Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, a family-run amusement park on Ocean City’s boardwalk for 94 years, plans to close after this summer due to financial hardship, owner Jay Gillian announced Friday.

“I tried my best to sustain Wonderland for as long as possible – through increasingly difficult challenges each year,” Gillian said in a Facebook post. “But it’s no longer a viable business. We will terminate our multi-year lease in a couple of months. The property is no longer mine, so I can’t speak to its future.”

Gillian is also Ocean City’s mayor and has been working at the amusement park since he was 13.

“After 47 years working on the Ocean City Boardwalk, I have little choice but to retire and close Gillian’s Wonderland Pier and 6th Street Pizza and Grill, embarking on a new chapter in my life,” Gillian said. ”The 94 years of tradition at Gillian’s amusements on the Boardwalk have been cherished by so many people, none more than me.”

“The memories I’ve made with my family and the joy of meeting so many wonderful team members and guests will always hold a special place in my heart,” Gillian said. “I have worked with so many talented people, too many to name, and in the end, I was able to work with our kids and see our 13 grandkids take their first rides. So many great family memories.”

His post can be found below:

Icona Resorts Chairman and CEO Eustace Mita entered into a partnership with Gillian in 2021 after Gillian’s Pier declared bankruptcy and was at risk of being auctioned off in a Sheriff’s sale, NJ.com reported.

“As far as the future goes, Wonderland is a landmark site in Ocean City and Cape May County,” Mita said Friday. “We will take till the end of the year to evaluate what’s best for the city and what’s best for this landmark site. It deserves first class treatment from us and that’s how we intend to approach it.”

A full history of the park can be found here.

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Photos: gillians.com