Things to Do in Atlantic City: 50 Best Attractions Beyond the Casinos

Most people come to Atlantic City for the casinos, and plenty of them go home without finding out how much else is here. The best things to do in Atlantic City start with the Boardwalk, the first one in the country and still a little more than four miles long, and the wide, free beaches beside it. Then there’s a lighthouse older than the Civil War, a six-story elephant, an organ its restorers call the largest musical instrument on Earth, dolphin cruises from the back bay, and sub shops and Italian taverns that have been feeding the city since before your grandparents’ honeymoon.

This page lists 50 of them, grouped by where they are and what they’re for: the Boardwalk and beach, history and museums, Gardner’s Basin and the bay, food, shows and nightlife, and day trips a short drive away. Every price and hour was checked in late September 2026, and we’ve flagged what’s changed, because Atlantic City changes fast: Miss America has left, the airshow has moved to late spring, the aquarium has reopened, and a couple of famous bars have closed.

Quick answer: Walk the Boardwalk, ride the Steel Pier wheel, climb Absecon Lighthouse, tour Lucy the Elephant in Margate and eat a White House sub. The beaches are free, with no badges. In fall and winter, add a show at Boardwalk Hall or a casino theater; from late spring to early November, add a dolphin cruise from Gardner’s Basin.

Last updated September 24, 2026. Prices, hours, event dates and closures were checked on September 23-24, 2026, against each attraction’s, restaurant’s or agency’s own website (or the official tourism bureau’s listing where a business’s own site was silent), and every price is dated in the text. Drive times are light-traffic routing estimates from Times Square and Philadelphia City Hall.

• Free: the Boardwalk and the beaches (no badges), Chicken Bone Beach and the Civil Rights Garden, the Atlantic City Experience history exhibit, Historic Gardner’s Basin, the Noyes Arts Garage, and Boardwalk Hall’s noon organ concerts on select dates.
• Book ahead: Chef Vola’s, the Boardwalk Hall organ tours, big-name shows, and the NJ Transit 319 bus excursion ticket from New York, which is sold only in advance.
• Gone or closed: the Miss America pageant, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (closed 2022), the shops and bars of The Playground pier, the old history museum on Garden Pier, the Irish Pub (closed for renovations since January 2026), Restaurant Week (now Taste Atlantic City) and the Beer & Music Festival. See What’s changed.
• Costs to expect: casino parking of about $10 to $25 a visit for non-members, a 13.625% tax on hotel rooms plus nightly fees, and double tolls on the Expressway without E-ZPass.

On this page: At a glance | Boardwalk and beach | History and museums | Gardner’s Basin and the bay | Where to eat | Shows and nightlife | Day trips | When to go | Getting there | Is it safe? | What’s changed | What to skip | FAQ

Atlantic City NJ at a Glance

What	The details (checked September 2026)
Getting there	2 hr 40 min by car from New York City, 1 hr 20 min from Philadelphia; NJ Transit trains from Philadelphia ($13.05 one way) and buses from New York (route 319) and Philadelphia (route 551)
The Boardwalk	The country’s first (1870); a little more than 4 miles in Atlantic City, about 5.75 miles with Ventnor’s
Beaches	Free, no badges; open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; lifeguards 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer
Casinos	Nine licensed casino hotels: Bally’s, Borgata, Caesars, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock, Harrah’s, Ocean, Resorts and Tropicana
Getting around	The Jitney ($3 a ride, 24 hours along Pacific Avenue) and Boardwalk trams ($5 one way, mid-March to November 29)
Parking	Casino garages about $10 to $25 a visit for non-members; Convention Center garage $20
Taxes	13.625% on hotel rooms, 12.625% on admissions and rides, 9.625% on drinks by the glass
Best time to go	June to September for the beach, September and October for value, winter for shows and indoor attractions
Time to allow	A full weekend, with a morning for Lucy and the Forsythe refuge

Things to Do in Atlantic City on the Boardwalk and Beach

Everything in Atlantic City faces the ocean, and the Boardwalk ties it together: the casinos on one side, the beach on the other, and piers, arcades, taffy shops and trams in between. Start here. For the casinos themselves, see our ranking of all nine Atlantic City casinos, with their rooms, pools, poker rooms and resort fees compared.

1. Walk (or bike) the Boardwalk

Free. Atlantic City built the country’s first boardwalk in 1870, and today’s version runs a little more than four miles through the city, up to 60 feet wide, and continues into Ventnor for about 5.75 miles in all. (Before the 1944 hurricane it ran about seven, all the way to Longport.) The herringbone pattern in the planks dates from 1916. It never closes, and a walk from the Inlet to Albany Avenue takes you past the whole city: the lighthouse end, the big casino resorts, Steel Pier, Boardwalk Hall, and the quieter blocks by Stockton University.

If walking all of it sounds like a lot, it is; wave down a Boardwalk tram instead ($5 one way or $13 for a day pass, mid-March to November 29). Bikes are allowed only on summer mornings in designated stretches, and e-bikes and other motorized vehicles never are; rent a cruiser or a four-person surrey at North Beach Mini Golf in the Inlet, or from the Spinway kiosk at Ocean Casino Resort. Leashed dogs are allowed from September 15 to Memorial Day but not in the summer season. Year-round public restrooms are at New York, Mississippi (Kennedy Plaza) and Chelsea avenues.

Plan it: open 24 hours. Allow about an hour and a half to walk the Atlantic City stretch one way. The city has $26 million in repairs under way, so expect the occasional fenced-off section. Best for: everyone, at sunrise or after dark.

2. A rolling chair ride

Paid (fares by the block or by time). The pushed rolling chairs have been carrying Boardwalk visitors since the 1880s, and they still do: you sit, someone else walks, and the ocean goes by. Fares are set by the block or by the half hour, and the tip is extra. Every chair must post its rate card, so read it before you climb in. Rolling chairs pay only the 9% luxury tax, not sales tax.

Plan it: hail a chair on the Boardwalk and agree on the route and fare before you set off. Best for: grandparents, date nights and anyone whose feet gave out at Park Place.

3. The beach

Free. Unlike most of the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City doesn’t sell beach badges, so its wide beach is free for everyone, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lifeguards work 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; every block from Caspian Avenue to Jackson Avenue is guarded from July 1 to Labor Day, with only some beaches guarded from late May (May 23 in 2026) and after Labor Day until September 30. There are no bathhouses, but outdoor showers run from Memorial Day to September 30, the Beach Patrol lends free beach wheelchairs at Mississippi Avenue (609-347-5307), and access mats lead onto the sand at Tallahassee, Bartram, Albany and Raleigh avenues.

In summer the casinos run beach bars on the sand, including the new Caesars Beach Club, which opened in June 2026; most close after Labor Day, but LandShark Bar & Grill on the beach at Resorts stays open year-round. For daily conditions and which beaches are guarded, the Beach Patrol points people to SafeBeachDay (safebeachday.com).

Plan it: the ocean averages about 72°F in September and 69°F in July, so early fall is one of the best times to swim, as long as guards are on duty. No smoking, outside alcohol or dogs on the beach. Best for: a free beach day with none of the badge-buying.

4. Steel Pier

Paid (ride tickets, 2026 prices). Steel Pier, across from Hard Rock at 1000 Boardwalk, is Atlantic City’s amusement pier: about 20 rides stretching out over the ocean, from the Grand Carousel and bumper cars to the Flying Dutchman, plus a ride named after the pier’s famous old diving-horse act. The landmark is The Wheel, a 227-foot observation wheel with 40 enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas that opened in the winter of 2017 and lights up after dark; the view over the city and the ocean is the best in town for the price. There’s a tiki bar at the Boardwalk end and a covered bar at the far end, right over the water, and a SlingShot ride ($40) that, by the pier’s account, launches riders 225 feet into the air in 1.5 seconds.

Plan it: ride tickets cost $2.08 each ($2 cash), $78.13 for 50 or $104.17 for 100, and rides take four to eight tickets; tickets never expire. The Wheel is priced separately: $12.50 for adults ($12 cash) and $8.33 for children ($8 cash), free for 2 and under. In fall 2026, The Wheel runs 4-9 p.m. on weekdays, noon until late on Saturday (check The Wheel’s site for the closing time) and noon-9 p.m. Sunday, while the rides run on weekends only. Winter hours weren’t posted. Best for: families, first-timers and a ride on The Wheel at night.

