Hunt's Pier

Before Disneyland, Hunt's Pier was the premier destination for vacationing families and fun-seekers alike.

With the completion of the Garden State Parkway and a prospering society's increased mobility in the years following World War II, the Wildwoods transitioned from a remote barrier island along the southern New Jersey coast to a vacation mecca. Featuring free bathing beaches, state-of-the-art motels, endless nightlife, and a honky-tonk boardwalk lined with entertainment options of all kinds, the resort would thrive for the better part of the 20th century. During that golden era, Hunt's Pier became known as a fun-lover's paradise of themed custom attractions; whether it was a child challenging the Flyer roller coaster's intimidating plunge or a child-at-heart exploring the dark caverns of the Golden Nugget and the haunted decks of the pirate ship Skua, anyone who visited the Oceanic Wonderland wouldn't forget it. Hunt's Pier captures the magic of the famed seaside amusement park through historical photographs, many published here for the first time.