Long Beach Island is the aptly named fingerlike barrier island about midway along the Jersey Shore that protects Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor from the vagaries of the Atlantic Ocean. The Lenni-Lenape were the island’s first summer visitors, making annual pilgrimages from the mainland for the rich fishing and clamming grounds. Rooming houses and rambling hotels sprang up on the 18-mile-long island in the early 19th century as vacationers came in droves by stagecoach and train to the ferries waiting to shuttle them across the bay. Today, beach towns that are quiet in the off-season swell with summer tourists who come for the silver-sand beaches, amusements, water sports, and marinas.
The 19th-century lighthouse standing sentry at the northern tip of Long Beach Island—known affectionately by islanders and visitors as Old Barney—marks the entrance to one of the most dangerous inlets on the east coast of the United States. Before it was first lit in 1858, more than 200 sailing ships ran aground while trying to navigate the shifting Barnegat Shoals. Today it’s the showpiece of Barnegat Light State Park—New Jersey’s smallest state park—and one of the Jersey Shore’s most famous landmarks. Pictures of this much photographed and painted lighthouse, one of the best known in America, appear on postcards, in calendars, and in the vacation scrapbooks of thousands of tourists. Visitors can climb the 217 steps to the top, where they are rewarded with a magnificent panorama of the Atlantic Ocean, Long Beach Island, and much of the Jersey Shore. The beacon that once guided countless mariners to safety is now extinguished, and the multifaceted glass lens is on display at the Barnegat Light Historical Museum, just south of the park in the town of Barnegat Light.
Barnegat Light is a quaint beach town whose population of less than a thousand permanent residents swells to several thousand during the summer. Its specialty shops and seafood restaurants are good places to visit after exploring Old Barney. The community is also known for its commercial fishing fleet based out of the Viking Village dock complex on the bayside. Barnegat Light is considered the tile-fish capital of the world as well as a major East Coast center for scallops. Thanks to the rich offshore fishing grounds, Viking Village is the island’s largest employer. Boats catering to sightseers and fishermen also leave from here; there are shops, boutiques, and dock tours for those who opt to stay ashore.
Loveladies and Harvey Cedars are side-by-side pricey enclaves, the latter named for the tall red cedars that once covered this part of the island. Whaling was big business here in the 1600s; New England fishermen were enticed south by tales of riches and an abundance of whales that they depleted in short order. Both are quiet communities that offer visitors lovely beaches, fishing, family-friendly seafood eateries, and outdoor concerts and other events during the summer. The annual Blue Claw Festival in Harvey Cedars features crab races, activities for children, and lots of fresh seafood. In Loveladies, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences is an active arts center and gallery open to the public for lectures, concerts, art exhibits, and even guided nature walks.
© The Countryman Press
Surf City is a family-oriented resort town that boasts some of the best surf on the shoreline, as the name implies. At the busy junction where Route 72 connects the mainland to Long Beach Island is Ship Bottom, the crowded and heavily trafficked beach town named after a 19th-century shipwreck just offshore. (According to local legend, the upside-down vessel washed ashore after being pummeled by the dangerous Barnegat Shoals during a dense fog. When townspeople approached the wreckage, they found a young woman on board, the ship’s lone survivor.) This clogged commercial sprawl of stores and gas stations is ideal for stocking up on vacation supplies or souvenirs, but the towns north and south of it are far more desirable.
Beach Haven was founded in 1874 as one of two planned resort communities on the island. Today, it is the island’s busiest and most popular vacation destination, full of restaurants, shops, nightlife, and a variety of accommodations. Its beaches are lovely, and its historic district of meticulously restored Victorian homes is perfect for strolling—several of these structures have been turned into charming antiques-filled bed & breakfasts that pamper overnight guests. Fantasy Island Amusement Park, the island’s only amusement center, has thrill rides, midway games, live entertainment, a video arcade, and a vintage carousel in an old-time Victorian-style village setting, not to mention a water park next door.
Concerts, crafts shows, and flea markets are held in Bicentennial Park all summer long. Surflight Theatre has been a legendary Long Beach Island venue since it opened as a summer stock theater in 1950 and began presenting high-quality renditions of classic musicals. Bay Village in Beach Haven is a unique complex of shops and attractions designed to resemble a historic fishing village. The Long Beach Island Historical Society runs an excellent local-history museum, whose informative exhibits cover the island’s early whaling days, destructive coastal storms, and the region’s evolution into one of New Jersey’s top seaside resorts. From here, pick up a self-guided walking map of Beach Haven’s Victorian homes and explore the historic district just outside the door.
Bayside communities on the mainland include Barnegat and Barnegat Bay—not to be confused with Barnegat Light, 5 miles across the water on Long Beach Island. Antiques hunters cruise through Barnegat along Route 9, a main thoroughfare dotted with shops selling an eclectic jumble of antiques and collectibles. In Waretown, the legendary Albert Music Hall has been the scene of lively Saturday-night folk and bluegrass concerts for more than three decades. Its roots lie in the Pinelands hunting cabin of brothers George and Joe Albert, who hosted informal weekend gatherings of local fiddlers and other musicians. Word of the rousing jam sessions spread, and the crowds quickly outgrew the cabin, known affectionately as the Home Place. The backwater vibe may fool you into thinking you’re the first to discover this place, but it has been a mainstay for more than three decades; features in National Geographic, the New York Times, and other equally top-notch and widely read publications have put the hall on the international map. Today a variety of live bands plays short sets every Saturday night.
Settlements were established on Barnegat Bay as early as 1699, and a century later Tuckerton was named for Revolutionary War veteran Ebenezer Tucker and soon became one of the country’s first official colonial-era ports of entry. Tuckerton was a significant hub for shipbuilding, lumbering, iron making, and salt manufacturing. Today, it’s best known as home to the Tuckerton Seaport and Museum, a 40-acre re-created village on the banks of Tuckerton Creek. Thoughtful exhibits and displays are devoted to the area’s unique history and maritime heritage. There’s a collection of restored historic houses to explore, and a full schedule of presentations on oystering, boatbuilding, decoy carving, and many other skills that figure prominently in the region’s culture.
A spectacular natural landscape of tidal marshes, creeks, and inlets teeming with shorebirds and waterfowl is protected under the auspices of several vast sanctuaries. The 40,000-acre Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge maintains a wildlife observation area in Barnegat, and protects the entire southern tip of Long Beach Island in Holgate. The dunes and beaches are off-limits during the summer to shelter the refuge’s population of endangered piping plovers while they are busy nesting. From fall to spring, however, the beachfront is open to anglers, birders, and beachcombers. Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area, Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area, and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve protect thousands of acres along the mainland, as well as the tiny islands dotting Little Egg Harbor.
Entries in this section are arranged in roughly geographic order, from north to south.
GUIDANCE Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce (609-494-7211; 800-292-6372; www.discoversouthernocean.com), 265 West Ninth St., Ship Bottom 08008. The chamber maintains an informative Web site and publishes a variety of travel publications on attractions, restaurants, activities, and lodging in the Long Beach Island area, from the communities on the island to those across Little Egg Harbor on the mainland. They’ll send a copy of their free annual vacation planner, on request.
