VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

Summer Memories at Morey’s

My brother and I were going through old family photos, and it really brought back a lot of memories. One such memory was recalling that, as a child, one of my loves was going down a giant fiberglass slide at the park. They gave you a mat, and you would make your journey up the staircase again and again. It was interesting for me to discover that there is a whole amusement park that based itself around an initial slide like the one I liked so much as a child.

Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey started out with two brothers, a giant fiberglass slide and a dream. In the 50s and 60s, Bill Morey operated a boardwalk concession stand, while Will was a developer. They spotted a giant fiberglass slide languishing in Fort Lauderdale, and thought it was the perfect thing to attract more business to the boardwalk. But where do you put a giant fiberglass slide?

The brothers bought a mini golf course as well as a languishing restaurant to complement the slide, and Surf Side Park was born. The photo, at left, shows the slide circa 1969, and after 1976. The ape you see had been a part of a Planet of Apes Themed attraction/ride at Morey’s Piers, and the Ape is seen here at its new spot in the park. Way back when, the park was two piers separated by some municipal land, but it has grown by leaps and bounds since, hence the plural “Piers” in the name. It was the start of many great New Jersey attractions, all on one property!

Fast forward to today, and Morey’s Piers is a crown jewel among New Jersey amusement parks, roller coasters and other great attractions. As an added attraction, the Radio Disney Concert Series will be offered free to the public this summer. It begins next month and runs through August. Check out the Morey’s Piers website for details and links to accomodations as well.

The Piers are not just a place for having a great time eating more cotton candy than you can eat and riding the rides, but it is also a great spot for a Jersey Shore beach Vacation just like it was in decades past. Below, a beach scene from the 1970s, contemporary to the time of Morey’s Piers’ beginnings.  Make your own memories this summer. Who knows, maybe the photos you take will give your family plenty of laughs in the future of what you all wore for bathing suits in 2009! The seventies can’t be the only decade of interesting fashion choices.