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They wasted no time painting over the Wonderland Pier mural

They wasted no time painting over the Wonderland Pier mural

Photo: CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK

The body wasn’t even cold before the Wonderland Pier mural was painted over. The former amusement park closed for the last time on Sunday and the brushes have already been taken out. Active for a century, disappeared in three days. Kind of a metaphor for life if you think about it:

As a kid, I was a Castaway Cove guy. Holding hands with my elementary school crush at Double Shot, not to brag. Went on the whitewater canal with my high school girlfriend. Knock down anyone who dared to approach me on the super slide. Me and the Playland Pirate go back decades. Still, it’s sad to see Wonderland disappear. The illuminated Ferris wheel in the Ocean City skyline is an unforgettable memory for every child whose parents vacationed on the coast. At that and Farley Plaza, as a kid, I knew it was going to be a week of outdoor showers and french fries on the boardwalk. Unfortunately, in the post-COVID years, Wonderland has been known more for out-of-service rides than family fun.

I hate to see it disappear. Especially because it will probably be another waterfront hotel. There is no concrete plan yet, but the new owners own the ICONA hotel properties and there is speculation in Facebook groups that they will build a luxury hotel on the site. In six months you will know.

RIP Wonderland Pier. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. Look at what that thing was. What a splendor for the Ferris wheel:

I still can’t believe there used to be a train connecting the islands. Every time I take a leak The Princeton I long for the days of a train. It would be better than taking a $100 Uber back to Wildwood because the Jitneys don’t do inter-island travel.