GETTING THERE By air: Newark Liberty International Airport (973-961-6000; parking information: 888-397-4636; www.panynj.com) in Newark serves the entire state. Those traveling to New Jersey also use John F. Kennedy International Airport (718-244-4168; www.kennedyairport.com) and LaGuardia International Airport (718-533-3850; www.laguardiaairport.com) in New York City. Atlantic City International Airport (609-645-7895; www.acairport.com), Exit 9 off the Atlantic City Expressway, Egg Harbor Township, is served by Spirit Airlines (800-772-7117; www.spiritair.com).
By rail: New Jersey Transit’s North Coast Line (973-275-5555; www.njtransit.com) offers express commuter service connecting Penn Station in New York City (via Newark’s Penn Station) to shore points in this region, including Red Bank, Little Silver, Monmouth Park, Long Branch, Elberon, Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, and Belmar, continuing as far south as Bay Head. The stops are within walking distance of most beaches and attractions.
By bus: New Jersey Transit (973-275-5555; www.njtransit.com) and Academy Bus Service (800-442-7272; www.academybus.com) offer bus transportation throughout the region.
By car: The Garden State Parkway connects the New York and Washington, DC, regions to the Jersey Shore; from Philadelphia and Trenton, I-195 east leads toward the coast, where Route 138 continues to Belmar. Route 70 is a major secondary road that heads east across New Jersey from the Camden area, ending just west of Point Pleasant Beach. Route 72 goes directly to Long Beach Island; it’s the only route onto the island. Long Beach Boulevard (Route 607) runs the length of Long Beach Island from Barnegat Light to Holgate.
GETTING AROUND Taxis: Express Taxi (609-597-5106), Manahawkin, serves Long Beach Island.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY Southern Ocean County Hospital (609-978-8900; www.soch.com), 1140 Rt. 72 West, Manahawkin. The emergency number is 609-978-2205.
To SeeHISTORIC SITE Heritage Village and Museum (609-698-5284; www.barnegathistoricalsociety.com), 575 East Bay Ave., Barnegat. Open Memorial Day–Labor Day, Sat. 1–4. Free admission. A collection of 18th-century buildings and shops dedicated to preserving the maritime heritage of Barnegat, a quiet bayside town that was once a world-famous seafaring port. The Edwards House and Lippincott-Falkenburgh House are the two main buildings; there’s also a barbershop, corncrib, and butcher shop. On display are vintage maps, authentic captains’ logs, and other artifacts that tell the story of the sea captains and baymen who made a living off the bay and the waters far beyond New Jersey. Docents from the Barnegat Historical Society are available to answer questions. Ask about a schedule of special events and programs that are held at the village throughout the year.
MUSEUMS Long Beach Island Historical Museum (609-492-0700; www.lbimuseum.org), Engleside and Beach Aves., Beach Haven. Summers, daily 10 AM–4 PM, plus Wed. 7 PM–9 PM. Exhibits and displays of island artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia, maintained by the Long Beach Island Historical Association. The museum is housed in a former 1882 Episcopal church. A full schedule of guest speakers and special programs includes guided walking tours of Beach Haven’s Victorian architecture (see To Do—Sightseeing Tours). $3.
To DoAMUSEMENTS 
Fantasy Island Amusement Park (609-492-4000; www.fantasyislandpark.com), 320 W. Seventh St., Beach Haven. Open weekends May–June, daily mid-June–Labor Day, and weekends through mid-Sept. Open 5 PM–midnight weekdays; 2 PM–midnight weekends. The arcade is open weekends and holidays through the winter. Long Beach Island’s only amusement park is modeled after an old-fashioned Victorian-style village, complete with ornate lampposts, oak benches, brick walkways, Tiffany glass, and a classic turn-of-the-20th-century carousel. There are rides for all ages, traditional midway games, a video arcade, live entertainment, and food. The park works hard to project a wholesome family-friendly environment, which is made evident by the lineup of special programs, from illusionists and DJs to live reptile shows.
Thundering Surf Water Park (609-492-0869; www.thunderingsurfwaterpark.com), Taylor and Bay avenues, Beach Haven. Open late-May–early Sept., daily 9–7:30. A variety of low- and high-thrill water rides and slides, Cowabunga Beach interactive water games, and the Crazy Lazy River water ride. The park has snack bars, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and two 18-hole mini-golf courses.
BICYCLING Wells Mills County Park and Nature Center (609-971-3085; 877-627-2757; www.oceancountyparks.org), 905 Wells Mills Rd. (Rt. 532), Ware-town. Open daily 10–4. More than 16 miles of easy-to-moderate off-road trails open to cyclists.
Surf Buggy Center of LBI (609-361-3611), 1414 Long Beach Blvd., Surf City. They carry just about every kind of rental bike imaginable, from tandems and hybrids to comfortable cruisers, high-end road bikes, and mountain bikes.
BIRDING Barnegat Light State Park (609-494-2016; www.njparksandforests.com), Broadway and the Bay, Barnegat Light. Open year-round. Free admission. The park is ideal for observing the many species of waterfowl that stop here to rest and feed during the spring and fall migrations. Egrets, herons, pelicans, and other wading birds are often seen, as are a great number of shorebirds.
BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE
(609-494-2016), Barnegat Light State Park, Barnegat Light. Open daily Memorial Day–Labor Day 9–4:30; daily 9–3:30 during the rest of the year. Free admission. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Jersey Shore vacation album without a photograph of “Old Barney,” the venerable light tower presiding over Barnegat Inlet at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. It was under construction from 1856 to 1858 and was built by George Meade, who also designed Atlantic City’s Absecon Lighthouse and later became a major general in the Union army. For nearly a century it guided mariners through the notoriously dangerous inlet, whose shifting sandbars, strong currents, and hard-to-navigate offshore shoals were the demise of many ships and fishing boats. Its distinct and handsome red-and-white light tower soaring 165 feet above the sea makes it the second-tallest lighthouse in the country, and a beloved landmark for both locals and tourists. In the summer, for a small fee, you can enter the tower and climb the 217 steps to the top, where the views of the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, and Long Beach Island are spectacular. Old Barney makes regular appearances on calendars, postcards, T-shirts, and those glossy, beautifully photographed coffee-table books that feature American lighthouses. The beacon was extinguished when the light station was decommissioned in 1944, but the tower is dramatically floodlit at night.
