The Story of CASTLE DRACULA, Wildwood, New Jersey 

Bob Dorian, the voice of Dracula in the attraction, was also the voice of the recording in Evil Dead that started the haunting.

Anybody who was there knows, If you started at the north end of the boardwalk and made your way south, the creepy billboard seemed to summon visitors to the eerie red glow of the castle window while Toccata and Fugue in D Minor played on loop to the awesome foreboding structure that was Castle Dracula. I was happy taking pictures with 1989 Batman at the castle gates until I was "Brave" enough to enter. Thank you so much for a cherished childhood flashback!!!

Wildwood has had a lot of devastating fires, but the fire that took Castle Dracula was the worst. This was an icon. I had been going to Wildwood since 1979, virtually my whole life. A lot of memories burned that day.

Boy the memories. 2 punks destroy that amazing legacy…for what? Nothing can bring it back now. Just sad. 2 nitwits, a flame…millions of folks lost their summer attraction. Great tribute video however. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

My dad responded to the Mars ride fire and this one. Growing up, I could ONLY go into this ride because he knew the layout and he was more confident in the safety measures Castle Dracula took. I remember being told while still in class that it was on fire. We wanted to know who did it but consensus from our teachers and the adults who actually knew the jerks was that we had the potential to do some actual harm. And yeah, we would have. This place was pretty special. For a lot of us, we had friends and family that worked here for a summer or two. And I remember, without fail, every summer of being absolutely terrified while walking past the thing. The showmanship was great and what truly made it spooky.

Some of my favorite memories are visiting the castle/dungeon ride as a child. I feel bad for people that are too young to have witnessed the golden years for dark rides. Great doc!

This is by far the best amusement park documentary ever!

Wow... I spent every summer in Wildwood from 1978 to 1985... I also worked on Morey's pier as Luke Skywalker on the Star Wars ride! Your Castle Dracula documentary was stupendous! I so recall that amazing ride and the simpler times and memories of being a kid on those boards! Thanks for sharing this and the memories it instilled.

I live in Wildwood. This castle is still sorely missed. Most of the kids I grew up with, at one time or another, worked at the castle.

I grew up in Riverside,NJ. My Grandparents took me every summer to Wildwood and let me bring a friend. The first time I had seen Castle Dracula was 1981. I was 11 years old. It changed my life. I was obsessed with it. The only reason I loved going to Wildwood was because of the castle. I loved when the robotic Dracula would slide out and give his speech. I used to stand there and wait for him to come out. I recorded him with a tape recorder. I still have the audio recordings of the castle. I put them on a CD. I remember Castle Frankenstein. My Grandmom took a pic of me standing by it but it was not in operation. I am sure Castle Dracula was way better. Awesome memories we all have. Those 2 young teens may have taken away our castle but they can never take away our memories.

That castle has proven to be irreplaceable. But I’d love to see a new spooky castle inspired by Draculas.

This is a great tribute to the great late Castle Dracula. I was sick to my stomach the day it burned. I found out when I went to the now defunct Anthony's Boardwalk site and saw the news and picture of it smoking from the air. At least I went through it and the Dungeon boat ride several times in the mid-late 90's. And audio taped the inside in Aug 1995 and June 1996, and videotaped the outside at night in June 1998.

What a great tribute to such an attraction that was undoubtedly the best of them all with narration by family members that through time, helped change the face of Wildwood, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists through the years and giving them fond memories of the excitement of the Wildwood boardwalk. I remember fighting the fire as a volunteer fireman and the tragedy that took place that day when losing a fixture of the Wildwood boardwalk. The documentary was well orchestrated and to that end, thank you to the Nickels family for sharing.

I worked at the castle in 93’ and it was the best summer of my life

Thank you for putting together this incredible tribute to one of the happiest memories of my childhood. This place was an absolute treasure! The photo of the man and the little boy (26:53) was taken by my grandfather... the little boy is me, and the man in the Rolling Rock shirt is my dad. I almost teared up when I saw it. Thank you again!.🧛‍♂

I'm from Canada and wasn't even born when the castle was in full swing but your video seems to be finding the right audience of theme park enthusiasts! Great little doc about an attraction that must have been very loved. Great narrator's voice as well.

My favorite atttraction of Wildwood. I miss Castle Dracula.😢

Grew up in North Wildwood in the 70's and early 80's. What a time and place to be a kid!

I live in Canada, but I went to Wildwood twice in the late 80s/early 90s when I was 8-9 years old, and Castle Dracula was one of the most memorable things of those two summers! I remember there were some blank white mannequin head that had moving faces projected onto them in a few spots, and something about how weird/surreal the effect was freaked me out as a kid!

Storyteller narrates about Dracule castle? What a day!

