@@shannon_w.I loved that channel on Saturday afternoons! Dr Shock always had scary movies on. I remember being 5yrs old in 1976. He came to the movie theater in Williamstown, NJ, on Halloween. I was a ghost that year and remembered shaking his hand. He scared me to death seeing him in person even though he had his daughter with him who was about the same age as me! I also remember seeing her sit on his lap during his show
Spent summers as a little kid in Brigantine and then moved there permanently in 1980. A typical summer day involved going to the beach, home for showers, dinner at the Rod and Reel, and then the castle. My heart was always pumping out of my chest no matter how many times I had been through. And then ice cream at Dairy Queen. If this isn’t a perfect vintage day in Brigantine I don’t know what is. 😂
You said it all right there, had all the same experiences as stated. What great times on that island. You forgot the pirates den and the arcade across from the castle. I was there from 77 till the early 2000s once family sold the house on 7th north.
Oh my God. Exactly what my summer was from 1980 to 1984. Do you guys remember the smell of that area? This would probably be the only place where you’d smell, seaweed salt air wood, and tar mixed in with seagulls and humid air. I wish I can bottle that scent.
I can remember sittin over in the middle of nowhere in PA, 3 in the afternoon, Springtime, between Marine Boy and SpeedRacer,and that commercial scarin the Hell outa me! The late 70s/early 80s was just Paradise! We got Philly/Delaware/Jersey stations on the Rabbit Ears.
What an outstanding documentary, and a great trip down memory lane for an adult who was once a young boy who visited that castle. Thank you so much for doing this!!❤
This is a great documentary especially growing up with the commercials that used to scare the hell out of me. My family almost went to Castle Dracula in Wildwood in '78 but my 8 year old self was too scared. Seriously great memories all around.
Thanks. Wildwood was our regular vacation spot, so we went through castle dracula numerous times...but we never did Brigantine Castle. Our parents offered to take us there, but we chickened out and then it closed and burned down.
I used to get pizza and snacks for the characters when they were on their break to make extra money when I was 10,we would go to Brigantine every summer, what memories and loads of fun,thanks for this video 😊
I moved to Brigantine in 1986. The castle was still there, but had already closed. Thanks for this great documentary. Now I know what it was like! Some of my friends were members of the cast.
Without attractions like these we would of never seen the likes of such great haunted attractions such as "Erebus", "Cutting Edge", "House Of Torment", "Creepyworld", "The 13th Gate", "Castle Of Chaos", and "The Darkness" today. (thanks for sharing and hope we see something similar done for the haunted attractions of Clifton Hill one day in future!)
This is incredibly well done Bill. Excellent narration, well written, great editing, and great interview clips. I was always fascinated by this Castle once I discovered it probably around a decade ago through your site. It was closed before I was even born so I never got to see it in person. I love the isolated nature of it, just a self-contained pier that revolved around the castle. I really wish I got to walk through it. I recall seeing Eric's name attached to Castle Dracula as well. He seems to be a NJ haunt legend, filled with knowledge (and awesome props! ) How odd (I say with a hint of sarcasm) that the Brigantine Castle met the same demise as Castle Dracula.
Great documentary on the Brigantine Castle! I remember visiting the castle in the 70s. I remember some of the actors . I was a teenager then and it was a highlight of my youth and one of the main sources of entertainment. It gave you something to look forward to! It was exciting when friends got together and drove to Brigantine to see the castle as opposed to what is more relevant now which is sitting on the computer or cell phone. Brigantine Castle was a beautiful dream in the 70s.
One of my favorite places! Always missed this and my brother scaring me when the TV ads came on before we visited each year. Lol I remember crying when it was on fire. Some of the best memories of childhood for me!
The people that worked in the 🏰 Castle were very handsy. They scared the crap out of me. It was awesome. The mid 70's and early 80's was a great time to be a child. Action Park was also a great memory.
This was such a nice documentary that brought back so many childhood memories with my dad. He would always take me to the castle but he had a bad heart so he would let me walk in with the people standing in line. You entered in groups and he just wanted me to have a good time. I loved our times there. Thank you.
Great documentary! My guess it is was made circa 2007. I always saw the TV ad for it, and a group of friends went there in the middle of the night on a snowy Nov. 1982 wanting to climb up it, but it was closed and locked
I moved to the Jersey Shore in 1970 whwn i was 5. I was 20 in 1985 when i went to Brigantine Castle. How wonderful and terrifying it was hahahaha! Nothing more wonderful than New Jersey!
In 1980-81, I worked at Castle Dracula, down in the dungeon. One of the best jobs, I ever had. It was like playing, in a gothic horror film. Minimum wage job, but it was fun👍!!! Years later, I had the opportunity to work at Morbid Manor, in North Wildwood in 2012, for a friend of mine. Another, very interesting, fun endeavor. Eric Prinze had built that attraction, of which was splendid. Did not know he, was involved with, the Brigantine Castle though🤔. I also knew, Freddy Mahana, who had a food attraction, called; The Circus Wagon, and when I was a kid, he had an illusion show, there too. All I recall, was smoke💨, mirrors🪞, and a gorilla🦍.
I remember seeing the commercial on TV in Maryland quite a few times before I convinced my parents to take me in the summer of 1979. It was a blast. The "monsters" would actually grab you & freak the shit out of you.
Wonderful documentary! I knew Carmen Ricci. I am from Seaside Heights. Carmen's daughter Theresa Pettacio runs the Sonny's and Rickey's arcade here, and a few years ago, my brother and our friend rented space there for an ice-cream stand. Love this. Dr. Peter James Smith, Ed.D. You likely recognize me from my work on the Haunted Castle. Thanks.
