Kid's World (Amusement Park)
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Kid's World was an amusement park along the boardwalk on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch, New Jersey.
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[edit] History
In 1985, six years after developers Pat Cicalese (owner of the Chelsea Pool and the Mile a Minute Waterslide) and his business partner Carmen Ricci purchased the Long Branch Pier across the street that they had been leasing since the year prior to the purchase, Cicalese rethemed the pier, the pool, the Bumper Boats, and the waterslide as Kid's World, inspired by Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania (It should be noted that Cicalese purchased Ricci's half of the business in 1980).
Many of the rides from years past had been replaced by this time by new rides, but the park still drew children. The famous Haunted Mansion that started the revamp of the pier in 1978 remained as part of Kid's World. Kid's World also featured an attraction based on the popular children's program Romper Room. The park was heavily advertised on TV in New York and New Jersey. The previous advertisements for the pier were mostly geared towards the Haunted Mansion, but when the Kid's World concept was introduced, the advertisements were toned down to something more family friendly.
[edit] The Fire and closure
On June 8, 1987, at around 3 pm, a fire broke out at the McDonald's at the end of the pier. The fire quickly spread throughout the pier, despite efforts by the Long Branch Fire Department to save it. After the fire, all that remained of Kid's World were the water attractions across the street from the pier. However, after the fire, business had slowed down, so the rest of Kid's World closed down for good at the end of that summer.
Cicalese had originally planned on rebuilding the pier. However, his insurance didn't cover the cost to rebuild what was destroyed, and the town would not fund the project, so the plans were abandoned. What was left of Kid's World remained abandoned for 17 years after the fire.
What was left of the pier had deteriorated over the years, and it was finally demolished in 2001. The rest of Kid's World across the street met the wrecking ball in 2002.
[edit] Today
Today, the former site of Kid's World is occupied by Pier Village, a retail/dining/condo complex. The redevelopment has revived the booming business that was once enjoyed by Kid's World. A new pier is being planned for the Long Branch waterfront, but there is presently no word whether or not the amusements will return as part of the new pier.[1]