5. A helicopter ride over the Boardwalk

Paid ($75 and up, 2026). Steel Pier Helicopters takes off from the pier itself. The Shoreline Tour ($75 including the luxury tax) cruises along the beach at 600 to 800 feet, and the longer City Tour ($150) adds the Marina District casinos, Absecon Lighthouse and the Brigantine channel. Flights are first come, first served.

Plan it: the 2026 fall season runs weekends only until October 18 (noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays); summer flights run daily. Best for: the best photos of the city you’ll ever take, and a story for the drive home.

6. Island Waterpark at Showboat

Paid (from $49, 2026). The Showboat, a hotel without a casino, holds a 120,000-square-foot indoor water park under a retractable roof, kept above 80°F all year. It has 11 waterslides, the Island Drift lazy river, a FlowRider surf machine, a kids’ area and an adventure pool, plus a 21-and-over area with its own pool and swim-up bar, four restaurants and three bars.

Plan it: 801 Boardwalk. In October 2026 it’s open noon-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon-7 p.m. Sunday (plus Monday, October 12), and closed Monday to Thursday; November and December hours weren’t posted yet. General admission starts at $49 and twilight admission (from 4 p.m.) at $29, and children under 36 inches are free; buying online in advance includes free parking. Bring towels (none are provided), and budget $15 to $25 for a locker. Children under 16 need a companion 16 or older. Best for: rainy days, and families in the off-season.

7. Lucky Snake Arcade

Pay as you play. Also inside the Showboat, Lucky Snake bills itself as the largest arcade in the world, with more than 1,000 games, and it’s much more than an arcade: an indoor electric go-kart track (the Raceway, where karts reach 25 mph and drivers must be 56 inches tall), roller skating, laser tag, a pinball gallery, mini golf, VR games and a dark ride. On-site go-kart races were $30 each in September 2026, and skating $12 plus $3 for skates.

Plan it: open daily from late morning, later on weekends (its posted hours vary, so check the day’s). Showboat parking is paid, but the arcade reimburses it for guests who spend $75 or more. Best for: teenagers, and the rainy night everyone gets restless.

8. Central Pier Arcade & Speedway

Pay as you play. The old-school alternative, on the pier at Tennessee Avenue: a big prize arcade, go-karts on an over-and-under track built out over the ocean, and paintball. It’s more Jersey Shore than casino resort, which is the point.

Plan it: 1400 Boardwalk (609-345-5219). Hours and prices aren’t posted online, so call in the off-season. Best for: kids who have already beaten every game at home.

9. Mini golf, indoors or out

Paid. North Beach Mini Golf, on the Boardwalk in the Inlet, is an 18-hole, Atlantic City-themed course that’s BYOB, with free street parking nearby and what it claims is the world’s only craps-table golf hole; through November 1, 2026 it becomes Haunted Golf for Halloween (daily in September, weekends in October). Ocean Casino Resort’s Ocean’s 18 Mini Golf & Bar, which opened in early 2026, goes the other way: an 8,000-square-foot, two-level indoor course with hologram effects and a bar, at $15 for nine holes or $25 for 18.

Plan it: North Beach is at 120 Euclid Ave. (fall hours 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, shorter on weekdays). Ocean’s 18 is open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, walk-ins only, and it’s 21 and over after 9 p.m. on weekends. Best for: families by day, couples by night.

10. Escape rooms

Paid ($49.99 a person at Escape AC). Two escape-room companies make good rainy-day plans. Escape AC, inside the Tropicana, has four Atlantic City-themed rooms (the Poker Room, Backstage, the Casino Cage and The Boardwalk), with private games for your group at $49.99 a person including tax; it recommends players be 13 or older. PanIQ Room, at Tanger Outlets, has rooms like Zombie Outbreak and Atlantis Rising.

Plan it: book ahead, especially on weekends. Best for: groups of friends and families with teenagers.

11. Tanger Outlets Atlantic City

Free to browse. The open-air outlet center a few blocks inland from the Boardwalk (it was called The Walk when it opened) has 64 stores and restaurants on Tanger’s own 2026 directory, down from the 100-plus older guides mention. Nike, Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, H&M and Under Armour are all there, along with Dave & Buster’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Plan it: 1931 Atlantic Ave., next to the bus terminal and the Wave Garage. Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Best for: a rainy afternoon, and whatever you forgot to pack.

12. Kennedy Plaza and the Boardwalk memorials

Free. Across from Boardwalk Hall, between Mississippi and Georgia avenues, Kennedy Plaza is an open-air amphitheater on the Boardwalk that hosts free summer concerts; in 2026 that meant Wednesday-night Mardi Gras AC shows from late June to early September and the Chicken Bone Beach jazz series in August and early September. Farther up the Boardwalk, Brighton Park at Park Place holds the New Jersey Korean War Memorial, dedicated in 2000, and at Albany Avenue a Boardwalk Holocaust Memorial has been under construction since June 2025.

Plan it: the summer concert schedules for 2027 aren’t out yet. Best for: a quiet stop between the casinos.

History, Landmarks and Museums

Atlantic City has more history per block than almost anywhere on the Shore: the first boardwalk in the country, the streets of the Monopoly board, the birthplace of Miss America, a convention that changed the civil rights movement, and a lighthouse older than the Civil War. Much of it is free to see, and most of it sits within a mile of the Boardwalk, which makes history one of the best-value things to do in Atlantic City.

13. Absecon Lighthouse

Paid ($10 adults, 2026). The banded brick tower in the Inlet is 171 feet tall, which its operators say makes it New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the country. It was first lit on January 15, 1857, and the man who took over its construction, Lt. George Meade, went on to command the Union army at Gettysburg. You climb 228 steps to the watch room (240 in all), and the view from the top takes in the city and the inlet. The light was decommissioned in 1933, but its original first-order Fresnel lens is still lit every evening, and the operators say it’s the only lighthouse in the state with its original first-order lens still in place. Down below there’s a reconstructed keeper’s house with a museum and gift shop, and a lens exhibit in the old oil house.

The tower needs work: in March 2026 the state awarded a $657,190 contract to an architecture firm for what it calls a complete restoration. No closure has been announced, but call before a special trip. Coming up this fall: the statewide Lighthouse Challenge on October 17-18 (children 11 and under climb free that weekend), a Pumpkin Patch Family Fun Festival on October 22, and the Luminary Light Festival on December 4, a $25-per-person evening with a full-moon climb and a tree lighting.

Plan it: 31 S. Rhode Island Ave. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in July and August; September through June, Thursday to Monday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays); last climb 30 minutes before closing. Climbing costs $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, $6 for children 4-12 and $5 for Atlantic City residents; active-duty military and children under 4 climb free (prices as of September 2026). Allow an hour. Best for: views, history buffs, and legs that don’t mind stairs.

14. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall

Free to look at; events ticketed. The giant arched hall on the Boardwalk opened in 1929 as Atlantic City Convention Hall, and its 137-foot barrel-vault roof made it the largest clear-span space in the world at the time, by the hall’s own account. It hosted the first indoor college football game (1930), became Miss America’s home in 1940, trained Army Air Forces recruits during World War II, and in 1964 held the Democratic National Convention that nominated Lyndon Johnson. It’s a National Historic Landmark, it reopened in 2001 after a $90 million renovation, and it now seats up to 14,770 for concerts and shows. The Miss America pageant, for the record, no longer takes place here: the 2027 title was crowned in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 6, 2026.

This fall’s bookings include Phish (October 2-4), the Atlantic City Comedy Festival (October 9-10) and Disney On Ice (November 6-7). Outside, at Kennedy Plaza, a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honors the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party’s 1964 challenge to the state’s all-white delegation; Visit Atlantic City says it’s the only one of those markers outside Mississippi.

Plan it: 2301 Boardwalk. The building is open for events; the history exhibit in the lobby (below) keeps weekday hours. Best for: concerts, and anyone who likes big old buildings.