Just south of the lighthouse is the Barnegat Light Historical Museum (609-494-8578; www.bl-hs.org), Fifth Street and Central Avenue, Barnegat Light. The museum is open during June and Sept., Sat.–Sun., 2–4; July–Aug., daily 2–4; grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Artifacts from shipwrecks, fishing and nautical memorabilia, and vintage photographs of Barnegat City (the former name of Barnegat Light) are housed in the 1903 one-room Barnegat Light Elementary School. After the school closed in the 1950s it became a museum and has since been filled with mostly donated items, from a Revolutionary War–era iron pot used to extract salt from ocean water, to shark teeth and a whale’s skull. Many visitors come to see Old Barney’s 5-ton lighthouse lens made of over 1,000 pieces of glass. The museum is surrounded by the lush and lovely Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens, maintained by the Long Beach Island Garden Club.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (609-652-1665; www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe), Bay Shore Dr., Barnegat. This 300-acre freshwater marshland with an observation platform is a perfect spot for birding. This is just a small pocket of the entire refuge, a vast 40,000-acre undisturbed tract of salt marsh that extends south to Atlantic City, covering islands, coves, and inlets, as well as the mainland. The refuge’s Holgate Unit (609-698-1387) covers the entire southern tip of Long Beach Island and, because it’s such an important wildlife habitat and an extremely fragile environment, visitor access is strictly limited. Beach nesting birds, especially the endangered piping plovers and black skimmers, are active generally from April to August. The refuge is open to visitors only from Sept.–Mar., when pedestrians and four-wheel-drive vehicles (a permit is required to drive on the sand) are allowed on the beachfront for birding and wildlife observation. It’s a rewarding place for birding: the beach area is full of waterfowl and shorebirds, including terns, gulls, sandpipers, plovers, herons, egrets, marsh hawks, and many other species.
BOAT EXCURSIONS Black Whale Cruises (609-492-0333; www.blackwhalecruises.com), Centre St. and the Bay, Beach Haven. Open May–Oct. The Crystal Queen is a double-decker paddle wheeler offering 1-hour sightseeing cruises on the bay. They also operate a water shuttle to Atlantic City’s Trump Marina.
BOATING (See also Boat Excursions.)
Full-service marinas in the area include Bob’s Bay Marina (609-698-7264), 459 East Bay Ave., Barnegat; The Marina at Barnegat Light (609-494-6611; www.fishgear.net), 1501 Bayview Ave., Barnegat Light; Ship Bottom Marine Center (609-494-8100), 2601 Central Ave., Ship Bottom; Beach Haven Yacht Club Marina (609-492-9101), 20 West Ave., Beach Haven; Morrison’s Beach Haven Marina (609-492-2150; www.morrisonslbi.com), 525 Second St., on the Bay, Beach Haven; Sportsman’s Marina (609-492-7931; www.sportsmansmarina.com), 20th St. and the Bay, Beach Haven; and Cedar Cove Marina (609-296-2066), 458 South Green St., Tuckerton.
CYCLISTS AT THE BEACH IN HOLGATE, A QUIET RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY THAT SHARES THE SOUTHERNMOST TIP OF LONG BEACH ISLAND WITH PART OF THE MASSIVE EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
Photo courtesy of Ocean County Public Affairs
TUCKERTON SEAPORT IS A RE-CREATED WORKING SEAPORT AND MARITIME MUSEUM ALONG TUCKERTON CREEK IN TUCKERTON, DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE MARITIME HERITAGES, ENVIRONMENT, AND FOLKLORE OF BARNEGAT BAY.
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Seaport Collection
TUCKERTON SEAPORT
(609-296-8868; www.tuckertonseaport.org), 120 West Main St. (Rt. 9), Tuckerton. Open Apr.–Oct., daily, 10–5; Nov.–Dec., weekends, 11–4; Jan.–Mar., weekends, 10–5. Adults $8; seniors $6; children 6–12, $3; children 5 and under, free. A re-created working maritime village on 40 acres along Tuckerton Creek, dedicated to the rich history and maritime heritage of Barnegat Bay and the baymen who worked its quiet waters for centuries. The seaport complex features 16 replicated sheds, shacks, clam and oyster houses, decoy-carving shops, a lighthouse, and a boatworks. Permanent and changing exhibits feature items from the seaport’s collection of memorabilia, regional crafts, vintage tools, and restored boats. There are more than 5,000 maps, documents, and photographs; oyster rakes, shrimp nets, hay forks, crab traps, and other tools that baymen worked with; more than 45 restored boats, from duck-hunting boats and recreational sailing vessels to skiffs, charter-fishing boats, and a dugout canoe; and some 300 hand-carved decoys and shore-birds from various regions along the eastern seaboard. For many, a highlight of their visit here is the variety of live programs on historic maritime trades. Watch as baymen demonstrate old-time methods of clamming, and local artisans take part in boatbuilding and decoy carving (see Baymen’s Seafood and Music Festival under Special Events).
The visitors center is home to the Jacques Cousteau Coastal Education Center (609-812-0649; www.marine.rutgers.edu), a series of interactive exhibits that serves as a virtual tour of the nearby 110,000-acre Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 26 such reserves around the country that protect coastal estuaries. An estuary is the point at which a river flows into the sea; the combination of fresh water and salt water creates a rich ecosystem for a wide variety of plants and wildlife. The refuge—managed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University—encompasses habitats ranging from pinelands and open ocean to coastal plain, forest, bay, and barrier island. Only about 1 percent of the tract is developed, making it one of the least-disturbed estuaries in the Northeast.
Among the historic buildings is the circa 1699 Andrews-Bartlett Homestead, the oldest home in Ocean County. There’s a restaurant, a gift shop, and docks available for visitors arriving by boat. Docent-guided boat trips during the summer along Tuckerton Creek and Little Egg Harbor Bay.
The following municipal boat ramps are open to the public; for hours and fees see: www.longbeachisland.com. In Barnegat Light on 10th St. In Harvey Cedars (609-494-2843) on Bay Terrace. In Surf City (609-494-3064) on Division St. In Ship Bottom, 10th St. In Beach Haven on Taylor Ave.
FISHING Barnegat Light is a major sportfishing hub on Long Beach Island. Charter boats and party boats operate out of many marinas, including Viking Village (609-494-0113; www.vikingvillage.net), 19th St. and the Bay; Lighthouse Marina (609-494-2305), Sixth St. and Barnegat Bay.
Big party boats (100 to 130 passengers) operating out of Barnegat Light include Miss LBI (609-361-2250), 14th St.; Doris Mae IV (609-494-1692), 18th St.; Carolyn Ann III (609-693-4281), 18th St.; and Miss Barnegat Light (609-494-2094), 18th St. and Bayview Ave.
GOLF Ocean Acres Country Club (609-597-9393; www.allforeclub.com), 925 Buccaneer Ln., Manahawkin; Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis (609-296-2444; www.oceancountyparks.org), 261 Country Club Blvd., Little Egg Harbor; and Sea Oaks Golf Club (609-296-2656; www.seaoakscc.com), 99 Golf View Dr., Little Egg Harbor—all offer public 18-hole courses, each with a driving range and a clubhouse with a restaurant, snack bar, and pro shop.
