The HUNT'S PIER Bonanaza Shooting Gallery from Wildwood, NJ

[@Jasorka2000]

Great storytelling, Randy!... What history you have and hold!! Great episode.

[@kingmanaz1488]

Randy has the best collection ever.

[@DeadKoby]

Cedar Point in Ohio had one of these in the 80's that I recall playing. They had a different gallery /w/ knights also. The Bonanza Gallery /w/ the flash was more fun.

[@cindyrichards1118]

Thanks for sharing , my wish would be to go to wildwood and play all day long such a classic

[@matthewtaylor9452]

The best part of Friday is waking up, drinking a drink, and watching the new episode of Randyland. Every Friday at the same time like clockwork.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Sometimes the world works ok

[@ulexite-tv]

I remember this one! Amazing that someone knitted tiny jackets for your players. I like to imagine that it was the old grandmother of the guy who ran the arcade and she followed an old doll clothing pattern.

[@paulsworkshop4179]

I loved that gallery at Seaside. I clearly remember shooting the piano player and the beer cans. Great trip down memory lane.

[@MDSniper1111]

This really was such a fantastic entertainment unit. I, like many, have distinct memories of the Hunt's pier Bonanza. Awesome piece of your vast collection Randy.

[@ArcaneWorld3]

Can you bring billiard table back to wildwood? No arcades have them anymore

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Floor space demands are one reason, and they often attract trouble. Betting, drinking, fighting... Broken sticks, ripped table cloth... Stolen balls... All expensive to replace today, and people would be unwilling to spend $10+ a game which wouldn't even cover it.

[@franchisefanatics6536]

@mainstreetRandy, all due respect to your knowledge & arcades through the years But Ocean City NJ and Cape May have had the same pool tables in their arcades for decades without incident. They charge a dollar or two per game. Why is Wildwood different?

[@SCWPhillySports]

As someone who enjoys shooting a game a pool with my family, its sad to me that it has such a reputation for bringing the wrong crowd or people damaging the goods as Randy said. Now its just another thing we’ve lost the ability to do in Wildwood.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@franchisefanatics6536 crowds are different anywhere you go, however, pool tables are known for trouble. Just as I spelled out, that is plain fact. If you have no trouble, count your blessings, however, I gave operated in several amusement areas over my 40+ years in the business, and that's the way it is. Even when I was a kid the trouble with pool tables was well known.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@SCWPhillySports not just Wildwood. People ruin things with the way they act.

[@ProfessorKroog]

I remember one time my family and I were on the boardwalk in Wildwood and a thunderstorm stirred up rather quickly and we all huddled together under the canopy/roof of the shooting gallery. I was young and scared of the lightning, but when the lightning flashed (the storm was very close) it set off all the targets. It scared me even more!

[@chriscookesuffolk]

Thanks Randy. In our (UK) village in the 1970s we used to have a touring fair visit in the summer. The air gun range owner was memorable, having been clearly shot in the lip with one of the air rifles some time before. When he used to pass us our gun he would look us squarely in the eye, making you feel as though you yourself had discharged the ruinous shot.

[@alfreddill3251]

Hello Randy! This is absolutely wonderful! The park that I would always visit growing up was Keansburg. There were two attractions that I looked forward to the most: "The Spook House" and "The Shooting Gallery". I also loved the popping sound the rifle made but hated when my shots ran out, and I was left with the "click click". The piano player and the skulls on the mountain were my favorite targets. Recently, I dropped some money into the shooting gallery at Knoebels and was disappointed. No pop! I couldn't even tell if the gun was working. Another great video! Thank you!

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

I started with my 1st amusement business in Keansburg Amusement Park in 1979. I had the Kentucky Derby just across from the Ferris Wheel and Rollo Plane... After that 1st summer I purchased the old Kessel Brothers Fascination in the big old building which had the bowling alley upstairs. The Spook House, and Shooting Gallery, were just down a bit between my 2 places. The 3rd year my mom purchased Call Me Joe Skilo, in the corner of Beachway and Carr Ave... She didn't like running the Skilo, so I made it Action Arcade in 1980. Keansburg had a lot of heart in those days... Many old time operators were there all their life, and some were almost 90 and more when I just started. Many things were destroyed in Keansburg from Fires and later the big flood of 2011. I saved the most of anyone for sure, and I still have the old Kentucky Derby, the old 1938 Fascination Tables, and many arcade games. I have numerous wheels, and the big 3 reeled fruit game which was the main game at the Walk in Boys on Carr Ave. I have had several periods in my life, each like another life... And each period was an amazing period to experience and to accomplish. It was after Keansburg that I went to Work at Walt Disney World, and nothing would have made me leave Disney World except I had the offer to buy out the guy who threw me out of Fascination in Seaside when I was 15... All because I was too good and won too much God placed me in each path with purpose. It really is amazing as I realize each part

[@alfreddill3251]

You have such a rich and wonderful history. I truly appreciate that you share it with us. I remember my father so loved The Kentucky Derby. I used to watch when he would always compete against my uncle. You are bringing back so many great memories for me. I remember the fruit wheel! That was one my mother loved to play. @@MainStreetRANDYLAND

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@alfreddill3251 there was a feature documentary made about 15 years ago, and some extra footage was turned into mini web episodes... In these episodes you should be able to see the old Walk in Boys fruit game in it's life with me after Keansburg Amusement Park. It will look different because I built a clear casing and added some lights, but that is the same one for sure. This link should take you to the video list on that older channel: youtube.com/@gopictures?si=FjsQAqS23fTTX-NA

[@alfreddill3251]

That's fantastic! I saw it in "Pumpkin Season"! Good memories! @@MainStreetRANDYLAND

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@johnsturdivant2724 feature is not online that can be seen

[@bigbensynthony3956]

Funnily enough I remember shooting galleries being a part of some arcades outside of my local city, but I don't have too many fond memories of them because I was terrified of the sound some of them would make, and in some cases the sight to see as well.