15. The Boardwalk Hall organ

Free concerts; tours by reservation. Hidden in the walls of Boardwalk Hall is the Midmer-Losh pipe organ, built between 1929 and 1932, which its restoration committee calls “the largest (and loudest!) musical instrument on Earth”: 33,112 pipes, a seven-keyboard console and the world’s only 64-foot Diaphone pipe. It’s still being restored (about 60% of it, by the committee’s count, with completion expected around 2030), but it plays. The Historic Organ Restoration Committee runs free 30-minute noon concerts in the main arena, daily in summer and on select dates the rest of the year (this fall, October 14 and October 21), and Curator’s Tours on Wednesday mornings that take you through the organ chambers and the restoration shop.

Plan it: noon concerts need no reservation; Curator’s Tours run 10 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays, with fall 2026 dates on October 14 and 21 and November 11, 18 and 25, and you book through the RSVP form on the committee’s online calendar (boardwalkorgans.org); tours start in Boardwalk Hall’s lobby, and no price is listed. Best for: music lovers, and anyone who wants to feel a building vibrate.

16. The Atlantic City Experience

Free. The public library’s history exhibit, in the renovated lobby of Boardwalk Hall, is the best short introduction to the city: a timeline and sections on show business, Mr. Peanut, Miss America, Convention Hall and its organs, the beach and the Prohibition era, drawn from the library’s Heritage Collections, plus a statue of Fannie Lou Hamer, the civil rights leader whose testimony at the 1964 convention made national news. It opened in 2019 and replaced the old Atlantic City Historical Museum on Garden Pier, which closed in 2016; older guides still send people to the pier.

Plan it: free. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed weekends, and Boardwalk Hall sometimes closes the exhibit for events, so call the library (609-345-2269) before a special trip. Serious researchers can book time with the library’s local-history archive, the Heston Room, at the Main Library on Tennessee Avenue. Best for: a rainy weekday hour.

17. Chicken Bone Beach

Free. From about 1900 until the early 1950s, the stretch of beach between Missouri and Ohio avenues was where Black visitors to Atlantic City could swim, and it got its name from the chicken dinners families packed for the day. Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jackie Robinson, Lena Horne and Sugar Ray Robinson all spent time here, and it had its own all-Black beach patrol. The city made it a historic site in 1997, and on June 25, 2026, officials unveiled a New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker at Missouri Avenue and the Boardwalk, the first in Atlantic City.

Plan it: the beach is open to everyone now, free, with the marker at the Boardwalk. The Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation’s free “Jazz on the Beach” concerts ran on Thursday evenings from August 6 to September 3, 2026, at Kennedy Plaza; 2027 dates aren’t announced. Best for: a history walk with an ocean view.

18. The Civil Rights Garden and the Black Cultural Heritage Tour

Free. At Pacific Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Civil Rights Garden is a quiet sculpture garden of 11 granite columns, winding paths and ginkgo trees, with inscriptions honoring the people and events of the civil rights movement. In June 2026 the city also launched a Black Cultural Heritage Tour, an interactive web guide to sites including Pop Lloyd Stadium, Fire Station 2, Sonny’s Barbershop, Saint James AME Church and Chicken Bone Beach, which you can explore on your phone.

Plan it: the garden has no posted hours or fee; the tour is linked from the city’s website (acnj.gov). Best for: pairing with Chicken Bone Beach and the Atlantic City Experience.

19. Noyes Arts Garage and the African American Heritage Museum

Free (donations welcome). On the ground floor of a parking garage at Fairmount and Mississippi avenues, Stockton University’s Noyes Arts Garage has artist studios, small shops and a satellite gallery of the Noyes Museum of Art. It also houses the Atlantic City gallery of the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, founded by Ralph E. Hunter Sr. from his own collection, whose permanent “Stereotypes” exhibit examines the impact of stereotyped imagery through history. Its fall 2026 shows, “Dress to Finesse” and an exhibit honoring Rosa’s Southern Dining on the city’s Northside, run through November 14. The Noyes Holiday Market and Gingerbread Village fills the garage on December 5-6.

Plan it: 2200 Fairmount Ave. The Arts Garage is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; the heritage museum 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with a requested donation of $3 for adults and $2 for students (free on Wednesdays and for military). The Wave Garage above is pay-to-park. Best for: local art, and a side of the city most visitors never see.

20. Walk the Monopoly board

Free. Boardwalk, Park Place, Pacific Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor Avenue: the original Monopoly board took its street names from Atlantic City. The game’s roots go back to Elizabeth Magie’s The Landlord’s Game of 1904; Charles Darrow sold the first commercial version in 1934 and Parker Brothers bought it in 1935, and Atlantic City honored Darrow with a plaque near Park Place in 1970. The Boardwalk itself is capitalized because it’s an official street name, one it got 25 years after the first boardwalk opened in 1870.

Plan it: free, any time; Pacific, Atlantic and Ventnor avenues run parallel to the Boardwalk, a block or more inland. Best for: families, and anyone who has ever landed on Boardwalk with a hotel on it.

Gardner’s Basin and the Bay

Most visitors never leave the Boardwalk, which is a mistake. Up at the north end of the island, in the Inlet, Historic Gardner’s Basin is the city’s working waterfront: a city-run park on the back bay with the aquarium, the boats, two good restaurants and free parking. It’s the calmest, least casino-flavored corner of Atlantic City.

21. Atlantic City Aquarium

Paid ($15 ages 13+, 2026). The city’s small aquarium reopened on March 24, 2025, after five years closed for the pandemic and a round of repairs, and it’s worth an hour, especially with children. The star is Groman, a 225-pound loggerhead sea turtle, in a 25,000-gallon tank of Mid-Atlantic fish; there’s also a tropical reef with live coral and lionfish, moon jellies, lobsters and blue crabs, a cownose ray touch tank, and an estuary exhibit where kids can touch horseshoe crabs and whelks. A third-floor environmental learning space about local ecosystems opened in June 2026. The city says more touch tanks are coming. Ignore the old aquarium website that still says it’s closed for construction; the city’s own page is the current one.

Plan it: 800 N. New Hampshire Ave. Open daily year-round, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. from September 6, 2026 (last admission 5:15 p.m.); closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $15 for ages 13 and up, $10 for seniors, $8 for children 3-12 and free for 2 and under (effective June 1, 2026). Parking is free. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. Best for: families with young kids, and rainy days.

22. A dolphin-watching cruise

Paid ($50 adults, 2026). Atlantic City Cruises’ boat, the Cruisn’ 1, runs dolphin-watching trips from Gardner’s Basin with a marine naturalist narrating. Dolphins are the whole point, and the company is confident enough to guarantee a sighting: if you don’t see dolphins, you get a free ticket for another trip (there are no refunds). Bring cash for the bar; there are no card readers or ATM on board. In summer the same boat also runs one-hour skyline, sightseeing and happy-hour cruises.

Plan it: the 1 p.m. dolphin cruise lasts 1.5 to 2 hours and sails daily through September 27, 2026, then Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 30 to November 7. Fares are $50 for adults, $45 for seniors 62+, students and military, $25 for children 5-12, and free for 4 and under. The 2027 schedule isn’t posted. For whales, Cape May’s boats are the better bet. Best for: families, and a break from the Boardwalk.

23. The Atlantic City Tiki Boat

Paid ($50 a person). A 35-foot floating tiki bar called the Big Kahuna, with a full bar, that cruises the back bays for two hours at a time with up to 25 people aboard. It’s a party boat, not a nature tour, and it’s built for groups; you can charter the whole boat or buy individual tickets when seats are available.

Plan it: sails from 800 N. New Hampshire Ave. from mid-May to October 18, 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, with departures at 10 a.m., 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Individual tickets are $50 when available; a private two-hour cruise is $950. Best for: birthdays, bachelorette parties and anyone who wants a cocktail on the water.

24. Historic Gardner’s Basin itself

Free. Even without a boat ride, the basin is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon: marinas, a seawall, a grassy hill with bay views, and in 2026, for the first time, licensed food trucks at the seawall and at nearby Captain O’Donnell Memorial Park (they may operate 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.). Nearby, the county’s four-acre Oscar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park on the Absecon Inlet adds lawns, a pavilion, a playground, fishing spots and dog-friendly areas, and it connects to the Boardwalk. The city stages free events here: an Eagles watch party on October 4, 2026, and Harvest Town, a fall festival with a hay maze, laser tag, trunk-or-treat and pumpkin decorating, on October 24 (rain date October 25).

Plan it: free parking in the lots on N. New Hampshire and N. Rhode Island avenues. Pair it with Absecon Lighthouse, also in the Inlet. Best for: an easy, cheap afternoon.

25. Breakfast at Gilchrist, a beer at Back Bay Ale House

Casual dining. The basin’s two restaurants cover the day between them. Gilchrist, which has been serving breakfast and lunch since 1946, is the place for blueberry hotcakes before a morning on the water (it also has a counter inside the Tropicana). Back Bay Ale House, next to the boats, has a bayside deck, an outdoor bar and a bar built from a cargo container, and it’s now open year-round; it doesn’t take reservations, and it adds a 2.5% surcharge when you pay by card.

Plan it: Gilchrist is open daily 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (609-345-8278). Back Bay Ale House, 800 N. New Hampshire Ave. (609-449-0006), opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes when it closes, in its own words. Best for: a slow morning or a sunset drink after the dolphin cruise.

26. Go fishing

Paid; seasonal. Highroller Fishing, which bills itself as Atlantic City’s only back-bay party boat, runs four-hour trips from Gardner’s Basin in season ($50 for adults and $45 for children and seniors in 2026, cash only, bait included). Its last scheduled sailing of 2026 was Friday, September 25, the final day of fluke season, so fall visitors should plan on next summer. The year-round alternative is the Ventnor City Fishing Pier, a 1,000-foot ocean pier at the Ventnor end of the Boardwalk that the city calls the longest ocean fishing pier in New Jersey; in 2026 day passes were $15 for adults, sold by card only.

Plan it: Highroller checks in at the shack across from Back Bay Ale House (609-348-3474). The Ventnor pier is at Cambridge Avenue and the Boardwalk; call 609-822-2101 about fall day passes. Best for: kids who have never caught a fish, and adults who haven’t in years.

27. Paddleboarding and windsurfing on Lakes Bay

Paid. The sheltered back bays behind Atlantic City are a gentler place to try a board sport than the ocean. Extreme Windsurfing, on Lakes Bay in West Atlantic City, has taught windsurfing, kitesurfing, wing foiling and stand-up paddleboarding since 1993, and rents boards to experienced paddlers (its posted rates start at $40 an hour for a paddleboard, though the price page isn’t dated, so confirm when you book).

Plan it: 7079 Black Horse Pike, West Atlantic City (609-641-4445). Season dates aren’t posted; call ahead in fall. Best for: active travelers who want a day off from the casinos.

Where to Eat: Atlantic City Classics

The casinos have the celebrity-chef rooms (Caesars alone has Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Nobu and Morton’s), but the places Atlantic City people actually argue about are older, smaller and off the Boardwalk. These are the classics that were confirmed open in 2026, plus the neighborhoods where newer places are clustering. Every March, Taste Atlantic City (the event that replaced Restaurant Week) puts many of them on prix-fixe menus.

28. White House Subs

Sub shop. The sub shop that calls itself the “Home of Submarines” opened in October 1946, and its founders’ families still run it. Order the White House Special (Italian meats and provolone, stacked well past reason) or a steak sub made with USDA Choice top round, and don’t expect to finish it in one sitting. There’s a second counter inside Hard Rock if you’d rather not leave the Boardwalk, but the original is the pilgrimage.

Plan it: 2301 Arctic Ave. Open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (the Hard Rock counter keeps later hours). Best for: lunch, and settling the “who has the best sub in Jersey” argument for an afternoon.

29. Dock’s Oyster House

Seafood; reservations recommended. Harry “Dock” Dougherty opened Dock’s in 1897 with 60 seats and no liquor license, and four generations of Doughertys have run it since; Visit Atlantic City calls it the city’s oldest restaurant. It’s a classic seafood house: a raw bar with up to 10 oysters a night, crab au gratin, steaks, and a pianist every evening. Happy hour at the bar (4 to 6 p.m.) brings half-price appetizers and is the cheap way in.

Plan it: 2405 Atlantic Ave. (609-345-0092). Dinner nightly from 4 p.m.; free valet parking; business-casual dress (no hats, sleeveless shirts or beachwear). Best for: a proper night out.

30. Knife & Fork Inn

Historic dining room; reservations recommended. The building where Atlantic, Pacific and Albany avenues meet opened in 1912 as a private men’s drinking and dining club, founded by the mayor, William Riddle, Commodore Louis Kuehnle and their associates; the restaurant’s own history page is headlined “Nucky Ate Here.” It opened to the public in 1927, and the Dougherty family of Dock’s restored it after buying it in 2005. Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon dined on its porch, now the Terrace, in the film Atlantic City.

Plan it: 3600 Atlantic Ave. (609-344-1133). Dinner nightly from 4 p.m., happy hour 4-6 p.m., and lunch on Fridays; smart-casual dress, and note that the building has several levels and no elevator. Best for: history with your dinner.

31. Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern

Italian. The Mancuso family has run this Italian tavern in Ducktown since 1935, and it’s what people mean when they say old Atlantic City: homemade pasta, chicken parm, veal and seafood in a room that hasn’t tried to become anything else. It’s a few blocks from Boardwalk Hall and the Convention Center, which makes it an easy pre-show dinner.

Plan it: 2300 Fairmount Ave. (609-344-2439). Dinner Monday to Friday 5-9:30 p.m. and weekends 4:30-9:30 p.m. Best for: red-sauce Italian, and families.

32. Chef Vola’s

Italian; reservations essential. A family-style Italian restaurant in a private home on a residential street in Chelsea, with limited seating and a devoted following. Reservations are taken by phone only, with a credit card to hold the table, and the waitlist is real. Visit Atlantic City lists it as BYOB, so bring your own bottle.

Plan it: 111 S. Albion Place (609-345-2022). Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday. Book well ahead, and read the cancellation rules: cancel at least 48 hours out, and parties of seven or more pay a deposit. Best for: a special occasion, if you plan ahead.

33. Formica Freitag Bakery

Bakery and cafe. The bakery that bills its loaf as “the original” Atlantic City sub bread has been baking in the neighborhood since 1919, at 2310 Arctic Ave. since 1928. Older guides call it Formica Bros.; the name changed with new owners in 2019, but it’s the same place, and the bakery credits the bread’s texture to Atlantic City’s water from the aquifer under the Pinelands. Stop for a loaf, a pastry or breakfast in the cafe.

Plan it: 2310 Arctic Ave., on the same block as White House Subs. The cafe is open daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Best for: breakfast, and bread to take home.

34. Tony’s Baltimore Grill

Pizza; open late. Tony’s calls itself Atlantic City’s oldest pizza joint (established 1927), and it’s where the city eats after everything else closes: the dining room runs until 2 a.m. most nights and 3 a.m. on weekends, and the bar never closes.

Plan it: 2800 Atlantic Ave. (609-345-5766). Best for: a late-night slice after a show.

35. Tony Boloney’s

Pizza and subs. The opposite of old-school: Tony Boloney’s started as a small deli in 2009 and made its name with “experimental” pizzas and subs, like its taco pizza; it has turned up on national food shows including Man v. Food. It’s in the Inlet, handy for Absecon Lighthouse and Gardner’s Basin.

Plan it: 300 Oriental Ave. (609-344-8669). Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Best for: adventurous eaters and hungry teenagers.

36. Kelsey’s and Kelsey & Kim’s

Soul food. Kelsey and Kimberly Jackson’s restaurants are the city’s soul-food institutions. Kelsey’s, the supper club on Pacific Avenue, pairs Southern cooking with live R&B and jazz on weekends and a weekend brunch buffet; Kelsey & Kim’s Southern Cafe on Melrose Avenue does breakfast and lunch; and the newer Kelsey & Kim’s Oceanview, on an upper floor of the Flagship Resort, adds big windows over the Absecon Inlet and Brigantine.