KAYAKING New Jersey Kayak (609-698-4440; www.njkayak.com), 409 East Bay Ave., Barnegat. A full-service kayak shop with kayak rentals, instruction, and guided and self-guided ecotours for novices and experienced paddlers. Their slogan is “Adventure in your own backyard”; here that means the open waters of Barnegat Bay or the shallow coves, tidal pools, salt marshes, and meandering creeks of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
First Bridge Marina and Kayaks (609-296-1888; www.fbkayak.com), 500 Great Bay Blvd., Tuckerton. Reservations are required for tours. A full-service kayak shop with sales and rentals (single and tandem kayaks), plus a variety of guided kayak nature tours, from educational nature tours to overnight and sunset excursions through the vast Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area.
They take beginners and seasoned paddlers, and you can go out for a couple hours or a couple days. Their most popular guided tour, for individuals or groups, is the 2-hour excursion through the salt marshes. Birders love this trip for the rich variety of wildlife along the way, including nesting ospreys. Other customized guided tours include kayak fishing tours, and sunset, moonlight, and camping tours.
PARASAILING Beach Haven Parasailing (609-492-0375; www.bhparasailing.com), Bay Haven Marina, 2702 Long Beach Blvd., Beach Haven. Reservations are required. From 500 feet above the bay, the views of Long Beach Island, Beach Haven, and Little Egg Inlet are spectacular. All ages are welcome, and no experience is necessary. You can take off and land on the boat platform, or they will dip you in the water during your ride, on request.
SIGHTSEEING TOURS Dock Tours at Viking Village (609-494-7211; www.vikingvillageshows.com/historic_viking), 19th St. and Bayview Ave., Barnegat Light. Reservations are required; call for a schedule. Guided tours of Barnegat Light’s commercial fishing docks are enlightening to those who have never realized that New Jersey has a commercial fishing fleet. Much of the fresh seafood on the menu of seafood restaurants up and down Long Beach Island—and the Jersey Shore, for that matter—comes off boats that dock here.
Alliance for a Living Ocean (609-492-0222), 2007 Long Beach Blvd., North Beach Haven. Call for a schedule. A popular series of summertime environmental programs includes Inherit the Earth tours to local natural points of interest, children’s stories and crafts programs, beach cleanups, ecocruises on Long Beach Island via trolley, and beach walks at Barnegat Light State Park.
Beach Haven Guided Walking Tours (609-492-0700), Beach and Engleside Aves., Beach Haven. Tours Tues. and Fri. morning, late-June–Labor Day weekend; call for hours. Groups meet on the front porch of the Long Beach Island Museum, where volunteers with the Long Beach Island Historical Association lead visitors on an informative tour of more than 30 historic buildings in Beach Haven’s Victorian downtown.
The Belmar Environmental Commission (732-681-3700, press 9, press 214) offers a popular series of free nature walks/talks at Silver Lake, Shell Beach, and Shark River. The town’s Treasure Trail highlights noteworthy local environmental and historical aspects like the Mast of the Malta, the remains of an 1865 shipwreck. There’s also a self-guided 11-mile walk-bike-drive around Shark River that passes the first lunar radio signal, unique architecture and ecological highlights.
SURFING In Surf City (609-494-3064) there’s a designated surfing area on the beach between First and Third Sts. The waves are at their best in the morning and late afternoon. Ron Jon’s Surf Shop (609-494-8844), Ninth St. and Central Ave., Ship Bottom, has gear, clothing, and advice.
WATER SPORTS Outfitters all over Long Beach Island rent a variety of water toys, from Jet Skis and WaveRunners to windsurfing boards and ski boats. They include Island Surf and Sail (609-494-5553; www.islandsurf-sail.com), 3304 Long Beach Blvd., Brant Beach; George’s Boat Rentals (609-492-7931, www.sportsmansmarina.com), 20th St. and the Bay, North Beach Haven; and Beach Haven Parasailing (609-492-3518), 2702 Long Beach Blvd., Beach Haven.
Green SpaceBEACHES Barnegat Light (609-494-9196; www.barnlight.com). Wheelchair access to the beach is available at 9th and 29th Sts. Day $5. Beach badges can be purchased any day from the beach badge booth at West 11th St. or from badge checkers at the beaches.
Harvey Cedars (609-494-2843; www.harveycedars.org). Harvey Cedars beaches are on the ocean side, except for the bayside beach at 75th St. Day $6.
Surf City (609-494-3064). There is a designated surfing area between First and Third Sts. Fishing is allowed from North 23rd to North 25th Sts. There is a bay-side beach near 15th St. and Barnegat Ave. Day $8; seniors, and children 11 and under, free.
Ship Bottom (609-494-1614; www.shipbottom.org). Day $7; children 12 and under, free; senior 65 and older, $3 lifetime; disabled, free.
Brant Beach (609-361-1000). Day $6; children 11 and under, free. If you’re looking for a wide beach and smooth sand, head to the beaches at the southern end of town; the northern beaches are much narrower. There’s a bayside beach at BayView Park on 68th St.
Beach Haven (609-492-0111; www.beachhaven-nj.gov). There’s a wheelchair ramp at the Centre St. beach. On the bayside, there’s a small kiddie beach with a play area and basketball court at Taylor Ave. Day $5; seniors, and children 11 and under, free.
PARKS 
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park (609-494-2016), Broadway, off Long Beach Blvd., Barnegat Light. Open year-round. Free admission. Most people come here to see 165-foot-tall Old Barney (see sidebar, page 416), but this small and picturesque 32-acre park offers picnicking along the Barnegat Inlet, jetty fishing, and a short self-guided nature trail through one of Long Beach Island’s last remaining tracts of maritime forest. It’s typical of the kind of woodland that blanketed the island centuries ago, a mix of holly, red cedar, sassafras, and black cherry. Anglers at the park’s south jetty—which is handicapped accessible—fish for flounder, bluefish, and striped bass.
Wells Mills County Park and Nature Center (609-971-3085; www.ocean.nj.us/parks/wellsmills), 905 Wells Mills Rd. (Rt. 532), Waretown. Open daily 10–4. Free admission. This 910-acre park—the largest in Ocean County’s park system—protects a trail-laced oak and pine forest surrounding Wells Mills Lake, a picturesque freshwater lake where you can launch a canoe or go fishing. The observation deck atop the nature center affords views into the vast Pinelands National Reserve that blankets much of South Jersey in a million-plus-acre sandy pine forest. Inside the center, check out the nature displays and ask about their schedule of nature programs offered throughout the year, including the very popular full-moon hikes. The park hosts the annual Pine Barrens Jamboree (see Special Events).
LodgingLong Beach Island and the mainland across the bay offer a bounty of vacation rentals, from houses and cottages to apartments and luxury condominiums. Contact the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce (609-494-7211; 800-292-6372; www.discoversouthernocean.com), 265 West Ninth St., Ship Bottom 08008, for a list of real estate agents in the area that specialize in vacation rentals.