[@CyclonePB]

Playland in Ocean City, NJ. Had something very similar that was destroyed in their fire a few years ago. Many many years ago there was also a shooting gallery outside Gillians Wonderland Pier that was removed. They used flash bulbs. Now I wonder why type of they were, I guess it will remain a mystery now. I can still hear the piano music playing. Fond memories.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Larger things seem to burn more as they are often in big old buildings... Unfortunate

[@kingdbag]

There was a shooting gallery in Keansburg in the early 90's that was in the same building as the carousel I want to say. I'm pretty sure the first one I ever play was possibly in Seaside at some point in the 80's, but I could be wrong.

[@RJN0607]

On the subject of shooting galleries, do you have the shooting gallery that was over by the Frog Bog at the other end of the boardwalk? It had this creepy music and was more Halloween themed than this other one. It even had an air gun in it that would go off after the light from the gun would hit another target.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

I do not have that

[@Bionic_Fonzie]

I loved the Bonanza shooting gallery! At one point it was set up under Kong wasn't it?

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Yes it was

[@Bionic_Fonzie]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND - that is when I remember playing it with my dad. And you're 100% correct. Those guns made a huge "pop" sound. I can still hear it in my head....along with the vulture screeching (or was it crows?)

[@KenMabie]

Dude I used to play this everyone I went to Wildwood in vacation as a kid ... Dracula's Castle was near it and I would go back and forth between them all vacation...

[@luckylukev]

Great episode ! Until what year was it at Hunt's pier? When was it uninstalled?

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

I believe the last year was 1995

[@wmspins]

Cool history lessons every week! I have a serious question though. Is someone in the pipeline to do this if and when you are no longer able to? Would hate to see all this history lost to an auction or something.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@wmspins as it is written right now, it all died when I do

[@wmspins]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND that's terribly sad. Luckily you'll live FOREVER!

[@markstrouse3101]

Every year I played the shooting gallery at Lou's Las Vegas arcade in Wildwood, never played at Hunts Pier. If my memory is correct, they had their before Hunts Pier.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Never heard of Lou's las Vegas arcade. Where was that

[@markstrouse3101]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND it's now Bobby Dee's. Was Lou's Las Vegas before the fire in 1982 or 1983

[@aronbakker9401]

there was one of these in germany that got trashed not too long ago, sad cuz it was probably the most detailed one and well maintained

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@aronbakker9401 sad

[@aronbakker9401]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND luckily there is another one a hour away from that place. its not as detailed but still has most iconic effects. i contacted a tech and visited them behind the scenes. and its not going anyware for the coming years

[@viccamppinball]

I remember playing the Bonanaza Shooting gallery in the Casino arcade in Seaside Hts, NJ in the early 1970's when it first was installed in the arcade. If I'm not mistaken, when you would walk up the large wide back staircase as you walked out the the Casino Pier pool, the shooting gallery would be on your left hand side of the arcade. If my memory is correct, before the shooting gallery was there, they had a live water dunk stand that was always be played. The guy/clown they hire for the water dunk stand, always tormented everyone that walked buy,door flap always saying rude things to piss people off in order to get them to spend some money on trying to dunk him, which wasn't easy to do. A player/person would have to throw a hard covered baseball into a tiny "square shaped lever" mounted in a leather incased 4ft box /console of some sort. Hopefully, Randy you can confirm this? Anyways, once again your video on this spectacular amusement shooting gallery machine is so worthwhile and educating to all us arcade rats that spend most of our youths dropping coins in every and any machine that would bring us joy and happiness. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

All correct vic, but the target on the subject tank wasn't 4 ft wide... I would say 4 ft tall but maybe 2 ft wide and there were 4 of them; 2 in each side of the dunk tank. That bozo dunk moved locations sightly left and right. At one point it was sideways to the left when you came up the steps from the pool. They also had cat rack throwing baseballs to knock them over. Few remember when the casino arcade went back to the pool. It was wonderful then.

[@davidhibbs6989]

I swear Randy you really should consider opening up a closed Walmart and put everything you have up for use at the same time. For profit of course. As a retro arcade. I worked for hunts back in the summer of 81' I was 19 going on 20' got paid like $3.50 an hour and I took care of the old minetour ride down towards the end of the Pier but an older operator late 60's Guy worked next to this shooting game and he said their was one target that would play a very loud siren which drove him nuts! The Bell was his second least favorite 😅

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

Always wanted to... Never had the money to do that or carry it as it sure would make enough to maintain the bills

[@proteinwaterfall9148]

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[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

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