Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, NJ
Gillian's Wonderland Pier will celebrate its 83rd anniversary of providing rides and amusements to Ocean City Boardwalk visitors with a special event on Thursday.
Wonder Bear's Birthday Bash will go off 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. June 5 with all rides only two tickets apiece and a fireworks display at 9 p.m.
Wonder Bear, the park's mascot, will be available for photos with families during the celebration.
David Gillian opened the Fun Deck on the Ocean City Boardwalk at Plymouth Place in 1931, and a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round were the main attractions.
David's son, Roy, opened the existing Gillian's Wonderland Pier in 1965. Wonderland is owned and operated by Roy's son, Jay Gillian.
The Ferris wheel and merry-go-round are still attractions at Wonderland Pier (though this wheel reaches more than 141 feet into the air). But the park includes more than 30 other rides, including a log flume.
Gillian's Wonderland Pier is at Sixth Street on the Boardwalk. The fireworks will be visible from the beach and boardwalk on any of the downtown blocks.
Earlier notices about the event incorrectly advertised the discount as one ticket per ride (as it had been in prior years).
