and I were there that summer. 1974. What fun! I distinctly remember the Star Trek / Planet of the Apes ride... when the lights dimmed within the spaceship, the 'Enterprise' crew became apes from the movie, among the most popular movie franchises of the time. The Haunted House was one of the best I experienced in any amusement park. And I remember the 'trampoline park,' a novel idea whereby you could 'rent' a trampoline by the half hour. Four kids. One trampoline. Too much fun! Thanks!!

[mmedefarge]

Wow, that does bring back memories! Wildwood & Seaside Heights had the best rides, back in the day. I was good for anything that spun you around like a centrifuge. Thanks for the ride.

[jerseytomato100]

the star trek ride now sits outside of a harbor in Hancock's Bridge, NJ.

[jerseytomato100]

Is Mister Sunshine in this??? lol

[fhood]

My family always vacationed in Wildwood every June in the early to mid-1970s when I was around 6 years of age. We always stayed in the Ranch House Hotel not too far from the beach. Next door to the Ranch House was the Blue Dolphin restaurant (I think that's correct). My favorite rides on Hunt's Pier were the Whacky Shack, Golden Nugget Mine Ride, and the Pirate Ship. The Ranch House Hotel burned down many years ago from what I remember reading.

[redwinmedia]

@RBansky Was it "The Tides" motel maybe?

[rwk360]

Yes, the early 1980's. I lived it. Wildwood was at it's peak in terms of the variety in amusements, all the haunted attractions on every pier. It was an exciting time. Castle Frankenstein, Lost World, Crazy House, Hitchcock Manor, Castle Dracula, Whacky Shack, Pirate Ship Skua, Haunted House, Dante's Inferno, Dr. Blood's House of Horror. All those existed on the piers in 1980. Plus besides Morey's Pier and Mariner's Landing you also had Nickels Midway Pier, Hunt's Pier, Fun Pier, Sportland Pier.

[Queenrocksification]

lol my grandmom was on planet of the apes and a monkey dude kept following her so she punched him in the face.

[pepperedbanana]

I go here every year and I'm from the middle east

[euromacman]

Does anyone remember the Hell Hole on Sportsman's pier?

My family started going to Wildwood in the 50's. I can remember when Wildwood Crest was mostly sand dunes and every year we came back a few more of those great hotels would pop up. I haven't been back since the mid 70's.

Wow, what memories!

If I remember correctly there was Playland, Marineland, Hunt's and Sportsman's piers. I also remember that horible tragedy when Mars burned down. :-(