Plan it: Kelsey’s is at 1545 Pacific Ave. (winter hours: dinner Wednesday to Sunday, 4-10 p.m.; brunch buffet Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; walk-ins welcome). The Southern Cafe is at 201 Melrose Ave., and the Oceanview location takes cards and phone payments only. Best for: Southern cooking, brunch and a Sunday afternoon.

37. The Orange Loop

Bars, restaurants and live music. Named for the orange properties on the Monopoly board, the Orange Loop is three beach blocks of New York Avenue, St. James Place and Tennessee Avenue just off the Boardwalk, and it’s the best evidence that there’s a new Atlantic City growing next to the old one. Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall has 40 beers on tap; Cardinal is a New American restaurant from chef Michael Brennan; Bar32 makes its own chocolate for dessert cocktails, with a speakeasy called The Iron Room behind it; Anchor Rock Club books live bands; and Hayday Coffee handles mornings.

Know what’s gone before you go: the Irish Pub on St. James Place, a 24-hour landmark since 1972, has been closed for renovations since January 2, 2026, with no reopening date; Bourré closed in 2022 (Cardinal now has its space); and Rhythm & Spirits has left for Philadelphia. A container park of new shops on Pacific Avenue is listed as coming soon.

Plan it: start at the Boardwalk end of Tennessee Avenue. Anchor Rock Club shows are usually 21 and over. Best for: a night out that doesn’t involve a casino.

38. Ducktown

Neighborhood dining. The neighborhood around Boardwalk Hall and the outlets is Atlantic City’s Little Italy; its community development corporation says the name comes from the Italian immigrants who kept ducks in the early 1900s, though it’s careful to say “allegedly.” Beyond Angelo’s, Formica’s and Dock’s, it’s now as much Latin American and Asian as Italian: Angeloni’s Club Madrid, Setaara (Afghan and French, halal and BYOB, per Visit Atlantic City), Mexican taquerias, pho, and the Ducktown Tavern, which is open around the clock on weekends. Ducktown Park, at Mississippi and Arctic avenues, has a mural celebrating the community.

Plan it: walk up from Boardwalk Hall or the Convention Center. Best for: an inexpensive, varied dinner within walking distance of the arena.

39. Salt water taffy

Candy shops. Salt water taffy’s name was born on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the 1880s; the city library tells the story of a storm soaking David Bradley’s candy stand in 1883 but is careful to call it a popular legend. James’ and Fralinger’s, the two famous old brands, are now made by the same family company, which runs four Atlantic City stores: on the Boardwalk at Tropicana, at Bally’s (Park Place), at Tennessee Avenue, and on the second floor of Hard Rock. A box is the classic souvenir, and it survives the trip home.

Plan it: the stores are all on or at the Boardwalk. Ignore older listings for a James’ shop at 1519 Boardwalk or on the pier at Caesars, and for a factory tour; the company’s own store list doesn’t include them. Best for: souvenirs for everyone who didn’t come.

Shows, Comedy and Nightlife

Atlantic City’s casino theaters and Boardwalk Hall book a steady run of big-name entertainment, and it doesn’t stop when summer ends. Everything below was on sale or posted on the venues’ own calendars in late September 2026; check them for times and prices, and expect the venues to be 21 and over wherever a bar or club is involved.

40. A headline concert at a casino theater

Ticketed. The biggest room is Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, which Visit Atlantic City puts at about 6,200 seats; this fall it has The Doobie Brothers (October 2), Chris Tucker (October 3), Ricky Martin (October 16), Godsmack (October 23), Chicago (November 6-7), The Temptations and The Four Tops (November 27) and Earth, Wind & Fire (December 11-12). Borgata’s Event Center has Gladys Knight (October 10), The Price Is Right Live (October 30-31), Gwen Stefani (November 20) and Jerry Seinfeld (December 5); Ocean Casino Resort’s Ovation Hall has John Mulaney (October 23), Jon Stewart (November 6) and Steve Martin and Martin Short (November 7); and the Tropicana Showroom has Alice Cooper on Halloween and Babyface on November 6. Boardwalk Hall’s arena shows are listed under Boardwalk Hall above.

Plan it: buy through each venue’s own website, which links to its official ticket seller. Best for: a big night out, even if you never touch a slot machine.

41. Stand-up comedy

From about $25. Comedy is one of Atlantic City’s best-value nights. The Atlantic City Comedy Festival fills Boardwalk Hall on October 9-10, 2026 with Sheryl Underwood, DeRay Davis, Bruce Bruce, Tommy Davidson and others (tickets from $77.50, according to Visit Atlantic City). Year-round, AC Jokes runs a comedy room at Resorts with no drink minimum and tickets from $25, and the Atlantic City Comedy Club in the Tropicana’s Quarter (strictly 21 and over) has shows most nights, also from about $25. Big names play the casino theaters too: Brian Regan and Patton Oswalt at Borgata’s Music Box in November, Jo Koy at Ovation Hall on November 20.

Plan it: the comedy clubs’ schedules change week to week in the off-season, so check before you go. Best for: a cheap, reliable night out.

42. Drag shows and the Miss’d America Pageant

Ticketed. Atlantic City’s most famous pageant these days isn’t Miss America, which has left town, but the Miss’d America Pageant, a drag pageant now in its 35th year and billed as the city’s longest-running LGBTQ+ event; the 2026 edition is on October 11 at Caesars’ Circus Maximus Theater, hosted by Carson Kressley. Every week through December 27, Diva Royale’s drag and celebrity-impersonation show plays the Tropicana’s Anthem Lounge, including a Sunday brunch show (from $35, per Visit Atlantic City).

Plan it: Diva Royale plays Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and three times on Saturdays. Best for: bachelorette parties, birthdays and anyone who likes a show with attitude.

43. Dance clubs

Cover varies; 21 and over. The big club is HQ2 at Ocean Casino Resort, two levels with DJ nights on Fridays and Saturdays (this fall’s lineup includes Joel Corry on Halloween and Tchami on November 14). At Harrah’s, The Pool After Dark turns a glass-domed indoor pool into a nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights ($20 and $30 cover as of September 2026). The Tropicana’s Quarter has three: Kiss Kiss, the throwback Boogie Nights (’70s to ’90s, $5 to $20 at the door) and Anthem, which stays open until 5 a.m. on weekends. Borgata’s nightlife list has no nightclub at all, and Hard Rock’s old club, DAER, is now listed only as a private-event space.

Plan it: bring ID and check the dress codes (Kiss Kiss bans athletic wear and work boots). Best for: groups who want to dance.

44. Bars with a view, or a gimmick

21 and over. A few bars are worth a detour for their own sake. Phil’s Carousel Bar at Bally’s is a 24-seat rotating carousel bar, open around the clock, which Visit Atlantic City calls the first of its kind in New Jersey. The VUE Rooftop Bar, on the 23rd floor of The Claridge, has 360-degree views of the ocean and the skyline. Caesars’ Toga Bar is a Roman-themed lounge with live entertainment Thursday to Sunday and no cover, and Hard Rock’s Lobby Bar has live music seven nights a week. In summer the casinos run beach bars, including the new Caesars Beach Club, which opened in June 2026, but they’re seasonal, so check before you go in fall.

Plan it: remember that outside alcohol isn’t allowed on the beach or Boardwalk. Best for: a nightcap with a view.

Day Trips Near Atlantic City

Some of the best things to do from Atlantic City are a short drive off the island: a six-story elephant, a wildlife refuge with the casino skyline on the horizon, a colonial-style shopping village and a winery that dates to 1864. Drive times below are light-traffic routing estimates from Boardwalk Hall.

45. Lucy the Elephant (Margate)

Paid ($9 adults, 2026). Lucy is a six-story elephant built in 1881 by James Lafferty of Philadelphia, who called her the Elephant Bazaar, and she has been a National Historic Landmark since 1976, so 2026 marks her 145th birthday and 50 years as a landmark. Her keepers at the Save Lucy Committee call her America’s oldest roadside attraction. You see the inside on a guided tour, climbing the spiral stairs in her hind legs. It’s one of the few things in the Atlantic City area that every age group enjoys.