HOTELS Surf City Hotel ( 609-494-7281; www.surfcityhotel.com), Eighth St. and Long Beach Blvd., P.O. Box 250, Surf City 08008. A renovated beachfront hotel with no-frills but clean motel-style rooms outfitted with standard amenities. There are newer rooms and a brand new apartment-style unit. Roomier suites are in the cottage, including one that is wheelchair accessible. The hotel restaurant is casual and beachy, serving American cuisine like seafood, prime rib, and award-winning clam chowder. The Beach Club lounge has live music, reggae, and karaoke. Light meals are served in the pub (see Dining Out). $105–375.
daddy O (609-494-7051; www.daddyohotel.com), 4401 Long Beach Blvd., Brant Beach 08008. Open year round. A Long Beach Island landmark, now a modern, full-featured, boutique hotel within walking distance to beaches on the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. The place was shut down for a time during World War II when the U.S. Army used the building as a barracks; other than that, it has been home to generations of vacationers year after year. The on-site seafood restaurant is popular for lunch and dinner. During the season there’s live entertainment Fri. and Sat. in the bar. Wi-Fi throughout. $250–450.
St. Rita Hotel (609-492-9192; www.stritahotel.com), 127 Engleside Ave., Beach Haven 08008. Open late-May–Sept. Long Beach Island’s oldest operating hotel is also one of the few remaining grand hotels—ones that are more than a century old—left standing along the Jersey Shore. Guests first started staying in the circa-1840 home in the 1870s, when the local couple residing there added a few rooms to make a little extra cash. At first the rooms were rented out only to clergy members; later the invitation was extended to families and tourists. Vintage photographs in the lounge tell the hotel’s long and colorful story, from the fierce coastal storms it weathered to its stint as Beach Haven’s turn-of-the-20th-century post office. Today it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and in the hands of the Coates family, who have been at the helm for more than 50 years, offering one- and two-room air-conditioned hotel accommodations; some rooms have a private bath, whereas others have a sink in the room but share a bath in the hall. All have basic amenities, Wi-Fi, and are clean and simply furnished. There are also two apartments (for families only) that sleep four to six people and are rented by the week. The front porch is cozy and inviting, full of wicker furniture; the lounge has antiques, old photographs, and memorabilia. Bicentennial Park is across the street, and beaches, shops, and restaurants are within walking distance. Children 12 and older welcome. Rooms, $75–300, per night; two apartments rented weekly, $1,060–1,310.
Julia’s of Savannah (609-492-5004; www.juliasoflbi.com), 209 Centre St. Open Feb.–Dec.; closed Jan. A meticulously restored elegant Victorian inn, a romantic retreat at the heart of Beach Haven. Common areas, including a cozy sitting room and a breezy wraparound porch, have authentic period details. Six charming guest rooms and three luxurious suites offer unique features, and most have a fireplace, canopy bed, or private veranda. All have carefully chosen period antiques. Two of the suites have a Jacuzzi tub; the other has a charming claw-foot bathtub. Complimentary Wi-Fi, bicycles, as well as towels, chairs, and badges for the beach. Afternoon tea and full breakfast. $275–350.
Green Gables Inn and Restaurant (609-492-3553; www.gableslbi.com), 212 Centre St. Closed Jan.–mid-Feb., open daily May–Oct.; Fri.–Sun. during the off-season. A romantic 1880 Victorian with five cozy guestrooms, two with private bath, all with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and charming décor. Tucked into their tiny inn is one of Long Beach Island’s most highly acclaimed gourmet restaurants (see Dining Out), whose five-course dinners are enjoyed outdoors or in the tearoom. Beach badges are complimentary, as is continental breakfast in-season. $100–180.
Windward Manor Inn (609-492-4468; www.windwardmanorinn.com), Atlantic Ave. and Amber St. Open Memorial Day weekend–midOct. A historic seaside inn with a variety of accommodations, from studios with kitchenettes to one- and two-bedroom efficiencies with full kitchens and dining areas. All rooms have TV, Wi-Fi, phone, private bath, and air-conditioning. Guests have use of the library, the Garden Lounge, and outdoor barbecue grills. Complimentary badges for the beach, which is just 200 feet from the inn. Continental breakfast. $130–339.
J. D. Thompson Inn (609-294-1331; www.jdthompsoninn.com), 149 East Main St. (Rt. 9). Open year-round. An 1823 Gothic Revival–style inn at the heart of Tuckerton, within walking distance (two blocks) of the Tuckerton Seaport (see sidebar, page 418). Lorenzo and Catherine Lauro have filled their charming inn with authentic Victorian décor. The six uniquely decorated guest rooms and one suite are fitted out with handsome period antiques. Each has private bath, TV, Wi-Fi, phone, and air-conditioning; some have a fireplace. There’s an outdoor spa, open in-season. Guests can make use of the complimentary beach badges and the inn’s bicycles (early spring through late fall). Continental breakfast is available during winter season; a full breakfast is served spring through fall and on weekends. $130–210.
The Victoria Guest House Bed and Breakfast (609-492-4154; www.lbivictoria.com), 126 Amber St. Open May–Oct. Side-by-side restored late-19th-century homes offer warm and homey accommodations a half block from the ocean. Victoria is the main house, where breakfast is served and wicker furniture fills rambling wraparound porches. There are 8 guest rooms here—some small, others spacious—that might feature an antique armoire or Victorian claw-foot tub; some overlook the garden, all have Wi-Fi access. The adjacent house, Victoria Too, has 6 guest rooms, including an extra-spacious room with a private porch overlooking the pool. Of the 14 guest rooms, all have a private bath, two outside the room. Two shaded wicker-filled porches invite relaxation, as does the parlor and the backyard in-ground heated pool. There is a cottage with two rooms, each with its own entrance. Explore the island on one of the inn’s bicycles, or take the complimentary badges and chairs, towels, bags and bottled water to the beach. Afternoon tea and continental breakfast. $165–300.
The Sand Castle Bed & Breakfast (609-494-6555; 800-253-0353; www.sandcastlelbi.com), 710 Bayview Ave., Barnegat Light 08006. Open Feb.–mid-Dec. Romantic and private accommodations ideal for couples in a luxury bed & breakfast on the bay. It’s part B&B, part mini-resort. The five guest rooms and two suites come with a private bath, fireplace, TV, Wi-Fi, phone, and private entrance—some have a whirlpool tub. Common areas include an enclosed sunporch and a parlor that doubles as a music room. Outside is an inviting in-ground heated pool and whirlpool spa as well as a cabana and patio with lounge chairs, umbrella tables, and a barbecue grill. The rooftop deck offers magnificent sunsets. Beachgoers will appreciate the complimentary badges, chairs, and towels. Full breakfast. $295–450.
Coral Seas Oceanfront Motel (609-492-1141; www.coralseasmotel.com), 21 Coral St., P.O. Box 1175. Open May–Oct. There are 50 guest rooms and suites, all clean and cozy with standard amenities. Standard units have a refrigerator, coffeemaker, and TV. Oceanfront rooms have private balconies. The third-floor suites have a bedroom, a living room with pullout sofa, and a private balcony overlooking the ocean. The heated outdoor pool is surrounded by plenty of lounge chairs. $175–260.
The Engleside Inn (609-492-1251; reservations: 800-762-2214; www.engleside.com), 30 Engleside Ave. Open year-round. This is the oldest family-run motel on Long Beach Island. Accommodations range widely in amenities and price, from basic motel-style rooms and efficiencies with kitchenettes to oceanfront suites with private balconies. Hi-speed Internet connection is available. The Leeward Room restaurant offers steak and seafood in pleasant surroundings, and there’s a casual beach bar by the heated outdoor pool. Pets are allowed in the off-season. $250–453.
The Sea Shell (609-492-4611; www.seashellclub.com), 10 South Atlantic Ave. A motel right on the beach that offers 55 units, including standard motel rooms, deluxe ocean-front rooms with private balconies, and spacious two-room suites, all with air-conditioning, TVs, phones, and refrigerators. There’s an outdoor tiki bar, a restaurant serving Caribbean-style cuisine, and a nightclub with live entertainment. Bands and DJs draw big crowds to the nightclub, from the early poolside happy hour to the wee hours. Pets permitted in the off-season. $65–335.
North Shore Inn (609-494-5001; www.northshoreinn.com), 806 Central Ave., Barnegat Light 08006. Open mid-Apr.–Dec. 1. Accommodations range from motel-style rooms to efficiency units with kitchenettes and dining areas. Extensively remodeled in 1998, all rooms have TV, Wi-Fi, phones with voice mail, and private bath. Complimentary badges for the beaches that are a block away—a quick walk or hop on the beach tram that stops here. Barnegat Light State Park and Old Barney are conveniently close (see sidebar, page 416). $135–165.
Buccaneer Motel (609-492-4582; www.buccaneermotel.com), 2600 North Bay Ave., Spray Beach 08008. Open Feb.–Oct. A no-frills motel with a great bayside location. Guest rooms have a refrigerator and TV; the two-room waterfront suites have whirlpool tubs, refrigerators, microwave ovens, TV/VCRs, and a view of the bay from a private balcony. An indoor pool and whirlpool tub are open in the off-season; in-season, opt for the waterfront outdoor pool (both pools are heated), and the rooftop sundecks with spectacular views of the bay and ocean, especially at sunset. The motel has a private dock available for guests who arrive by boat, and a waterfront picnic area complete with gas grills. Summer rates for two adults and two children under 12, $160–285.
CAMPGROUNDS Long Beach RV Resort ( 609-698-5684; www.carefreervresorts.com), 30 Rt. 72, Barnegat 08005. Open Apr.–Oct. There are 165 seasonal RV sites, 20 transient sites, seven one- and two-bedroom rustic cabins and 30 tent sites. Long Beach Island is a 10-minute drive away, but there’s plenty to do here, from mini golf and hiking to daily activities and bikes for rent. Call for rates.
Sea Pirate Campground (609-296-7400; reservations: 800-822-2267; www.sea-pirate.com), 154 Rt. 9, P.O. Box 271, West Creek 08092. Open May–Oct. A 300-acre campground located just across Little Egg Harbor from Long Beach Island. There’s a swimming pool, a video arcade, ball fields, a stocked pond for fishing, and many other amenities. Indoor accommodations include rustic cottages that are handicapped accessible. They rent motorized boats that will take you into the creeks and salt marshes surrounding the campground, part of the vast Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Sites $37–55; cabins and cottages $64–159.
Baker’s Acres Campground (609-296-2664; 800-648-2227; www.bakersacres.com), 230 Willets Ave., Parkertown 08087. Open May–Oct. A 240-site full-service family campground on 60 wooded and pleasantly landscaped acres just north of Tuckerton on the edge of the vast Pinelands National Reserve. There’s a busy schedule of planned activities in addition to boating, fishing, hayrides, and swimming. The Victorian-style camping cabins are a unique alternative to pitching a tent. Sites $34–44; cabins and cottages $85–115.
Atlantic City North Family Campground (609-296-9163; 888-229-9776; www.campacn.com), Stage Rd., Tuckerton 08087. Open Apr. 1–Nov. 1. The campground offers 191 sites, boating, fishing, swimming, cabin rentals, and full services. In-season there’s a full-time recreation director who plans daily activities; they offer complimentary beach passes for those venturing to Long Beach Island. Mini golf, outdoor pool, beach volleyball, game courts. Wi-Fi access. Sites $45–57; cabins $89–109.
Where to Eat Mud City Crab House (609-978-3660; www.mudcitycrabhouse.com), 1185 East Bay Ave. (off Rt. 72). Open daily for lunch and dinner in summer; weekends in spring and fall. Arrive early at this seafood grill and fish market, or be prepared to wait. The house specialty is crabs, as one might guess, and they’re done in a variety of ways. The mussels steamed in white wine and garlic butter, as a starter, comes with bread for sopping up the savory juice. Seafood bisque is generously studded with scallops, shrimp, and crab. Fresh fish of the day is prepared grilled, blackened, broiled, however you like. Save room for their signature homemade key lime pie. BYOB. $12–25.
Plantation Restaurant and Bar (609-494-8191; www.plantationrestaurant.com), 7908 Long Beach Blvd. Open year-round for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended. This lovely gourmet fine-dining spot prepares innovative contemporary American cuisine with Southern and Caribbean accents served in a sleek dining room and casual bar. Starters include West Indies–style ceviche with conch, shrimp, sea bass, and scallops in a cilantro-lime marinade. Entrées—like coriander-and-chili-glazed pork chop with hearts of palm and molasses-whipped yams; or jerk-grilled mahimahi with soft fried plantains—really show the kitchen’s creativity. There’s also a light menu of sandwiches, burgers, and pasta dishes. $15–35.
Blue (609-494-7556), 1016 Long Beach Blvd. Open daily in summer only for dinner. Reservations strongly recommended. Contemporary American and global cuisine with international accents in stylish yet relaxed surroundings. The kitchen’s emphasis is on fresh seafood, grilled meats, and fruits and vegetables from local markets and the restaurant’s own garden. Desserts are downright elegant. BYOB. $20–35.
Surf City Hotel (609-494-7281; 800-353-3342; www.surfcityhotel.com), Eighth St. and Long Beach Blvd. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Memorial Day–Labor Day; weekends, May–June, Sept.–mid-Oct. Contemporary American cuisine, from prime rib and steak to fresh seafood. Don’t miss their award-winning clam chowder. Summertime means live entertainment in the action-packed lounge, light fare and late-night snacks in the pub, and fresh shellfish in Shucks clam bar. (See also Lodging—Hotels.)
Green Gables Inn and Restaurant (609-492-3553; www.gableslbi.com), at the Green Gables Inn, 212 Centre St. Open daily for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner in summer. Open Fri.–Sun. in the off-season. Reservations are required for dinner. A hidden gem serving acclaimed gourmet American, Continental, and Mediterranean cuisine in a charming and romantic Victorian inn (see Lodging—Inns). Dinners are memorable, albeit pricey. This is a restaurant without a menu, so meals are always a surprise, and change daily. Dinner might begin with lobster soup, then a salad of baby greens, or fresh fruit and herbs. It could follow with butternut squash gnocchi, then fresh seafood or grilled duck, and might end with sorbet or fresh fruit with crème anglaise. Dine alfresco, in the quaint tearoom, or in the antiques-filled formal dining rooms. BYOB. Prix fixe (for two) $150.