That music and that castle will always been engraved in my mind. I remember seeing it when I was 3 and it terrified me! 😄

This was the greatest haunted castle I've ever been in. I am saddened that I was never able to take my nieces to this amazing experience. Thank you for priceless memories.

The greatest attraction in wildwood history

Great job with the documentary! My parents started going to Wildwood with my family when she was pregnant with me in 1979. We spent every summer there until 2001. I am glad that in the mid to late 90s I got up the courage to finally go in with my friends. Unfortunately, I only went through a handful of times. Maybe one day we will see a recreation.

Very nice to see this. In about 1980 or so, my dad was a performer here. He worked the castle walkthrough part and said that his favorite thing to do was be the guy who leapt out of the portrait in the front opening.

Grand documentary! I hope you find the time to do many more like this one; I could feel the excitement of when the castle project was just getting started, this is pure gold 🙂

This was part of Wildwood, a landmark! It will always be remembered! Every time I head to Wildwood seeing this when it was still standing, one beautiful ride! Awesome attraction!

I was born in 1976 1 year before the castle opened. I was born and raised in south Jersey we visited Wildwood sometimes. That castle scared the heck out of me as a child just looking at it. I unfortunately never got a chance to go inside before it burnt down.

I was almost 10 when the castle opened. I loved both parts. I still have a Dracula's Castle pamphlet and a mini flyer that looks like a $10 bill on one side and castle advertising on the back.

I miss this castle and the boat ride too! 💜😎

We went through the Castle on a family vacation to Wildwood in the 80's. I was very young and scared sh!tless ,lol. 40 years later I'm finally brave enough to see the beheading lol. THANKS to those who created and those who video taped a wonderful part of treasured times.

Luved this, my dad and me luved this in the 70s.

My company serviced the fire alarm system for the castle at the time of the fire. Every winter the power was turned off to the castle so the fire alarm system shutdown once the back-up batteries "died". The sprinkler system was originally set-up as a "dry" type with air in the pipes unless a sprinkler head opened, a local plumber converted to a wet system once the power was shut-down for the winters as they didn't want to cover the electric costs to keep the air pump active. In hind site, if the sprinkler system was not converted and the power was left on for the fire alarm the castle may still be standing today!

I wish I could’ve had the privilege to see this attraction in person.. sadly I wasn’t born yet 😅

I LOVED this as a kid!!

I miss Castle Dracula. It was awesome. Just watching this video made me relive my summers as a kid. On the Wildwood boardwalk and Brigantine Castle. Haunted rides were always my favorite.

As a young kid, we'd go to wildwood every summer, sometimes 2-3 times. My Aunt was an older teenager and she'd always go on, but I'd be terrified. I had the courage to go in once, but ran out terrified. Another time, one of the monsters in the moat came up and scared me and I ran down the boardwalk, losing my family. When I heard it burned down I was bummed out - I never got to conquer my fears and go inside. It has forever maintained a mythical status for me because of that. Edit: 10:00 That's it! That's the moment I screamed and turned and ran out afraid for my life LOL

I grew up in Wildwood. this is and will forever be my favorite dark ride and the thing I looked fwd to most every summer

I have fond memories of Wildwood in the 1960's when my grandfather had a bungalow in West Wildwood. It was so nice back then. Now it's overdeveloped; even West Wildwood. My only connection to the shore is my brother who has a small house on Reeds Beach.

Amazingly terrifying ride! They dont make them this great anymore ! I remember getting yelled at to keep my hsnds in the boat lol. Movie production level of FX ..

Im 54 years old now and anytime i went to Wildwood i would visit the castle, love it........

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!! I SO MISS THIS PLACE!!!!!

as a heavy metal, horror movie loving teen in the 80s, Castle Dracula was my spot! i don't remember it being particularly scary as much as it was super cool. we had come to vacation in Wildwood from NY and i always though how awesome would it be to work in Wildwood for the summer and especially at the castle! great fun

Sad that nothing like this exists today that isn’t at Disney or universal. Wish I was alive to see this when it was there

My husband has lived right out side of wildwood his whole life he always talks about the Castle

Great narrator. Fascinating documentary

Great story I knew some of the history I loved the castle I still today wear a tee shirt of the place have a few brochures of it I was a big fan of it alway went through it every year since I was very young it was my first attraction I do first I went a few days after the fire to see it a guy clearing the rubbish gave me a few burnt baseballs from the game that use to be on the side i was very mad at them kids for doing that I had many memories of people who are no longer here that took the trip inside the castle I even found a small stuffed Dracula that was in the ticket both from the 70s even though I seen one on the home page but this one smells moldy like the castle it’s in my collection of stuff on the castle like a key chain and buttons I wish they build it again it was my favorite place to visit

Wow, what an incredible video. My family used to go to Wildwood for vacation practically every year in the 90's, and I was beginning to wonder if the castle was real or just something I imagined. I remember being so terrified of the music and begged my family not to go in, lol. Such a shame what happened. It will live on in the memories of millions of people!

