After stunning closure, they’re saving pieces of Gillian’s Wonderland in Ocean City, NJ

☑️ An antique shop bought most of Gillian's Wonderland's signage and displays

☑️ Some of the buyers will bring their purchases back to Ocean City

☑️ The public reacts to their first look at a hotel planned for the property

OCEAN CITY — As officials discuss the future of the former Gillian's Wonderland amusement park, the past is up for sale at a Burlington County antique shop.

After the amusement pier closed for the last time in October, John Polito from Obnoxious Antiques said their interest was piqued to get signage and displays into the right hands.

"We worked the deal. So we bought all the contents, except for the rides," Polito said.

The rotating letters from the Wonderland sign, the miners from the log flume, some artifacts from the Dark Ride, and the crests and shields adorning the building were loaded into three trucks and brought to their warehouses and a shopping center. The fiberglass animals and figurines were also part of the deal.

ALSO READ: VIDEO: NJ homeowner leaving for work ambushed in his yard

Interest from Ocean City

Ironically, a lot of the items will come back to Ocean City. Polito estimates about 60% of the items are sold. A private walk-in display in Arizona that buys a lot of unusual items bought some of the animal figures. A private collector purchased the revolving letters from the Wonderland sign. A fun deck sign is headed to a museum in Ocean City

"We had a lot of interest from people who live in Ocean City or vacation in Ocean City. They want something that they can show on the front lawn, put in their houses. It seems like Wonderland pier had a lot of popularity and people were very interested in preserving for themselves a piece of history," Polito said.

As for the pier's future owner, Eustace Mita presented plans Monday night for a 252-room hotel and retail space along the 6th Street boardwalk called ICONA in Wonderland. It will incorporate Wonderland's iconic Ferris wheel and carousel.

Mita called it a "passion project" to keep the memory of Wonderland alive, according to coverage by Wildwood Video Archives.

ALSO READ: Deadly NJ roads: 10 counties had at least 30 fatal crashes

Future of Gillian's Wonderland

Mita said that he contacted other amusement operators about a joint venture to keep Wonderland open and there were no takers. The hotel plan represents his vision to do something with the space as opposed to leaving it open.

Residents seeing the plan up close for the first time had positive and negative reactions, according to CBS Philadelphia. City resident Steve Carchedi said that as much as he is nostalgic for Wonderland, the property needs to be improved.

The hotel is a long way off as the parcel would have to be rezoned for a hotel. Public hearings will need to be held and the City Council take a vote.

ALSO READ: Open or closed? Your supermarket guide to Thanksgiving

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom