Wildwood Doo Wop.com

The colorful, carnival-themed Carousel was a landmark along the Crest's neon-splashed Ocean Avenue strip for decades. It was also a popular playground for many of the celebrities who passed through the Wildwoods during the "Little Vegas" era, including Chubby Checker, Johnny Mathis and even Frank Sinatra. The demolition of the motel after the 2004 season proved to be a devastating blow to the Doo Wop scene. The nearby Hialeah Motel was briefly rechristened the "New Carousel" before meeting a similar fate the following year.

• The Carousel was built and originally owned by Earl and Ralph Johnson (who officially operated as 'Johnson Brothers Builders').
• At the time it opened, the Carousel was the largest motel in the Crest.
• An ad taken out by the Bethlehem Steel Company (Bethlehem, PA) in the August, 1958 issue of Architectural Record noted that 1,625 feet of Beth-Co-Weld steel pipe was used in the construction of the Carousel. By comparison, 1,835 feet was used to build the 24th Street Motel in North Wildwood, and 1,700 feet was used for the Fantasy Motel in Wildwood proper.
• In addition to the aforementioned celebrities, Liberace and Connie Francis were also frequent visitors to the Carousel during the motel's heyday in the 1960s.
• The motel was demolished in December of 2004.
• Today, the Carousel-By-The-Sea Condominiums stand on the site of the former motel.
• In 2005, the Hialeah Motel (located a few blocks south of the by then-former location of the Carousel) was rechristened the 'New Carousel Motel.' Various decorations from the original were saved and displayed at the new location. The Hialeah's doors and trademark zigzag roofline were also given a multi-colored paint scheme, to reflect the theme.
• Unfortunately, the Hialeah/New Carousel also succumbed, in short order. After only one season with its new name/theme, the motel was demolished. Two years later, however, the site remains an unoccupied dirt lot.

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