Casino Pier
|
Casino Pier as seen from the south prior to Hurricane Sandy | |
| Location | Seaside Heights, New Jersey, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°56′33″N 74°04′09″W / 39.9426°N 74.0692°WCoordinates: 39°56′33″N 74°04′09″W / 39.9426°N 74.0692°W |
| Owner | Casino Pier |
| Opened | 1932 |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Rides | |
| Total | 38 |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Website |
www |
Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, United States. Casino Pier was partially destroyed, and indefinitely closed, on October 29, 2012, after part of the pier collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean due to the storm surge generated by Hurricane Sandy.[1] Despite this, park management successfully rebuilt the pier's lower deck, and re-opened with limited rides in July 2013.[2] Before the storm, the pier extended approximately 300 feet (100 meters) into the Atlantic Ocean, from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula (approx. 6 blocks) in which Seaside Heights is situated.
Facilities
 Casino Pier just after Hurricane Sandy |
Casino Pier is an amusement facility center composed of numerous rides, games, and concession stands. Before the hurricane, there were 38 rides on the pier, ranging from family rides to roller coasters; other attractions include a rooftop miniature golf course, a chairlift that ran the length of the Seaside Height's boardwalk north of Casino Pier, a figure 8 Go-Kart track, and numerous concession stands which serve typical boardwalk fare (pizza, cheese steaks, sausage sandwiches, ice cream, funnel cake, and lemonade).
Located in the Casino Pier Arcade, between the boardwalk and Ocean Terrace is the historic antique carousel. The arcade also houses the Pier Grille, a restaurant. The arcade features numerous arcade games, including claw and pusher redemption games, many popular video games, as well as classic arcade offerings such as Skee-Ball, pinball, and video poker.
The pier itself also featured several games. Some are games of chance, such as spinning wheels, but more often, the games involved a rudimentary amount of skill, such as a ring toss, basketball shoot, and Ladder Climb.
Although most of Casino Pier's offerings have been on the pier itself, additional Casino Pier recreational and concessional areas are located on the boardwalk between Grant Avenue and Sherman Avenue. Casino Pier owns a water park across the street, Breakwater Beach, which was remodeled in 2003 from the original Water Works water park that once stood on the property. Breakwater Beach incorporates numerous water slides with a heavy focus on families. Breakwater Beach has undergone several phases of reconstruction, and several slides have been rebuilt.
Attractions
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Air Race | Flat ride | Airplane-themed attraction in which riders experience up to 3 G's during loops and dives that reach heights of 25 feet (7.6 m) |
| Boats | Kiddie ride | Classic boat-themed carousel |
| Bumper Cars | Flat ride | Classic bumper cars attraction featuring music and special-effect lighting |
| Car Combo | Kiddie ride | Classic car-and-truck-themed carousel |
| Disk'O | Flat ride | A circular platform ride with outward-facing seating that spins riders as the platform moves back and forth along a half-pipe track |
| Dizzy Dragons | Kiddie ride | Dragon-themed Tilt-A-Whirl attraction |
| Go-Karts | Flat ride | Single and double passenger go-kart vehicles that travel up to 14 mph (23 km/h) |
| Hot Tamales | Roller coaster | Mexican-themed kiddie roller coaster |
| Jump Around | Kiddie ride | Dune buggy themed carousel ride manufactured by Zamperla that randomly jumps and bounces as it rotates |
| Moby Dick | Flat ride | Horizontal platform ride that elevates and descends quickly as it rotates vertically |
| Motorcycles | Kiddie ride | Classic motorcycle-themed carousel |
| Musik Express | Flat ride | Caterpillar ride that features pop music, lighting, and sound effects |
| Pirates Hideaway | Roller coaster | Pirate-themed junior roller coaster |
| Pirate's Island | Maze | Pirate-themed maze with ropes, bridges, and a slide |
| Pirate's Plunge | Flat ride | Drop tower ride that bounces up and down at heights of over 50 feet (15 m) |
| Shore Shot | Flat ride | Drop tower ride that shoots riders 125 feet (38 m) into the air at 45 mph (72 km/h) producing both positive and negative g-force |
| Sky Ride | Flat ride | Chairlift transport ride |
| Skycoaster | Flat ride | Swing-style ride that drops riders from 109 feet (33 m) reaching speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Skyscraper | Flat ride | Windmill-type attraction that rapidly spins riders 170 feet (52 m) into the air at speeds up to 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Speedway | Kiddie ride | Children's version of the classic whip ride themed to NASCAR |
| Super Storm | Flat ride | Frisbee ride that makes a 360-degree revolution |
| Surf Shack | Funhouse | Surfer-themed funhouse obstacle course |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Flat ride | Classic Tilt-A-Whirl platform ride |
| Wave Swinger | Flat ride | A tilting swing ride that swings riders in a circle as they elevate and descend |
Defunct
- Jet Star – fell into the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and was demolished in May 2013[4]
- Wild Mouse
References
- ↑ "Sandy damages Casino Pier in Seaside". APP.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2014/04/seaside_heights_casino_pier_announces_more_new_rides_ahead_of_opening_weekend.html#incart_river_default
- ↑ "Rides-Heights-Tickets". Casino Pier. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Demolition to begin on NJ coaster wrecked by Sandy". Associated Press. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.