I'm very happy to see this. I visited only once, in 1999 when I was 30, but it made a big impression on me. We paid for both the walkthrough and the boat ride, which were separate admissions. The walkthrough was more minimal than what's described here, and the walls didn't move in the crush room. The guillotine effect was very impressive, though. I don't remember any animatronics or props in the boat ride. I think it was just an empty space with a few goth teenagers walking through it and mostly disregarding the visitors. This video shows it was once very cool, but by the time I experienced it there was almost nothing left.

It was magnificent, man I miss that place 😢

I remember seeing this attraction in those little brochures of attractions they would have in hotel lobbies when I was a kid. I thought I had dreamed this one. Wow, so cool to see it actually existed and lived up to expectations. They could never get away with something like this now.

When I was a kid I couldn’t walk past the castle it scared the shit out of me so bad. The music, the voice of Dracula just had terrified lol. It’s a shame that it’s gone, it truly was a landmark of the Wildwood boardwalk.

That was probably the most memorable attraction in my life. Scared sh** first time through both dungeon and walk thru. (About 9 yrs old) After you got the idea of the dungeon, you knew damn well, as soon as you get thru the tunnel, someone would pop out and scare the heck out of you. Man I miss that Castle. Definitely in my heart forever. THANK YOU for such a great documentary! I've searched forever for clips and vids of this iconic place.

looked like my kinda place. we need more things like this......

That was awesome! Thanks for sharing. Such great memories and a huge part of my family vacation in Wildwood every August in the 80's. Was heartbroken when Castle Dracula burned to the ground. I will never forget the boat ride and how scared I would get going into that attraction but I did it every summer!!

Also remember Brigantine Castle too. As a kid I have fond memories of both. Different era.

OMG thank you for making this. This was the first haunted house I ever went into at the ripe old age of 5 years old. I was terrified of it for years…but it began my obsession with everything horror. Thank you again for this trip down memory land

This video popped up on my feed. I remember this castle so well. I was young and scared going through it but loved it. Thank you for sharing this video

I visited Wildwood last summer specifically because of the legacy of this ride, it intrigues me so much and I always wish I could’ve experienced it. Thank you for this excellent documentary!

Thank you so much for this!!!!! I loved that Castle and miss it and it's memories.

A lot of memories there and its unfortunate when I think of the new memories that could have been made for myself as well of thousands of others. Thank you for posting this ❤

The greatest American amusement Castle/horror ride ever... And that's no bullshat! I went through that castle easy over 100 times growing up and it had its own personality or mystique like the owner said, unless you've been there it's hard to put into words and unique is an understatement. I've been through several other horror rides, haunted castles etc in other states amusement parks from New Jersey to California and by far funky old Castle Dracula was the best! The good old days for sure 🇺🇸🍀

I am the biggest dark ride fan in the world this story is so sad but the pictures of this place look AMAZING!!!!! I truly am sad when anything like this gets destroyed by people

Thanks for this. Many great memories from Wildwood. 👍

Great watch! Never actually went in the castle (was a scared little kid) but my dad did the tubes of terror.

YES! this place was so cool, the most iconic part of wildwood :) The shore was so much better back then, today the attractions and shops are so sterile, its such a shame.

This brings back a lot of memories. We went to Wildwood pretty much every summer. Never had the courage to go to Castle Dracula. Terrific video.

OMG thank you for this trip to so many wonderful memories at the castle. Every summer in the 70s 80s and 90s my family vacationed at Wildwood. My favorite was the dungeon ride!

I love this video so much! The castle was such a big part of my childhood. I want to thank the Nickels family for all they did to bring the Castle to life and for being such a huge part of my childhood. Also, I agree, those young men got a slap on the wrist!

Excellent documentary! Started going to wildwood in the late 80s.. I was a young kid and my parents would take us down every year for the fireman’s convention in early September.. we would walk the boardwalk every night and we would have to walk past castle dracula on the way to Photon. When we would get to the corner of the boardwalk and we could see the castle we used to get a pit in our stomachs from the excitement and fear . The music playing is something I will never forget and just hearing it in the beginning makes me feel like I can smell the boardwalk .. It brings back such great memories of spending those days with my family and friends .. Thanks for the great memories!

Awesome documentary .... Castle Dracula was a must see everytime I went to Wildwood as a kid.....Miss it alot!

