An abandoned amusement park and family entertainment center on the Jersey Shore will soon disappear from the landscape. Thanks to the new contract, its future will be filled with greenery.
It was a place where many memories were made, but now it is dilapidated and in disarray.
An old commercial for Blackbeard’s Cave shows how the family entertainment center in Berkeley Township was once full of fun.
Blackbeard closed permanently in 2020, in part due to the pandemic, and now the crumbling park is an eyesore along busy Route 9.
Ocean County will purchase approximately 27 acres of land, which will be preserved as open space, in a deal valued at approximately $6 million. The site is adjacent to more than 800 acres of existing natural land.
“Essentially, what we’re doing is a complete link of greenbelt,” Ocean County Planning Director Anthony Arriata said. “Green space, open space where people can walk, enjoy the grounds and enjoy the natural vegetation.”
The current owners are paying to demolish everything.
The remaining rides and other attractions are scheduled to be demolished and removed. Officials hope everything will be cleared by late winter or early spring.
“We just need to start conserving some of the land. We don’t want everything to be overturned. We want the land to be conserved,” Ocean County Commissioner Virginia Haines told NBC10. he said.
A place that families have enjoyed for decades is now returning to nature.