Hunt's Pier (Images of America)

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 next half-century. During that golden era, Hunt’s Pier became the “talk of the walk”: a fun-lover’s paradise of themed custom attractions that evoked the adventurous thrills of Disneyland. The “Oceanic Wonderland” helped millions of vacationers create countless memories, 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. Hunt’s Pier captures the magic of the famed seaside amusement park through historical photographs, many published here for the first time.