A New Plan Revealed For Now Defunct Gillian’s Wonderland Pier In Ocean City, NJ

It's been just about one month since the legendary Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City New Jersey closed its doors for good.

If you're not familiar, Gillian's Wonderland Pier has been a staple of the Ocean City Boardwalk for generations.

Get our free mobile app

My grandparents used to take my mom there to ride some rides when she was a kid at the beach.

My parents took my sister and me there to ride rides when my sister and I were kids.

And at some point, I was looking forward to taking my niece there to ride some rides when she's old enough.

When it was announced that Gillian's Wonderland Pier was closing, my mom and I had to make one last little pilgrimage there just to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds.

But it left us asking, what's next for Gillian's Wonderland Pier?

With it being such an iconic part of hundreds of thousands of people's childhood memories, would they just demolish it?

No, there are big plans in place for the former amusement park and it's got some people pretty riled up.

Here's What's Replacing Gillian's Wonderland Pier In Ocean City, NJ

READ MORE: Get Ready To Pay More To Visit New York City

A lot of this information is still in the works, and nothing is set in stone however the current proposal for Gillian's Wonderland Pier is that it will be turned into a massive hotel and resort that overlooks the ocean.

According to the Wildwood Video Archive, the new resort will be called the Icona in Wonderland and this 7-and-a-half-story, 252-room resort will make sure it pays homage to Gillian's Wonderland Pier.

In mock-up photos, it looks like the massive Ferris wheel that once towered over Gillian's will remain but it will be moved further North on the resort grounds and will be refurbished.

It also appears as though the carousel, which I rode countless times as a kid, will also remain on the resort grounds.

This new plan has been met with mixed feelings.

Some people hate the idea of another resort, especially one that is replacing something that brought so many people joy as kids.

Something interesting to keep in mind though is that back in 2021 Gillian's Wonderland Pier came dangerously close to being auctioned off to pay off its loans, and a man named Eustace Mita stepped in to save the amusement park.

Eustace Mita is also the owner of Icona Brands and the possible Icona In Wonderland resort.

It does make me feel a little better that the owner of this proposed resort also has soft spot for what Gillian's Wonderland Pier means to the Jersey Shore community and millions of tourists.

By the way, Gillian's isn't the only amusement park we miss.