Two things have changed. The gift shop, where you buy tour tickets, has moved temporarily across the street to 9219 Atlantic Ave., at Washington Avenue, while a new visitor welcome and interpretive center is built beside Lucy for people who can’t climb the stairs; parts of the surrounding park may close during construction. And the interior restoration got $350,000 in federal funding in March 2026, after an earlier grant was rescinded. On October 17, 2026, Lucy’s Trunktoberfest runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Plan it: 9200 Atlantic Ave., Margate. Tours only: $9 for adults 19 and up, $8.50 for teens, $5 for children 3-12, free for infants (who still need a ticket) and U.S. military with ID; the grounds are free. Through October 2026 she’s open daily, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends, with tours about every 45 minutes; from November 2 to December 8 she’s closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and she’s closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Winter hours are limited (weekends only from January to March in 2026), and the 2027 calendar isn’t posted. There are only ten parking spaces, and there are no public restrooms at the elephant itself. NJ Transit bus 505 runs down Atlantic Avenue from Atlantic City. Drive: 10 min from Boardwalk Hall. Best for: everyone; bring the grandparents and the toddler.

46. Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

Paid ($4 a car). Twelve miles from the Boardwalk, the Wildlife Drive at Forsythe is an 8-mile, self-guided auto route through salt marsh, freshwater pools and woods, with observation towers at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove and the Atlantic City skyline floating on the horizon. The refuge protects more than 48,000 acres of coastal habitat along about 50 miles of back bays, and it sits on the Atlantic Flyway, which is why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counts more than 360 bird species here. Bring binoculars, and in July bring bug spray; the marsh’s greenhead flies run from late June into September.

Plan it: 800 Great Creek Road, Galloway (Oceanville). The refuge is open year-round from sunrise to sunset; the entrance fee is $4 per vehicle or $2 on foot or bike, and bicycles are allowed on the Wildlife Drive. The visitor information center is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (passes there are cash or check only). Allow two hours. Drive: 20 min from Boardwalk Hall. Best for: birders, photographers and anyone who needs to see something that isn’t a slot machine.

47. Historic Smithville

Free to wander. A village of about 50 shops and seven places to eat, built around the 1787 Smithville Inn, a former stagecoach stop, with a lake with paddle boats, a small train, a carousel and old-fashioned arcades. Much of it was assembled from old South Jersey buildings brought in after the inn reopened in 1952, so it’s more theme than time capsule, but it’s pleasant, walkable and busy with events in fall. Atlantic City’s old political boss, Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, was born in Smithville in 1883.

Fall 2026 is packed: the Smithville Oktoberfest with more than 150 crafters on October 3-4 (free, with a free shuttle from Smithville Square), an Irish Festival on October 10-11, a pet costume parade on October 17, the Monster Bash on October 24, and a Holiday Light Show every night from November 27 to January 6, with a Dickens Fest on November 28-29.

Plan it: 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Galloway (if your GPS doesn’t know Smithville, enter Galloway or Absecon). Fall shop hours through November 26 are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, with longer hours in the holiday season; restaurants stay open later. Drive: 25 min from Boardwalk Hall. Best for: shoppers, families and a rainy-day alternative to the casino arcades.

48. Renault Winery

Paid tours. Founded in 1864 by Louis Nicholas Renault, who came from France’s Champagne region, Renault bills itself as America’s oldest continuously operating winery; it kept making wine through Prohibition under medicinal and religious exemptions. The Tour and Taste walks you through the historic winery rooms and ends with a guided tasting of three wines and a small charcuterie plate, and the grounds also hold a hotel, a golf course, a spa and restaurants. Fall 2026 events include a harvest experience on October 3, a paint-and-sip night on October 16 and a free dog day on October 17.

Plan it: 72 N. Bremen Ave., Egg Harbor City (609-965-2111). Tours run at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; Renault doesn’t post prices online, so check when you book. Drive: 35 min from Boardwalk Hall. Best for: couples, and anyone who’s had enough of the Boardwalk for one day.

49. Marine Mammal Stranding Center (Brigantine)

Free (suggested $5 donation). Just across the bridge in Brigantine, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center rescues and rehabilitates stranded marine animals, and its Sea Life Museum is the part the public can visit: life-size replicas of the marine mammals and turtles found in New Jersey waters, a sperm whale jawbone and whale baleen, a bone garden outside, and a live camera feed of the seal patients. The museum is in a 12-sided 1930s military building that once disguised Coast Guard sonar equipment. The center’s Pup Strut fundraiser walk is on October 10, 2026.

Plan it: 3625 Brigantine Blvd., Brigantine. The museum keeps seasonal hours that it doesn’t post online, so call (609) 266-0538 before you go. NJ Transit bus 501 runs to Brigantine from the Atlantic City Bus Terminal. Drive: 15 min from Boardwalk Hall. Best for: kids who love animals, and a quick stop on the way to Brigantine’s beaches.

50. Ventnor’s boardwalk and the Margate bayfront

Free. Keep walking (or biking) south and the Boardwalk crosses into Ventnor, where the casinos and shops fall away and it becomes a quiet residential promenade; together the two boardwalks run about 5.75 miles. Ventnor’s end has the 1,000-foot fishing pier, and just beyond, Margate has Lucy and, on September 26-27, 2026, its free Fall Funfest by the Bay, with more than 110 booths, live bands and a kids’ stage. For the rest of the coast, from Brigantine to Cape May, see our guide to every Jersey Shore town.

Plan it: dogs aren’t allowed on the Ventnor boardwalk, and summer bike hours are limited there too (from July 1 to Labor Day, 6 a.m. to noon on weekends and daylight hours on weekdays). NJ Transit bus 505 runs along Atlantic Avenue to Ventnor, Margate and Longport. Best for: a long morning walk or bike ride away from the crowds.

When to Go: Atlantic City Through the Year

Atlantic City is a year-round town in a way the rest of the Shore isn’t, because the casinos, shows and restaurants never close. What changes with the seasons is the list of outdoor things to do in Atlantic City. The city itself treats peak tourist season as over by early October.

Season	Weather and water	What’s open	Worth knowing
Summer (June to August)	July averages 87°F highs; the ocean averages 69°F in July and 73°F in August	Everything: guarded beaches, cruises daily, Steel Pier every day, trams 10 a.m.-10 p.m.	Peak prices and crowds; greenhead flies in the marshes; the Soar & Shore Airshow kicks off summer (June 4-6, 2027)
Fall (September to November)	The ocean is still about 72°F in September and 64°F in October	Steel Pier rides on weekends, dolphin cruises through November 7, trams through November 29	The marathon (October 17-18, 2026), Harvest Town, Smithville’s festivals; the best value of the year
Winter (December to February)	January averages 43°F highs and 25°F lows	Casinos, shows, the aquarium, museums; many outdoor attractions close or cut hours	The Holiday Parade (December 12, 2026), big arena shows, the Boat Show (February 24-28, 2027)
Spring (March to May)	May averages 73°F highs, but the ocean is only about 57°F	Trams from mid-March; attractions reopen on weekends; guarded beaches from late May	Taste Atlantic City fills March with prix-fixe menus; the April Fools Half Marathon runs on the Boardwalk (April 11, 2027)

Climate figures are NOAA’s 1991-2020 averages for Atlantic City’s airport and nearby waters. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks around mid-September; even storms that stay offshore can shut down swimming and bring flood warnings for the roads into town, as Hurricane Erin did in August 2025.

Atlantic City events, fall 2026 to summer 2027

These are the dates that were officially announced by late September 2026. Anything missing, like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, July 4 fireworks or Pride, hadn’t set a 2027 date yet.

