Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City to close after 94 years

It's sad news for all of those who have spent their summers on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

In a letter posted on Facebook, owner and Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian announced that Gillian's Wonderland Pier will close this fall.

"After 47 incredible years working on the Ocean City Broadwalk, 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 in the letter. "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 also noted that the amusements on the boardwalk have been cherished by so many people for the last 94 years.

"I tried my best to sustain Wonderland for as long as possible - through increasingly difficult challenges each year," Gillian added. "But it's no longer a viable business."

Gillian said he could not speak on the future of the property but said they would be terminating the lease in a couple of months.

Wonderland and 6th Street Pizza will remain open through Indian Summer Weekend in October giving everyone time to use up their tickets.

Longtime visitors react to Gillian's Wonderland Pier closing

Many say they're in disbelief over the disappointing news.

'I'm sad," Newtown, Bucks County, resident Bentley Torok said.

Charlotte Talotta, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, told NBC10 that, "it's very disappointing."

After hearing that the landmark pier is closing for good after 94 years, many collected their tickets and made their way down to the shore.

"As soon as we found out, we scrounged up all our tickets from the years and came out," Newtown resident Kaitlin Torok explained.

Longtime visitors told NBC10 that they can't imagine another summer vacation without a visit to this fixture on the boardwalk.

"It’s a place you go when you’re a kid and then you bring your own kids, right, it’s got something special. It’s just been here for certainly my whole life and I think my dad’s whole life," Denise Talotta, of Ridgewood, Bergen County, said.

Brian Pavkovich is from western Pennsylvania and he said that he's been coming to Gillian's for 35 years, first with his mom and now with his own children.

"It means the world to me. Just to show my kids, like, ‘hey, you see this ride? I rode this when I was a kid.' Like, Thomas the Tank Engine, we’ve all done it," Pavkovich said.

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