Sweet Vidalia (609-207-1200), 122 North Bay Ave. Open daily for dinner in summer; in the off-season, Thurs.–Sun.; closed Mon.–Wed. Reservations are recommended. You might think that the menu revolves around onions, and thankfully it doesn’t. The famously sweet and earthy Vidalias do appear in a couple dishes (like the sweet Vidalia onion soup, or roasted Vidalia onion stuffed with French lentils), but the remaining menu is creative and well-prepared New American cuisine. Save room for Valrhona chocolate mousse cake with vanilla crème anglaise. BYOB. $16–29.
Kubel’s Bar (609-494-8592), Seventh St. and Bayview Ave. Open daily year-round for lunch and dinner. This bayside seafood house has sat at the quiet northern tip of Long Beach Island for 80-plus years. During the Jazz Age it was a speakeasy and guesthouse; today, its fresh local seafood is popular with families, who crowd in here after a day at the beach. Contemporary dishes like blackened yellowfin tuna and baby back ribs with Asian barbecue sauce are featured alongside crab pie and fish cakes based on an old family recipe. $15–25.
Panzone’s Pizza (609-494-1114), Long Beach Blvd. at 22nd St. Offers pizza and sandwiches year-round. A second location at 11th St. and Bay Ave. (609-492-5103) in Beach Haven. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Most people come for the award-winning pizza, but there’s a full menu of subs, chicken steaks, steak sandwiches, and enormous hoagies. A good place to grab a quick bite. $5–15.
Terrace Tavern (609-492-9751), 13201 Long Beach Blvd. Open daily for lunch and dinner; phone ahead in the off-season. $10–22. A lively bar that’s popular with the surfing set, and a fun place to hang out after a day at the beach or on the water. The menu features lots of local seafood, including oysters and clams from Great Bay and Barnegat Bay.
The Chicken or the Egg (609-492-3695; www.492fowl.com), 207 North Bay Ave. Open late Apr.–Oct. daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; open around the clock Memorial Day–Labor Day. This is some of the best breakfast food on the island, and you can get it anytime. Standards like omelets, pancakes, and French toast accompany specialties like country-fried steak and eggs, sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuits, breakfast burritos and quesadillas, and creamed chipped beef on toast. For lunch and dinner, chicken wings come with your choice of 14 sauces; signature dishes include chicken potpie and old-fashioned meatloaf with mushroom gravy. Kids love the menu just for them. Those in the know gladly wait in line. $4–14.
Ship Bottom Shellfish (609-494-0088), 1721 Long Beach Blvd. Open for lunch and dinner daily mid-Apr.–Oct. A popular mom-and-pop seafood shop where the fish is fresh and the cole slaw homemade daily. BYOB. $10–20.
Off the Hook (609-361-8900; www.vikingoffthehook.com), 20th St. and Bayview Ave. Loyal patrons line up at the door of this old-fashioned seafood shack for fish fresh off the boats at Viking Village, the nearby commercial fishing pier. They offer a delicious to-go menu of New England–style and red Manhattan–style clam chowder; cucumber, potato, and artichoke salads; fried clam strips, clams casino, and crabcakes. $7–20.
Surf Side Coffee (609-494-3345; www.surfsidecoffeehouse.com), 1901 Long Beach Blvd. Open year-round daily: winters, 6:30 AM–2 PM; summers, 6:30 AM–10 PM. A busy coffee shop with a full menu of coffees and coffee drinks, and espresso. Baked goods are made fresh every morning, and might include cheesecake, tarts, scones, and freshly baked pastries and muffins. Coffee beans come from a New Jersey roaster. The perfect end to a hot day at the beach is a fruit smoothie or yoguccino, a fat-free yogurt drink with a double shot of espresso. $1–8.
Country Kettle Fudge (609-494-2822; www.countrykettlefudge.com), 20th St. and the Boulevard. Other locations in Beach Haven and Ship Bottom. Open mid-May–Oct.; weekends mid-Feb.–mid-May, and Oct.–Dec. Old-fashioned hand-whipped fudge comes in more than two-dozen flavors. Customers can watch as it’s made the old-fashioned way in big copper kettles.
How You Brewin? (609-494-2003; www.howyoubrewin.com), 2020 Long Beach Blvd. Open year-round except Jan.–Feb., daily from 7 AM. A coffeehouse and Internet café serving gourmet coffees, tea, espresso drinks, fruit smoothies, Italian sodas, and egg creams. Pastries are popular at breakfast, and the decadent desserts make this a good after-dinner dessert stop. Use one of their computers to surf the Net, or bring your own laptop.
Show Place Ice Cream Parlour (609-492-0018; www.surflight.org), 204 Centre St., next to Surflight Theatre (see Entertainment—Theater). Open Memorial Day–Labor Day. This old-time ice cream parlor is known around the country, not so much for the ice cream (which is excellent) but for the singing waiters and waitresses. They’re all professional performers from the Surflight Theatre, and they serenade you while they serve cones, banana splits, even colossal sundaes that feed 10 people. Customers are often asked to perform (sing, dance, etc.) for their dessert.
EntertainmentARTS CENTER Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (609-494-1241; www.lbifoundation.org), 120 Long Beach Blvd., Loveladies. Open year-round. A very active arts center and gallery mounting art exhibitions and crafts shows, and hosting lectures, film and book discussions, concerts, other entertainment, and art classes for adults and children. Call about a schedule of nature walks.
THEATER Surflight Theatre (609-492-9477; www.surflight.org), Beach and Engleside Aves., Beach Haven. Open May–Dec.; call or see Web site for a schedule of evening and matinee performances. A professional musical theater with a New York cast performing classic musicals. The Surflight has been a Long Beach Island institution since it opened as a summer stock theater in 1950. Surflight Children’s Theatre mounts a series of classic works from mid-June–mid-Sept.
SURFLIGHT THEATRE IN BEACH HAVEN, FOUNDED IN 1950, IS OCEAN COUNTY’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL THEATER, PRESENTING CONCERTS, CLASSIC MUSICALS, AND NEW WORKS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
Photo courtesy of Ocean County Public Affairs
NIGHT LIFE Joe Pop’s Shore Bar and Restaurant (609-494-0558; www.joepops.com), 2002 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom. A hip, happening nightclub open seasonally with live bands and DJs six days per week. Restaurant serves pub fare, steaks and seafood, and a limited late-night menu nightly until 1 AM.
ALBERT MUSIC HALL
(609-971-1593), 131 Wells Mills Rd. (Rt. 532, www.alberthall.org), Waretown. Concerts are held year-round on Saturday night from 7:30 to 11:30. Adults $5; children 11 and under, $1. More than three decades ago, a small group of local musicians and friends would gather at Joe and George Albert’s remote hunting cabin in the woods outside town to play and listen to traditional Pinelands music. When word spread and the crowds at the “Home Place” got too big, the concerts were staged in town at an auction hall. Today a 350-seat auditorium is the setting for popular Saturday-night live concerts featuring the old-time sounds of bluegrass, country, and folk. Musicians playing banjo, fiddle, mandolin—even spoons and washtubs—take the stage for 20-minute sets. You can also watch as musicians participate in free jam sessions in the adjoining Pickin’ Shed. The music hall hosts the annual Ocean County Bluegrass Festival (see Special Events).
SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERTS FEATURING BLUEGRASS, ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, FOLK, AND TRADITIONAL PINELANDS MUSIC HAVE BEEN A SATURDAY NIGHT EVENT IN WARETOWN FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
Photo courtesy of the Pinelands Cultural and Historical Preservation Society
Selective ShoppingBarnegat Antique Country (609-698-8967), 684 East Bay Ave. Open Wed.–Mon., 10:30–5; closed Tues. Three floors full of antiques and collectibles.
Bay Avenue Antiques (609-698-3020), 349 South Main St. (Rt. 9). Open daily 10–5. Fri.–Sat. until 9. Multi-dealer shop.
Recycling the Past (609-660-9790; www.recyclingthepast.com), 381 North Main St. Open daily except Mon., 10–5. Unique home and garden finds at this shop that sells the rare, the unique, and the unusual. They specialize in architectural salvage, collecting the remains from dismantled estates, farms, and public buildings and bringing them here. One-of-a-kind finds, from fountains and statuary to stained glass, fireplace mantels, and ornate wrought-iron gates.
Unshredded Nostalgia (609-660-2626; 800-872-9990; www.unshreddednostalgia.com), 323 South Main St. (Rt. 9). Open daily 10–5. A fine collection of rare film posters, casino chips, and memorabilia, as well as autographed celebrity photos, antiques, and animation cels from Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros.
Americana by the Seashore (609-494-0656; www.americanaseashore.com), 604 Broadway, Barnegat Light. Open seasonally. An antiques shop specializing in decoys and wildlife carvings as well as 19th-century oyster plates.
Long Beach Island Art Studios and Gallery (609-494-4232), 2001 Long Beach Blvd. Open year-round; call for hours. Wildlife carvings, original paintings, art supplies and art classes.
FLEA MARKET Manahawkin Mart (609-597-1017), 657 East Bay Ave., Manahawkin. Open Fri.–Sun., 8–5. A popular indoor and outdoor flea market.
Tuckerton Emporium (609-296-2424; www.tuckerton.com), Two East Main St. (Rt. 9). Open daily, 10–5. You can make a day out of exploring this collection of 10 unique specialty shops. They include a historical-paintings gallery, a contemporary gifts store, Coastal Fireplace Showroom, an antiques shop, a women’s clothing store, a shop selling Victorian and country gifts, and a country-furniture and home-décor store. The charming Debra’s Daydream Café serves lunches.
Bay Village and Schooner’s Wharf (609-492-2800; www.bayvillagelbi.com), Ninth St. and Bay Ave. Open daily. A quaint collection of gift stores and specialty shops styled after an old-fashioned fishing village. Shops selling everything from candy to jewelry are linked by brick paths and boardwalks. The Tivoli is a replica of a 19th-century schooner that houses a gift shop.
Foster’s Farm Market (609-492-1360), 400 North Bay Ave. Open July–Sept, 8–7. An old-fashioned local farm market with produce, nursery plants, and a full-service deli with made-to-order sandwiches, fresh salads, butcher meats, desserts, and ice cream. Most of the fruits and vegetables come from New Jersey farms, including tomatoes, corn, eggplant, blueberries, and zucchini.
Special EventsFebruary: Ocean County Bluegrass Festival (609-971-1593; www.alberthall.org), Albert Music Hall, Waretown. Bluegrass bands from all over have been playing at this wintertime music festival for more than 20 years.
April: Spring Art Show and Sale (609-494-8861; www.stfranciscenter.org), St. Francis Center, Brant Beach.
June: Baymen’s Seafood and Music Festival (609-296-8868; www.tuckertonseaport.org), Tuckerton Seaport, Tuckerton (see sidebar, page 418). Jersey Fresh shrimp, clams, and crabs, plus live entertainment, children’s activities, and crafters.
July: Red Wine and Blues Festival (609-296-8868; www.tuckertonseaport.org), Tuckerton Seaport, Tuckerton. Annual festival. Food, New Jersey wines, and live blues.
Independence Day fireworks (800-292-6372; www.discoversouthernocean.com), Schooner’s Wharf and Bay Village, Beach Haven. Arts and Crafts Festival (609-494-1241; www.lbifoundation.org), sponsored by the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies. An annual juried show and sale featuring the work of nationally recognized artists and craftspeople. Festival of the Sea (609-494-8861; www.stfranciscenter.org), Brant Beach.
August: Seashore Open House Tour (609-494-1241; www.lbifoundation.org), Long Beach Island. Always held the first Wednesday of August. A tour of the island’s most magnificent waterfront homes; sponsored by the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies. Blue Claw Festival (800-292-6372; www.discoversouthernocean.com), Harvey Cedars. Crab races, food, entertainment, crafts show.
September: Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show (609-296-5606), Tip Seaman Park, Tuckerton. A festival celebrating the heritage of the bay, with hundreds of exhibitors and vendors selling wildlife art, decoys, and maritime crafts on the banks of Lake Pohatcong. Food, live music, and contests in carving, retrieving, and skeet shooting. Ocean County Bluegrass Festival (609-971-1593; www.alberthall.org), Albert Music Hall, Waretown (see sidebar, page 429). Live bluegrass music. Held twice a year, Feb. and Sept. 18-Mile Run (609-494-8861; www.stfranciscenter.org), Long Beach Island. A point-to-point minimarathon along the entire length of Long Beach Island, from Holgate to Barnegat Light.
October: Chowderfest Weekend (609-494-7211; www.discoversouthernocean.com), Beach Haven. An end-of-the-season celebration with entertainment, activities, food, and music. On Sunday, local restaurants vie for the title King of Clams in the Chowder Cook-off Classic. Pine Barrens Jamboree (609-971-3085; www.oceancountyparks.org), Wells Mills County Park, Waretown. A celebration of the Pinelands, with live music, entertainment, children’s activities, food, historical displays, and canoe trips. LBI Surf Fishing Tournament (609-494-7211), Long Beach Island. A month-long competition for striped bass and bluefish has been a tradition for half a century. Anglers compete for thousands of dollars in prizes on beaches up and down the island.
December: Ship Bottom Island Christmas Parade (609-494-1614), Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom. Christmas House Tour (609-494-3752), various Long Beach Island locations. Festively decorated homes open their doors to visitors; sponsored by the Long Beach Island Garden Club.