Date	Event	Where
October 2-4, 2026	Phish	Boardwalk Hall
October 3, 2026	Empanada Fiesta (free)	O’Donnell Memorial Park
October 9-10, 2026	Atlantic City Comedy Festival	Boardwalk Hall
October 11, 2026	Miss’d America Pageant, billed as the city’s longest-running LGBTQ+ event	Caesars (Circus Maximus)
October 17-18, 2026	AmeriHealth Atlantic City Marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K	Start and finish on the Boardwalk at Michigan Avenue
October 24, 2026	Harvest Town (free)	Historic Gardner’s Basin
November 6-8, 2026	Disney On Ice	Boardwalk Hall
December 4, 2026	Luminary Light Festival ($25 donation)	Absecon Lighthouse
December 12, 2026	Holiday Parade and Market (free)	Atlantic Avenue and O’Donnell Memorial Park
December 20, 2026	Cirque Dreams Holidaze	Ocean Casino Resort (Ovation Hall)
January 1, 2027	New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge (annual; time not yet posted)	Resorts Casino Hotel
February 24-28, 2027	Atlantic City Boat Show	Atlantic City Convention Center
March 2027 (dates to come)	Taste Atlantic City, the month-long successor to Restaurant Week	Restaurants citywide
March 4-9, 2027	Metro (MAAC) men’s and women’s basketball championships	Boardwalk Hall
April 11, 2027	April Fools Half Marathon and 8K	The Boardwalk
June 4-6, 2027	Soar & Shore Airshow (free)	The beach and Boardwalk near Bally’s
June 10-12, 2027	Atlantic City Classic Car Auction	Atlantic City Convention Center
August 1, 2027	Atlantic City Triathlon	Atlantic City
October 16-17, 2027	Atlantic City Marathon weekend	The Boardwalk

Two calendar changes catch people out. Atlantic City Restaurant Week is gone, replaced in 2026 by Taste Atlantic City, which runs all of March (in 2026, three-course lunches were $20 and dinners $30, $45 or $60 at more than 70 restaurants). And the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival held its final edition in April 2026. Big trade conventions, like the NJEA teachers’ convention on November 5-6, 2026, are closed to the public but can make rooms scarce, so book early for those dates.

Getting to Atlantic City and Getting Around

Atlantic City is about 2 hours 40 minutes from Times Square and 1 hour 20 minutes from Philadelphia City Hall by car in light traffic, and it’s one of the few places on the Jersey Shore you can reach easily without one. Once you’re here, the Boardwalk, the Jitney and your own two feet cover almost everything.

By car

From New York and North Jersey, the usual route is the Garden State Parkway south; from Philadelphia, it’s the Atlantic City Expressway. The Expressway went fully cashless on January 4, 2026, so there are no toll booths to pay at: E-ZPass works as usual, and without it you’re billed by plate at roughly double the rate plus a $1 fee per bill. A full-length 2026 trip for a car costs $6.49 with E-ZPass and $12.98 by plate. The Parkway still takes cash.

Parking is where Atlantic City gets you. Casino garages charge non-members roughly $10 to $25 a visit in 2026 (Ocean Casino Resort charges $15 to self-park; Bally’s says $10 to $25), and players-club members often pay less or nothing, so join the rewards club at the casino where you’ll spend the most time. The Atlantic City Convention Center garage is a flat $20, Boardwalk Hall’s garage prices by event ($40 for Disney On Ice in November 2026), and Historic Gardner’s Basin and the aquarium have free lots. The city has meters and pay kiosks on its streets, including beach blocks, so read the sign for the rate. In a declared snow emergency, cars on posted snow routes such as Atlantic Avenue are towed.

By train and bus

• From Philadelphia by train: NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Rail Line runs daily from 30th Street Station, stopping at Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Lindenwold, Atco, Hammonton, Egg Harbor City and Absecon; the adult one-way fare is $13.05 (2026). The Atlantic City Rail Terminal is attached to the Convention Center, and a free Jitney shuttle meets the trains and runs rail passengers to every casino; for the ride back, it picks up 25 minutes before the train leaves. The last train out is around 10:50 p.m., so check the timetable before a late show.
• From New York by bus: NJ Transit route 319 runs express from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with limited stops at Newark Penn Station and Journal Square. A round-trip excursion ticket costs $49.75 in advance (on the NJ Transit app or at Port Authority) and is valid for 10 days.
• From Philadelphia by bus: route 551 runs from Center City via Camden’s Walter Rand Transportation Center; the round-trip excursion fare is $23.65, valid 10 days and not sold on board. Route 554 connects with PATCO trains at Lindenwold.
• By air: Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), about 12 miles from town, is served by Breeze and Allegiant, mostly to Florida and the Carolinas, and by American Airlines, whose Landline bus takes you to Philadelphia’s airport after you check bags and clear security at ACY. Spirit, once the airport’s main airline, stopped flying from ACY in May 2026, even though some local pages still list it. Taxis and rideshares pick up at the curb; the Jitney stopped serving the airport at the end of 2020.

Getting around

• The Jitney: the Atlantic City Jitney’s small buses run 24 hours a day along Pacific Avenue, a block behind the Boardwalk, past the casinos, the Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall, plus a Marina District route. It’s $3 a ride in cash (or in the Jitney Surfer app); a 10-ride sheet is $25, and seniors 62 and up pay $7.50 for 10 rides with ID. The Gardner’s Basin stop is served only in summer, and by request the rest of the year.
• Boardwalk trams: open-air trams run the Boardwalk between Ocean Casino Resort and Albany Avenue from mid-March to November 29; wave one down anywhere. It’s $5 one way or $13 for a day pass ($3 and $7 for children 12 and under). Fall hours are shorter: from November 2, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days and until 8 p.m. on Saturdays.
• NJ Transit local buses: the 505 along Atlantic Avenue is the most useful, running to Ventnor, Margate and Longport; the 501 goes to Brigantine and the 507 and 509 to Ocean City.
• On foot or by bike: most of what a visitor wants is on or within a few blocks of the Boardwalk. Bikes are allowed on the Boardwalk only at set times in summer, and e-bikes and other motorized vehicles never are.

Taxes and fees to expect

Atlantic City has its own luxury tax, so prices on the Boardwalk run a little higher than the sticker suggests. A hotel room is taxed at 13.625% in all, casino-hotel rooms add per-night state and city fees, and casino hotels such as Bally’s ($28) and Hard Rock ($30) add nightly resort fees on top. Drinks by the glass are taxed at 9.625%, and admission tickets, amusement rides and beach chair or bike rentals at 12.625%. Restaurant food pays the regular 6.625% state sales tax.

Road work this fall

If you’re driving in this fall, expect cones. Since September 2026 the city has been repaving Pacific Avenue by day and Atlantic Avenue overnight, with lane closures, detours and temporary no-parking zones; the Atlantic Avenue work is due to finish before the December 12 Holiday Parade. The Boardwalk is also getting $26 million in repairs in two phases, and the city’s last update had the larger one finishing by the end of 2026, so you may find short fenced-off stretches.

Is Atlantic City Safe? An Honest Answer

Atlantic City has a reputation, and the numbers explain why it lingers: New Jersey State Police figures count 3,110 serious (index) offenses in the city in 2024, a rate of about 8,300 per 100,000 residents. Two things put that in context. First, the rate is calculated per resident, and Atlantic City’s population of about 37,000 is small next to the number of people visiting on a busy day, so it overstates the risk to any one visitor. Second, most of those crimes are thefts: larcenies made up about 64% of the 2024 total.

The trend is improving. Index crimes fell from 3,372 in 2023 to 3,110 in 2024, with drops in robberies, burglaries and car thefts, and the police department reported another 11% drop in offenses in the first quarter of 2025. Through July 31, 2026, according to county prosecutor figures reported in August, the city had one homicide and five non-fatal shootings in 2026, down from 11 homicides and 40 non-fatal shootings in 2021.

The Tourism District, which covers the Boardwalk, the casino blocks and Gardner’s Basin, gets extra attention. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority paid $3 million for extra police patrols there from April 2025 to March 2026 and approved another $2 million in 2026, and it runs about 30 full-time and 30 seasonal ambassadors who patrol the Boardwalk, help visitors and report trouble. The city has also been adding surveillance cameras, and in 2026 the police added a drone program.

