Sad look inside Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, NJ, the day after it closed

A lot was written about Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City in the weeks leading up to this past Sunday when it closed for good and a lot was written on Sunday itself when we all tried to frantically use up all of our tickets and actually say goodbye, but what about the day after?

We all know the story by now and we won't get into all of the details, but simply put, Wonderland Pier was a fixture on the Ocean City Boardwalk for 94 years. Generation after generation of kids grew up on those rides. For many, graduating from the kiddie rides inside to the big Ferris Wheel or the big spinning swings in the back was a big deal. It was for my daughter.

We learned on August 4th that Wonderland would be closing on October 13th. I didn't pay a visit the final weekend but I did make a point to stop by on October 14th — the day after nearly a century of memories started to fade away.

October 14th was like any typical fall weekday down the shore. There was no traffic. Parking was free and easy. There was a football game at Ocean City High School.

The boardwalk had a handful of people on it. It was actually a rather nice day -- the sunshine was warm but there was a screaming west wind that made all of the flags point straight out.

And it was that strong, gusty wind that made Wonderland Pier that much more cold and desolate.

Just hours before, the place was absolutely packed with families and kids having a blast. This past Monday, the wind was howling through the Ferris Wheel. Instead of kids screaming, it was making an eerie whistling noise. The cars on the wheel were slowly rocking back and forth, all obviously empty. The swings were swaying in the wind, void of fun, all waiting for the next group of people to hop on... but they likely never will. The log flume still had water in it, but it was completely still.

I walked around Wonderland Pier to capture what it was like the day after it closed. And before we take a look, allow me to make a disclaimer: all of these pictures were taken from the outside on the boardwalk and sidewalks looking in. The pier is private property.