WILDWOOD — From Monday to Saturday, people are stopping by the Wildwood Historical Society to reminisce and learn about the Wildwoods' history.
The Wildwood Historical Society ’s George Boyer Museum, located at 3907 Pacific Avenue, is now open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors have come from as far as Germany this summer to discover stories and artifacts related to the island's Victorian, Doo-Wop and recent history. Many visitors grew up in the Wildwoods and are searching for photos of their favorite restaurants, shops and boardwalk rides.
“Nostalgia is a huge part of what makes the Wildwoods special,” said historical society board member emeritus Al Brannen. "Parents return and bring their children and create new memories. Our job at the historical society is to help make those memories happen."
Staff are always on hand to help visitors navigate the collection and locate information related to the history of the island’s families, properties and more. For sale are photos of nearly every property in Wildwood from 1960 tax records.
"Nothing makes our visitors happier than seeing early photos of the house or motel their grandparents built," Brannen said of the tax record photos collection.
The museum is always updating its collection. The latest artifacts come from notable places in Wildwood’s past: the Fun Shop, the Planet of the Apes ride and Castle Dracula, plus lots of items from the island's schools, businesses and eateries. One of the biggest donations was the jukebox from Sportland Pier.
“We are so grateful for our supporters, donors and members,” said museum manager Pam Bross. “Thanks to them, Wildwood’s heritage will be protected for years to come.”
The gift shop has also expanded this year, and now includes a variety of Wildwood buttons, hats, shirts, wall art, books, DVDs, snow globes, and wind-up Tram Cars. Pieces of Wildwood Boardwalk are still available, and the shop now has replica beach chairs and
Castle Dracula stickers. All items are available in the museum and on their website, and all proceeds benefit the historical society.
The historical society now has an eBay store at "wildwoodhistoricalsociety1963," where they sell and auction real Wildwood artifacts like street signs, postcards and vintage menus.
The Wildwood Historical Society is a nonprofit that is independent of the City of Wildwood.
For more information, visit their website at wildwoodhistoricalmuseum.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/wwhistoricalsociety, Instagram.com/wildwoodhistoricalsociety, or twitter.com/wwhistoricalsoc. The museum can accommodate group visits as well as organizational meetings and events. For information about how to hold a meeting or event at the George Boyer Museum, call (609) 523-0277 or email wildwoodhistoricalsociety@hotmail.com.
Photo from June 2019.
