Wildwood Starlight Ballroom Fire Aftermath

(For our friends at funchase.com) We had the camera gear along to record the band the night the Starlight Ballroom burned down. The next morning the road crew headed down to film the aftermath. (Early 80's) Mariners Landing also got sideswiped by this fire. Later, in the rubble I heard a small noise. When I dug I found a lone two ounce gray kitten. Sandi and I adopted the cat and called her "Cinder."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Wildwood
• Witness
• Starlight
• Ballroom

[rwk360]

Fun Pier was also good. I rode the Lost World and walked through Crazy House. Crazy House was another Bill Tracy attraction that burned down Nov. 1984 with Lost World. There was also Castle Frankenstein at the left rear but I didn't go in. It looked big and scary on the outside at night. It was a walkthrough with live actors like Castle Dracula. It opened 1978, and closed late summer 1982, and burned Aug 1984. Morey's Haunted House also looked creepy at night, but I didn't go in. We rode Dante's

[rwk360]

We stopped going to Wildwood then went back Aug 95, June, 96 and June, 98. Haven't been back since then. I experienced the old Hunt's Pier in the early 80's when Bud Hunt and Vince Kostek were still running it. I rode most of the dark rides except the Whacky Shack. That ride looked CREEPY walking past it at night. There's a ton of photos of it out there on WW history websites. Anthony's, Funchase, etc. It had classic Bill Tracy stunts like the clock and sawmill. It was built 1964, removed 1996.

[rwk360]

I was there back then, we vacationed in Wildwood I think about 3 or 4 times in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. I don't think we went in 1984 or 1985 because in August 1984 we went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and 1985 not sure, but we went to Strasburg RR and stayed at the Red Caboose Motel. I don't remember this fire or seeing the Manor in person. I remember the Cinema 180 (motion from films made me sick) and Ripley's Believe It or Not! trailer. My father passed Mar 8, 1986.

[10newmoon01]

Funny to hear the newmen talking...I heard one say something like "Cathy Gandolfo was here"...when you think about how everyone has a camera now in their phone, etc., you realize how rare it is to have this footage like this from back then.

[rwk360]

Was Hitchcock a ride-through haunted house? I saw a track plan somewhere funchase I think and it appeared to be a ride-through. All I remember about Mariner's from that time period is the Cinema 180, Ripley's Believe It or Not! small attraction, the showboat funhouse, Runaway Train coaster, a Himilaya-type ride, the 1001 Nacht rising gondola ride which left the pier several years ago. Maybe it was 1982 when I was on Mariner's because I don't remember seeing the Manor in person at all.

[himalayaman]

I would like to see some old videos of the himalaya Too!!! :-)

[g0thmoth]

YESFan..wish I could vauch for you, no videos, just good memories. I will say the smaller Himalaya was the BEST one - all Rockers/Metalheads/Long hairs (pick a genre, etc.) knew it and we all went there. Crazy Train - extra loud- oh yeah!

[YESFanDJSalt]

Awesome footage.. Do you have any pier footage from the early 80's? I have bee looking for evidence of a ride I used to operate in 82 and 83 on Mariner's Landing... the Disco Express Himalaya Ride. Mariners had 2 Himalaya's, ours was the smaller one and we often played Rush, Yes and Genesis instead of Disco.

[meshkina]

Great footage. I particularly liked the part about "Cinder!"

[alixhoward]

I was working in wildwood when this happened. On this evening a two identical twins and their partners took me out to dinner. They owned the local newpaper. I never did get the chance to thank them properly so if your out there. Thankyou.