Home What to do New Boardwalk Adventures Water Park Opens for the Summer

New Boardwalk Adventures Water Park Opens for the Summer

6421
SHARE
Boardwalk Adventures water park will be open seven days a week from now through Sept. 10 on the Ocean City Boardwalk at Plymouth Place.

 

The water park on the Ocean City Boardwalk is open this week for its 28th season and will celebrate an official grand opening on Friday (June 27).

General Manager Ed Myers stands beneath a sign explaining the park's daily flag-raising tradition.
General Manager Ed Myers stands beneath a sign explaining the park’s daily flag-raising tradition.

As usual, the park (at Plymouth Place between Seventh and Eighth streets) will open each morning with the raising of the American flag and the playing of “Proud to Be An American” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” — a ceremony that stops boardwalk traffic as passersby pause to pay their respects.

Unlike usual, the owner of the park, James Gillian, will not be there to watch.

Gillian died in April after a long illness. An investment group had purchased Gillian’s Island Water Park a month earlier and launched a $500,000 effort to save, rehabilitate and enhance the park.

General Manager Ed Myers has been working with staff members since March 15 to paint, repair, renovate and inspect the new Boardwalk Adventures park. The work included installation of two new 1.6 million BTU water heaters to keep the park’s 470,000 gallons of water at 80 degrees, addition of LED lighting for special night events, construction of a new 35-foot rock-climbing wall, enhancement of a pavilion for parties and private events and the addition of new concessions.

New rock-climbing wall at Boardwalk Adventures in Ocean City, NJ.
New rock-climbing wall at Boardwalk Adventures in Ocean City, NJ.

Myers said he is happy the new owners preserved the flag-raising tradition, which has taken place a 9:20 a.m. every day the park has been open since Sept. 11, 2001.

“I wasn’t expecting to get so emotional,” Myers said of the season’s first ceremony earlier this week. “That was the favorite part of Jim’s day.”

Myers, who had worked his entire career with the Gillian family, said Gillian enjoyed watching the ceremony from the boardwalk with some of the loyal veterans who attended each day — including the late Joe D’Orio.

Even though the new Boardwalk Adventures is open this week, it will celebrate a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 12:30 p.m. with Mayor Jay Gillian (Jim’s brother) and Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce officials.

From 1 to 3 p.m., SOJO 104.9-FM will provide music and broadcast live from the park — 25 guests will get free beach towels and 100 will receive T-shirts. SOJO also will give away four family four-packs of tickets that include all-day passes to Boardwalk Adventures, four Adventure Golf passes and two 90-minute Bounce Passes to Boardwalk Bounce (Ninth Street and Boardwalk) with parent included.

Li'l Buc's Bay children's area at Boardwalk Adventures.
Li’l Buc’s Bay children’s area at Boardwalk Adventures.

One grand prize of a cabana rental with food and beverage and four all-day water park passes will be awarded.

Boardwalk Adventures mascot Li’l Buc will be on location from 12:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. for games and fun with children in Li’l Buc’s Bay (the wading children’s area of the water park).

Additions to the park this season include Adventure Cliff, a 35-foot rock climbing wall with five different routes. The rock wall is included in park admission. Those who wish to climb the wall without park admission can pay  an entrance fee of $5 per climber.

Boardwalk Adventures will host Family Thursdays, a discount day at both Boardwalk Adventures and Boardwalk Bounce. For $40, visitors can purchase a ticket that provides an all-day access pass with re-entry to both facilities. Regular pricing at Boardwalk Adventures for an all-day pass is $30.95 per person. The deal is available from July 3 to August 28.

The expanded Pavilion at Boardwalk Adventures, a 40’x80’ tent at the rear of the park, is available for parties and private events. An event planner on staff can help organize birthday parties, weddings, corporate gatherings and other events through the fall.

Two new food stations this season include an adventure themed mobile concession truck that will serve items such as grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, pita and hummus, burgers and more. At the front of the park, Whatever Floats Your Boat will serve ice cream, milkshakes, soda floats, cupcakes from Cake That! and more.

Hours at the park are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week through Labor Day.

For more information, visit Boardwalk Adventures online.

__________

Sign up for OCNJ Daily’s free newsletter
“Like” us on Facebook