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. Despite this, park management successfully rebuilt the pier's lower deck, and re-opened with limited rides in July 2013. 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. An expansion for the pier is set to open in 2017 which includes Hydrus (a Euro-Fighter roller coaster) and a Ferris Wheel.
Facilities
Casino Pier is an amusement facility center composed of numerous rides, games, and concession stands. Before Hurricane Sandy, 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 runs 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. This carousel first arrived in Seaside in 1928. 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
Current attractions
Kiddie rides
- Boats â€" Classic boat-themed carousel
- Car Combo â€" Classic car-and-truck-themed carousel
- Dizzy Dragons â€" Dragon-themed tea-cups attraction
- Hot Tamales â€" Mexican-themed kiddie roller coaster
- Jump Around â€" Dune buggy themed carousel ride manufactured by Zamperla that randomly jumps and bounces as it rotates
- Motorcycles â€" Classic motorcycle-themed carousel
- Speedway â€" Children's version of the classic whip ride themed to NASCAR
Family rides
- Bumper Cars â€" Classic bumper cars attraction featuring music and special-effect lighting
- Disk'O â€" A circular platform ride with outward-facing seating that spins riders as the platform moves back and forth along a half-pipe track
- Go-Karts â€" Single and double passenger go-kart vehicles that travel up to 14 mph (23 km/h)
- Moby Dick â€" Horizontal platform ride that elevates and descends quickly as it rotates vertically
- Musik Express â€" Caterpillar ride that features pop music, lighting, and sound effects
- Pirates Hideaway â€" Pirate-themed junior roller coaster
- Pirate's Island â€" Pirate-themed maze with ropes, bridges, and a slide
- Sky Ride â€" Chairlift transport ride
- Surf Shack â€" Surfer-themed funhouse obstacle course
- Tilt-A-Whirl â€" Classic Tilt-A-Whirl platform ride
- Wave Swinger â€" A tilting swing ride that swings riders in a circle as they elevate and descend
- Ferris Wheel â€" A spinning ferris wheel opening in 2017
Thrill rides
- Air Race â€" 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)
- Hydrus â€" a Euro-Fighter Roller coaster manufacutured by Gerstlauer with a 97 degree drop
- Shore Shot â€" 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
- Skycoaster â€" Swing-style ride that drops riders from 109 feet (33 m) reaching speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h)
- Skyscraper â€" Windmill-type attraction that rapidly spins riders 170 feet (52 m) into the air at speeds up to 70 mph (110 km/h)
- Super Storm â€" Pendulum type of ride that makes a 360-degree revolution
Rides destroyed during Hurricane Sandy
- Star Jet â€" fell into the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and was demolished in May 2013
- Wild Mouse
- Log Flume
- Lady Bugs
- Kite Flyer
- Samba Balloons
- Kid Swing Ride
- Pharaoh's Fury
- Tornado
- Safari Train
- Funhouse
- Centrifuge
- Stillwalk Manor
- Rock Wall
- Rock N' Roll
- Enterprise
- Musik Express â€" the original one got destroyed, and Casino Pier added a brand new one after the storm
- Tilt a Whirl â€" the original one got destroyed, and Casino Pier added a brand new one after the storm
Former rides removed before Hurricane Sandy
- Jet Star (roller coaster operated from 1970 to 2000)
Citations:
References
External links
- Casino Pier official website
- Casino Pier Photo Gallery
