Oct 26, 2017  The Asbury Park Press interviewed a dozen people who had front-row seats to the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Off the Casino Pier by Hurricane Sandy.

Asbury Park Casino History

Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, United States. The pier opened in 1932 and formerly extended approximately 300 ft (91 m) into the Atlantic Ocean, from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula (approximately 6 blocks) in which Seaside Heights is situated.

Casino Pier was partially destroyed in October 2012 after part of the pier collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean due to the storm surge generated by Hurricane Sandy.^[1] Park management rebuilt the pier's lower deck, and a shortened version of the pier reopened with limited rides in 2013.^[2] An expansion for the pier opened in 2017, which includes Hydrus (a Euro-Fighter roller coaster) and a Ferris wheel.

• 2Attractions
  • 2.1Current attractions
  • 2.2Former attractions

Facilities[edit]

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 built by Dentzel and Looff in 1910 named the Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Carousel. This carousel first arrived in Seaside in 1928. A Wurlitzer style #146-A Military Band Organ originally built in 1923 is also included to provide the carousel's music. 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.

The antique Dentzel/Looff carousel was acquired from Casino Pier in 2017 to refurbish and relocate it. The carousel has been closed and was shut off on April 7, 2019 and the disassembly and relocation process began in November 2019. The carousel will eventually be relocated to a new building which will eventually be built specifically to house it and to be a carousel museum. The building is planned to be located next to the boardwalk between Carteret and Sampson avenues.^[3] The carousel is scheduled to reopen in its new location by 2021.^[4]

Attractions[edit]

^[5][6]

Current attractions[edit]

Kiddie rides[edit]

• Boats – Classic boat-themed carousel
• Car Combo – Classic car-and-truck-themed carousel
• Dizzy Dragons – Dragon-themed tea-cups attraction
• Hot Tamales – Mexican-themed kiddie roller coaster
• Jump Around – Dune buggy themed carousel ride manufactured by Zamperla that randomly jumps and bounces as it rotates
• Motorcycles – Classic motorcycle-themed carousel
• Pony Carts – A pony cart themed carousel
• Speedway – Children's version of the classic whip ride themed to NASCAR
• Mermaid Parade – Mermaid themed 'North Pole' kiddie log flume ride manufactured by Zamperla (coming 2020)
• Elephant Express - Classic elephant themed ride manufactured by Zamperla

Casino Asbury Park

Family rides[edit]

• Bumper Cars – Classic bumper cars attraction featuring music and special-effect lighting
• Crazy Cabs – a flat ride that modernizes the tea cup ride, where you are spinning in multiple directions on a platform
• Disk'O – 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 – Single and double passenger go-kart vehicles that travel up to 14 mph (23 km/h)
• Ferris Wheel – A spinning Ferris wheel that takes riders 131 feet (39 m) above the Jersey shore
• Moby Dick – Horizontal platform ride that elevates and descends quickly as it rotates vertically
• Musik Express – Caterpillar ride that features pop music, lighting, and sound effects
• Pirates Hideaway – Pirate-themed roller coaster (many people call it a junior coaster, but it's more family-built)
• Pirate's Island – Pirate-themed maze with ropes, bridges, and a slide
• Sky Ride – Chairlift transport ride
• Super Slide – A classic slide that riders use rugs to slide on
• Surf Shack – Surfer-themed funhouse obstacle course
• Tilt-A-Whirl – Classic Tilt-A-Whirl platform ride
• Wave Swinger – A tilting swing ride that swings riders in a circle as they elevate and descend

Thrill rides[edit]

• Air Race – 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)
• Centrifuge – an indoor scrambler with lights and interior effects adding to the experience
• Hydrus – a Euro-Fighter Roller coaster manufactured by Gerstlauer with a 97 degree drop
• Shore Shot – 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 – Swing-style ride that drops riders from 109 feet (33 m) reaching speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h)
• Skyscraper – A Gravity Works, Inc. 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 – Pendulum type of ride that makes a 360-degree revolution

Former attractions[edit]

Rides destroyed during Hurricane Sandy[edit]

• Star Jet – fell into the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and was demolished in May 2013^[7]
• Wild Mouse
• Log Flume
• Lady Bugs
• Kite Flyer
• Samba Balloons
• Kid Swing Ride
• Pharaoh's Fury
• Tornado
• Safari Train
• Funhouse
• Centrifuge - the original one got destroyed, and Casino Pier added a brand new one after the storm
• Stillwalk Manor
• Rock Wall
• Rock N' Roll
• Enterprise
• Musik Express – the original one got destroyed, and Casino Pier added a brand new one after the storm
• Tilt a Whirl – the original one got destroyed, and Casino Pier added a brand new one after the storm

Rides removed before Hurricane Sandy[edit]

Asbury Park Casino Rebuild

• Jet Star (roller coaster operated from 1970 to 2000)

References[edit]

Asbury Park Casino Building

1. ^'Sandy damages Casino Pier in Seaside'. APP.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
2. ^'Seaside Heights' Casino Pier announces more new rides ahead of opening weekend'. NJ.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
3. ^Mikle, Jean (March 8, 2019). 'Seaside Heights carousel will be moved, $1.5M sought from NJ for new home'. Seaside Heights (NJ): Asbury Park Press. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
4. ^'Agency providing $750,000 grant for 109-year-old carousel'. Morning Call. The Associated Press. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
5. ^http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/pimages/Casino_Pier/2010_Park_Map/IMG_0002.jpg
6. ^https://casinopiernj.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/CP-Map-2017-1024x712.jpg
7. ^'Demolition to begin on NJ coaster wrecked by Sandy'. Associated Press. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.

External links[edit]

Asbury Park Casino Renovation