I spent my summers there in Brigantine. From 76 thru 81(11-16yo) was my prime there. Many,many nights there(used to walk from 18th south). Had friends worked the games. Brigantine in the summer was a amazing place to grow up. So many great memories
Never had a chance to visit this place.I remember watching the commercials on TV about it as a young kid. My mom and stepfather took me to Draculas castle in Wildwood New Jersey. Plus I went to Frankensteins wax museum up in Canada 🇨🇦 🙂👍🏻
Reminds me of Castle Dracula in Wildwood. It wasn't on the ocean, but it survives a few fires and it's all up to code. In 2002, two teenagers burned down our castle on the Wildwood boardwalk.
Thanks for sharing. When I was a kid in the 70's living in Coopersburg PA, we used to go camping every Summer near Tuckerton, NJ for a couple weeks. My Mom took us to Brigantine Castle one year. (Must have been 76, 77, or 78 as we moved to AZ in the Fall of 78.) Nothing but fond memories of those days.
I've heard of the Brigantine Castle but I didn't know much about it. Thanks for this great documentary on the Castle, I now know what I missed all those years ago. Thanks for sharing.
It's sad that this haunt was before my time. I would of loved to go here or even be a haunter here. I'm actually a haunt actor for 15 years at Fright Factory we actually had the curse doll of Brigantine Castle for a bit in the doll room.
I spent my summers at the '60s & '70's at the South Jersey shore. We started seeing ads for Brigantine Castle in the '70s, so my mom, my two siblings & me, along with my 4 cousins would go from Sea Isle City up to Brigantine Castle. Great day trip in the middle of a South Jersey summer! I miss that place...when Aqua Teen Hunger Force started up and they showed the Scary Castle in South Jersey, I immediately thought that one of the writers had to have had the same childhood/teen years I did.
As someone who wasn't alive when this was open, it seems extremely strange to me that attractions like this will simply announce they will be shutting down immediately instead of having a final year. I understand diminishing returns and that you have to put in resources to get the word out that "this is the final year", but I can't help but feel like that would be majorly offset by a huge final spike in people visiting it knowing it's the last time.
I was fascinated with horror as a kid. Kind of a cautious fascination and I was mesmerized by this place. My aunt and uncle lived on the island and I loved to visit them because they would take me there. One day I went through it twice one summer in 1979 when I was 13 and I memorized all the scenes. They had a wax woman in a casket and she looked so real. I remember getting to that area and saying to the guy, "That's Mary!" and he said "YES! Did you know her? She fell out of the tower!" Here she is. Maybe she was a real actor. no idea! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4r2mkdWLRs0.htmlsi=RLCwY5-SnwFh15iN&t=290
I grew up down at the shore and remember how menacing this place was. My parents me and my brother, along with some family frienda all went to the castle one night. I was really little so I only have vague memories of this, but apparently my Dad was carrying me and one of the actors came up to my Dad and me to scare us but wouldn't stop and this was making my Dad really angry and punched the guy in the face while holding me no less. I was in an antique store a year ago and one of the vendors had envelopes with the Brigantine Castle letterhead on it and the vendor of that booth gave me one and I cherish it and goes out with my Halloween decor every year 😊
This place scared the living shit out of me, I was a kid at the time and fully had a panic attack so bad when I got up to the roof I was swearing at the attendant that was supposed to lead us to the door back down I even slapped her.
I went through with my Dad, but my sister was too scared and waited outside (It was the '70s, when people still thought it was safe to leave a little kid alone for 30 minutes, and she knew not to talk to strangers and how to scream for help - LOL)! The only thing I really remember was the rat room.
I've thought about it...but all the people that were involved in it's creation are long gone. There would be no one to interview to get in-depth information.
What an Amazing Commentary ... God Bless .. Spent the Majority of My Childhood afraid of those Commercials lol 😅and The Fantastic Stories of Brigantine NJ ... ❤❤❤
You should do a video of the Pay to Play skateparks in NJ throughout the late 70's / early 80's ... Seaside Heights, Wildwood, LBI, Lakewood, Vineland, Cherry Hill, etc all had historic parks
Not sure. It was one of the tracks that they would play at the castle. It was probably put together by Bob Dorian with some soundtrack music that he had.
My parents purchased a lot in 1951. It was $2200 dollars. They could have gotten beach front for a couple hundred more. They built a house & it still stands. In the beginning no hot water, no television & radio signal during day. We would live on Atlantic city bakery rolls & jersey tomatoes. Cheese stakes made with these rolls were excellent. The castle changed this sleepy town for the worst. The casino business killed what was left. I remember coming back from beach and everyone was outside washing off sand & salt naked. Today it is so built up it is hotter than main land. Before at night 20 degrees cooler overnight. Everyone has air-conditioned homes and runs it 24/7 I remember them spraying DDT from the oil tanker that drove around entire island and kids rode their bikes behind it. Always wondered if they survived that toxic cloud ??? Millions of green head Flys still survived it. They should have made a room at castle with a giant green head fly. Scare everyone off beach.
I still remember being a little kid and thinking it was so cool. My Mom wouldn't let me go in. She said it's "too scary for you" By the time I got older it was gone.
I went there once in 1980 or 81. That rat room is the only part I have a clear memory of. I had to go on it alone because none of my 3 siblings would join me. Chickens.
I remember my dad and his friend took me there when I was young I remember a room with lizzy bordon and a slanted floor you had to get up she wore a blue checkered dress and a axe in her hand plus a glass floor with a body under it that you had to walk over pretty creepy I miss this place and castle Dracula in wildwood both met there fate by arson
If I had the money, I would start a haunted house attraction. I never went to brigantine Castle but I did go to the haunted Mansion in Long Branch a couple times when I was a kid, I miss those days
