Museum Minutes

Anticipation Of Winter
Rob Ascough, Treasurer
 

October isn’t typically a time for the area’s vacationers to get excited about much of anything. The middle of the month is the culmination of a six-week shutdown of what makes the island so special, from Duffer’s Challenge to Morey’s Piers, to Mack’s and Sam’s. When many of those businesses start reopening for their avid and loyal patrons in six or seven months, the calendar will have flipped to yet another year and taking recent history into account, the world might look considerably different than it does now.

That’s not to say it’s not an exciting time. While the Wildwoods become an afterthought for many lost in the start of another school year, Major League Baseball playoffs, and the insanity of the holiday season, the truth is it continues growing and thriving, much like a desert only looks still, quiet, and somewhat lifeless. As our world evolves in the coming months, so will the Wildwoods. And while that isn’t always a good thing, it’s not always a bad thing, either.

Next summer, the famous boardwalk will have received some more love in the form of another rebuilt section spanning Maple Avenue to 26^th Street at the southern end of North Wildwood. It’s certainly not as exciting as a new amusement ride but anyone who’s found a recent walk on the boards resembling that of a carnival bouncy castle will no doubt find this reason to celebrate. Perhaps some new wood will find its way to the Great White roller coaster as well? After all, the Moreys regularly invest in their iconic ride, annually making sure it’s providing exciting-but-enjoyable thrills.

The 2023 season is expected to be highlighted by the first phase of the Oceanview Motel’s rebirth as the Madison Resort Wildwood Crest. Representing the culmination of the efforts of many, the news is a beacon of hope in an area that’s lost too many classic motels in the last two decades. On a smaller (but no less noteworthy) scale, Pacific Avenue’s dormant Sea Theater will experience a renovation thanks to new ownership and will soon provide a much-needed dry entertainment option for rainy summer days and nights. Both are proof that sometimes the best new additions aren’t very new at all.

These types of things can be followed on a daily basis, thanks to the internet. When I was a kid, there was no such luxury with which to stay connected with what was going on in the Wildwoods (and when there was, few people were as dedicated to covering the island as they are today). When the aforementioned Great White was announced by Morey’s Piers in 1995, I had no way of knowing it was actually constructed until my family’s minivan crossed over the George Redding Bridge in July of 1996 to see the massive structure on the horizon. Of course, there was also no internet in 1989 to warn us of the Flyer and much of Hunt’s Pier having been demolished the previous winter. Truly one of our discontent, had we only known.

One never predicts when the Nut Hut, Shipwreck Island, or Fun Pier will disappear from the Wildwood landscape. Yet there’s also no crystal ball to anticipate welcome additions throughout the years like Mudhen, Ghost Ship, and Nan And Pop’s Kitchen. Because sometimes we know what will become of a pile of wood, and sometimes there’s really no guessing, and that makes the end of one season so exciting – a new one is never too far in the distance.