Our practical advice, which is the same as for any city:

• At night, stay on the Boardwalk, in and around the casinos and on the busy, well-lit stretches of the main avenues. The Jitney runs all night along Pacific Avenue, so there’s rarely a reason to walk long distances in the dark.
• Watch your things on the beach and in crowds; theft is the crime you’re most likely to meet.
• Know the rules: the beach is closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., loitering or sleeping under the Boardwalk is illegal, smoking of any kind is banned on the beach and Boardwalk, and outside alcohol isn’t allowed (within the city’s designated open-container zone, adults 21 and over may carry a drink bought from a licensed seller, in that seller’s plastic cup). The city’s curfew for unaccompanied minors runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Swim only when lifeguards are on duty. In 2026 every beach block was guarded from the July 4 weekend, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; before July and after Labor Day only some beaches have guards, and the city warns against swimming when they’re off duty.

What’s Changed in Atlantic City

Atlantic City has changed more in the last few years than most guides have caught up with. These are the changes most likely to send you to the wrong place.

Place or event	What changed	What it means for you
Miss America	The pageant no longer takes place in Atlantic City; the 2027 title was crowned in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2026	For a pageant, go to the Miss’d America drag pageant (October 11, 2026)
The airshow	Now the Soar & Shore Airshow in late spring, not a midweek August show	June 4-6, 2027, free on the beach near Bally’s
Atlantic City Aquarium	Reopened March 24, 2025 after five years closed; its old website still says it’s closed	Open daily; use the city’s page for hours
Atlantic City Historical Museum	Closed on Garden Pier in 2016, when the city sold the pier; the new owner began demolishing part of it in 2026 for an entertainment project	See the free Atlantic City Experience in Boardwalk Hall instead (weekdays)
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!	Closed for good on December 31, 2022	The globe-front building by New York Avenue is no longer an attraction
The Playground pier	Its shops and bars sat empty for years; since 2023 it has been a film studio	Nothing there for visitors; Steel Pier and Central Pier are the piers to visit
Restaurant Week	Replaced by Taste Atlantic City, which runs all of March	2027 dates and menus aren’t out yet
Beer & Music Festival	Held its final edition in April 2026	Don’t plan a spring trip around it
The Irish Pub, the Orange Loop	Closed for renovations since January 2, 2026; Bourré and Rhythm & Spirits are gone	Try Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Cardinal or Anchor Rock Club
Atlantic City Expressway	All-electronic tolling since January 4, 2026	No cash booths; toll-by-plate costs about double
Atlantic City airport	Spirit stopped flying from ACY in May 2026; the Jitney stopped serving the airport in 2020	Fly Breeze, Allegiant or American (by bus via Philadelphia); take a taxi or rideshare into town
Boardwalk trams	Run from mid-March to late November, not just in summer	$5 one way or $13 for a day pass
Lucy the Elephant	Gift shop and ticket sales moved across the street while a visitor center is built	Buy tour tickets at 9219 Atlantic Ave.
Chicken Bone Beach	Got a New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker in June 2026	Find it at Missouri Avenue and the Boardwalk

What to Skip

• Staying on the casino floor all weekend. The Boardwalk, the beach, the lighthouse and Lucy are all better value than any slot machine, and most of them are free or close to it.
• Driving the Expressway without E-ZPass. Toll-by-plate bills cost about twice as much, plus a fee on each bill.
• Swimming when the lifeguards have gone home. The city warns against it, and outside summer only some beaches are guarded.
• Expecting summer hours in the off-season. From October, Steel Pier’s rides run on weekends only, the dolphin cruises sail three days a week until November 7, and many beach bars have closed.
• Whale watching from Atlantic City. The boats here sell dolphin cruises; for whales, go to Cape May.
• Old lists that send you to Ripley’s, The Playground, the Garden Pier museum, the Irish Pub, Bourré or a James’ taffy factory tour. None of them is open to you in 2026.
• Walking long, empty stretches of the avenues late at night. The Jitney runs all night along Pacific Avenue for $3.

Things to Do in Atlantic City: FAQ

What is there to do in Atlantic City besides gamble?

Plenty: walk the Boardwalk and use the free beaches, ride the Steel Pier wheel, climb Absecon Lighthouse, see the aquarium and take a dolphin cruise from Gardner’s Basin, tour Lucy the Elephant in Margate, catch a noon organ concert or a show at Boardwalk Hall, and eat at classics like White House Subs, Dock’s Oyster House and Angelo’s.

Are Atlantic City beaches free?

Yes. Unlike most Jersey Shore towns, Atlantic City doesn’t sell beach badges, so the beaches are free for everyone. They’re open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer, and smoking, outside alcohol and motorbikes aren’t allowed on the beach or Boardwalk.

Is Atlantic City worth visiting?

Yes, if you go for more than the casinos. The Boardwalk, free beaches, historic landmarks, the bay and a long run of big-name shows make it a good weekend, and it’s reachable by train from Philadelphia and by bus from New York. Fall is a good time to go, with warm water and quieter beaches.

Is Atlantic City safe for tourists?

Mostly, with ordinary city caution. State Police counted 3,110 serious offenses in 2024, most of them thefts, and the numbers have been falling. The Tourism District around the Boardwalk has extra police patrols and ambassadors. At night, stick to the Boardwalk, the casinos and busy streets, and use the 24-hour Jitney.

How do you get to Atlantic City without a car?

From Philadelphia, take NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Rail Line from 30th Street Station ($13.05 one way in 2026) or the 551 bus. From New York, take NJ Transit’s 319 bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal; its $49.75 round-trip excursion ticket must be bought in advance. A free Jitney shuttle links the rail terminal to the casinos.

What is Atlantic City like in the fall and winter?

Quieter. The ocean is still about 72°F in September, the casinos, shows, aquarium and museums stay open all year, and events like the marathon (October 17-18, 2026) and the Holiday Parade (December 12) fill the calendar. Outdoor attractions cut back: Steel Pier’s rides go to weekends, and cruises end in early November.

Is the Island Waterpark in Atlantic City open year-round?

It calls itself year-round: the indoor water park at the Showboat has a retractable roof and stays above 80°F. Off-season it opens on weekends only; in October 2026 that meant noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, plus Columbus Day. Tickets start at $49, or $29 after 4 p.m.

Can you drink on the Atlantic City Boardwalk?

Only in limited ways. Outside alcohol isn’t allowed on the beach or Boardwalk, but within the city’s designated open-container zone, adults 21 and over can carry a drink bought from a licensed seller if it’s in that seller’s plastic cup. Smoking and vaping are banned on both the beach and the Boardwalk.

Related New Jersey Guides

• The Jersey Shore, town by town: every beach town from Sandy Hook to Cape May compared, including Brigantine, Ventnor, Margate and Ocean City next door to Atlantic City.

Sources and How We Checked

We checked every price, hour, date and closure on this page on September 23-24, 2026, on the attractions’, restaurants’ and venues’ own websites and calendars; on the City of Atlantic City’s, NJ Transit’s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s and the airport’s official pages; and on the official tourism bureau’s listings or a news report we name in the text. Crime figures come from the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reports and the Atlantic City Police Department. We did not visit for this update, and nothing here is sponsored. Drive times are light-traffic estimates from the OSRM routing engine, rounded to five minutes.

• City of Atlantic City: news releases, the aquarium, beach rules, events and road work
• NJ Transit: getting to Atlantic City (rail, buses and excursion fares)
• Absecon Lighthouse: plan your visit and Lucy the Elephant: visiting
• Steel Pier and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, with the Historic Organ Restoration Committee
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
• Atlantic City International Airport and the Atlantic City Jitney Association
• New Jersey State Police: crime reports

New Jersey Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit New Jersey or the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, Visit Atlantic City, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, NJ Transit or any casino, attraction or restaurant listed here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo Credits

• Steel Pier from the beach: photo by Bruce Emmerling, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The Boardwalk at Michigan Avenue: photo by Dough4872, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• American oystercatcher on the beach: photo by Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Absecon Lighthouse at dusk: photo by Ted Kerwin, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
• Boardwalk Hall: photo by Farragutful, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
• The 1964 Democratic National Convention: photo by Cecil Stoughton, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
• Atlantic City Aquarium: photo by Farragutful, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• White House Sub Shop: photo by Toohool, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Lucy the Elephant: photo by Acroterion, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)