South Jersey man keeps spirit of Wonderland Pier alive
OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Andrew Boylan, a former employee of Gillian's Wonderland Pier, has created a collection of the amusement park's memorabilia and revived the classic 'Man and Dog Show.'
The current version of his exhibit can be seen for a limited time only, located at the Promenade Food Court at Ocean City Boardwalk.
It will be open to guests through Sunday, August 9, 2026 from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Afterward, Boylan will pack up the collection and draw up plans on where to take it next.
Boylan first started visiting Ocean City at the age of 2.
Growing up, he became fascinated with Gillian's Wonderland Pier, specifically the animatronic show called 'Rocky and the Railroad Ramblers.'
It is often better known as simply, 'The Man and Dog Show.'
At the age of 19, Boylan became a Wonderland employee and became involved with restoring the show to its 1990s aesthetic.
"It really broke me inside when Wonderland closed," said Boylan about the amusement park's closure in 2024.
In the following weeks, Boylan was able to purchase The Man and Dog Show. Together with his friends, they moved it into storage and documented the whole process.
In fact, Boylan and friends had been making documentaries about Wonderland for years prior on their YouTube channel, Actors317.
In 2025, Boylan partnered with the Promenade Food Court to open an exhibit dedicated to Wonderland, fit with The Man and Dog Show and adjacent Monkey Band.
But now, he dreams of expanding into a bigger facility and displaying more of the memorabilia that awaits in storage.
Families will have until Sunday, August 9, 2026, to view the exhibit at The Promenade Food Court. It is open from 5:30pm to 10:00pm.
While future plans are still uncertain, Boylan encourages fans to follow their YouTube channel, Actors317, for updates.
"It's just important to me to keep it going," he said. "Not just for the generation now, but future generations."
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