Wonderful, wonderful documentary Bill!! It nearly brought me to tears. Hands down the greatest boardwalk haunt ever, I still "see" it everytime I'm in Wildwood, I still "hear it" too. So bummed I chickend out and never went in as a kid. The year I told myself I'd go in, is the year it burned down. Alas, it has always been my favorite part of the boardwalk and I have so many fond memories of interacting with the staff, my family going in and telling their experiences, and more. I'd love to see The Ghost Ship converted to Castle Dracula somehow, with the former Go Kart area beneath as part of the ride too. Fire codes would already be in place. I think it'd be worth the probably costly conversion. Heck, this video has 22k views in less than a week- that tells you something about the attraction's popularity!!

Thank you so much for doing this

I was there every summer in the 70s and 80s as a little girl. I was one of the “too scared to go over the drawbridge”. I vividly remember being terrified just walking by, that skeleton hanging off the side of the castle and those red windows and it was SO big! Thanks for the memories!

Been going to Wildwood since I was a child and take my kids every year, told them countless stories of Castle Dracula, looked forward to going in every summer. Miss it so much. Thanks to the Nickels family for all the memories.

So great 👏🏻 👏🏻 I was very fortunate to have enjoyed this with my older brothers from 1990-2001. We still talk about it today. Still think about the Castle every time I drive by the Pier. Keep up the great work and enjoyed this 🤘

Castle Dracula was definitely a Willdwood boardwalk landmark.I.went through the castle as a kid.I hope and wish someone would rebuild it iback to its glory in the near future.

I spent many summer vacations with my family in Wildwood and would always visit Castle Dracula.

Fantastic Documentary. Brought back so many memories for me as a kid. This, by far, was one of the most unique attractions Wildwood had to offer!! Take care and God Bless.

This, along with the Goldmine ride, was amazing. We went on vacation there every year for a week. Loved it, such happy memories!

Outstanding documentary! I loved it! Thank you.

Thank you for this! I’m a lifelong NJ resident and I went here when I was a kid.

Great tribute to one of the worlds greatest rides not just Wildwood. I remember being a 10 year old late one night on the boardwalk with my father close to midnight waiting in line to go into the castle and it started pouring rain . We rushed in and it started lightning outside. As we walked around the inside you could feel the rumbling thunder outside. Greatest memory ever me & my dad . Enjoying a scary moment in time . Thank you for the documentary ❤

What a great documentary! I remember vacationing in wildwood many summers so long ago and Castle Dracula was a long awaited experience every year. Also a huge fan of the Nickels Supercade and that horse racing game right at the front. Many a night was spent listening for the "free race, sit down" chant from, I believe, Angelo nickels enticing the crowd to play. Still have a few of the giant stuffed animals and a grand weekly prize of a camera. And who can forget that the "skeeball championships are now going on in the back of the arcade" for a chance to get into the money bonanza machine. Those were the days....😊

I worked at Morey's pier on 26th street. Back in the 1990's. My mother grew up in Cape May. I remember that Castel so well and how my sister would scream on the boat ride. Thank you for the little trip back in time. Also, I love the photograph of Will and Bill. I wish you had one of Delores too.

I love this so much! I wish I had been to Wildwood when Castle Dracula was around.

Amazing documentary!

Love this! There was Nothing like hearing that music the closer you got to it. Great job with this video!

Beautiful work on the documentary. Love it and thank you for sharing.

thank you I love Castle Dracula, but my first roller coaster was the jackrabbit. I could've sworn it was called the scream machine when I rode it, but I rode it for the first time when I was four years old it was such a thrilling ride with the head chopping elements. Thank you for making this video, I've been looking for pictures of it for years

Such an absolutely outstanding documentary on such a fascinating subject. Thank you.

Such great memories of the Wildwood boardwalk and the legendary Castle Dracula. One of a kind! Very sad it’s gone. Makes me thankful for an awesome childhood growing up in 70’s and early 80’s! 🧛🏻‍♂️

Thanks For this Video I live in Philly... And Visited the Castle a Number of Times Throughout the Years in the 80s and 90s

Thank you for making this! Castle Dracula was a Jersey Shore icon and I miss it, especially the funnel cake shop that was in one of the stalls on the right side of the castle (if facing away from the ocean). Wildwood government should have made the castle a historical site and rebuilt it. Missed opportunity.

Excellent story! I still hope that the Castle will be rebuilt for a new generation of fans.

I just have been 8 years old and we were walking back home and Dracula popped his head out. I’m 53 now and I still vividly remember it as it scared the daylights out of me. It was horrible at the time!

This is wonderful. Wildwood is my favorite place in the world. I’m lucky to have gotten to go there a lot when I was young and just started going back again the last few summers. I can’t wait to go back!

I had seen the premier this morning of this Bring back so many childhood memories thanks dark in the park

Amazing video. I remember walking by being way to scared to go through. I regret it now. I remember seeing the actors out side the maze and boat ride with faces painted. I could just stand there and watch it was so exciting.

Dracula’s Castle was before my time, but I would hear about it a lot. This video is so cool!