Beyond the Boardwalk: History Comes Alive on the Jersey Shore

Quiet beaches and living history merge along this stretch of coast

The boardwalk comes alive at night with the bright and shimmering lights from the carnival rides at Morey’s Pier. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

Wildwood in New Jersey attracts families from within and from neighboring states with its warm waters and an impressive selection of boardwalk entertainment and eateries. From the fun rides and carnival games at Morey’s Pier to salt water taffy treats and beach pies, the 38-block boardwalk is a huge draw for many visitors.

The beach itself is crowded with colorfully striped beach umbrellas. The occasional banner plane flies across the sunny skies, and the seagulls flap their wings overhead as they stake out fallen fries.

But after a while, if this gets a little overwhelming, there are plenty of places in Cape May County, which includes Wildwood, for a chance to decompress.

The city of Cape May, less than 10 miles away, provides choices for quieter beaches, historical sites, and even a living history museum. It stands proud as a “Coast Guard Community,” one of only 17 in the country. Here are some notable places to visit.

Congress Hall

Congress Hall dates back to 1816 and is recognized as America’s first seaside resort. (Cape Resorts)

As the nation’s oldest seaside resort, dating back to 1816, Congress Hall was also, at one point, the summer White House for President Benjamin Harrison. You can’t miss its butter-yellow façade, as it’s surrounded by charming Victorian homes that stand out because of their multicolored pastels. This area will transport you to a different time and era.

Cape May Point State Park

Towering over the Cape May Point State Park, this 157-and-a-half-feet tall lighthouse casts its glow over the mouth of the Delaware River. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

At the southern part of the cape, historical sites and ruins are sprawled out on the grounds and surrounding areas of Cape May Point State Park.

The first logical stop would be at the Cape May Lighthouse, located next to the park’s visitor center. You may opt to climb all 199 steps to the top to catch views of the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean or get a bird’s eye view of the state park’s trails.

Then, walk over to the sandy beach area of the park and you will find an abandoned bunker that evokes images of the Star Wars fictional desert planet, Tatooine. Built as part of the World War II Harbor Defense of the Delaware system, the bunker, also known as Battery 223, was also used during the Korean War when they added a radio transmitter station atop it. The bunker isn’t open to visitors, but it does offer a unique photo opportunity from your vantage point on the beach.

A short drive west from the lighthouse will take you to the World War II Lookout Tower. This tower, also called Fire Control Tower No. 23, was built in response to Germany’s steady encroachment into many European countries. This is the last freestanding lookout tower in New Jersey, and it was also part of the Harbor Defense Program, of which the previously mentioned bunker is a part.

Just a few paces away is Sunset Beach. You will notice right away the rusty debris sticking out of the water. It’s the site of a shipwreck with a very interesting backstory. The S.S. Atlantus was one of 12 experimental concrete ships built toward the end of the Great War as a response to the shortage of steel. By the time the ships were completed, the war was over. The Atlantus was to be towed to be repurposed as a ferry dock, but it ran aground during a storm and couldn’t be freed. Here, off the coast of Cape May, it finds its final resting place.

Sunset Beach isn’t a swimming beach, but you may hunt for “Cape May diamonds”—small pieces of crystal quartz—to add to your rock collection.

Historic Cold Spring Village

Historic Cold Spring Village recreates life in early America. Here, the schoolhouse allows children to get a glimpse of school life as well as the games children played back in the day. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

This more-than-30-acre living history museum presents early American life during the “homespun era”—that time in history when patriots wore locally-sourced textiles in defiance of the Crown. Watch the village blacksmiths shape metal and the potters work at the wheel. Children get to experience early American school life and play the games kids played back then, while adults enjoy a grown-up drink at their in-house brewery. It’s a good change of pace for young and old alike.

A Beach Feast

Quincy’s serves up traditional Maine-style lobster tossed in mayo as well as the Connecticut version of the lobster sandwich with the meat dipped in warm butter sauce served in a split-top bun. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

Lobster rolls may not be traditional beach fare, but that didn’t stop Quincy’s Original Lobster Rolls from opening up a space on the Wildwood boardwalk. Started by a group of friends who wished to recreate their memories of Maine’s seafood sandwiches, they opened their first location in Cape May in 2015, and they have clawed their way through many seaside towns and beach boardwalks since then. If you can’t go up to Maine yourself, this is the next best thing.

More Than the Beach

At one end of the boardwalk these arches remind everyone that the beach is a truly special place for making memories. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

Wildwood’s five-mile coast continues to draw sunbathers and swimmers from all over, but this area is more than the beach and boardwalk. It’s also an abandoned bunker, a sunken ship, historic lighthouses, and so much more.

There’s more to Jersey than the Jersey Shore.

Fire Control Tower No. 23 was built in 1942 as part of the Fort Miles Harbor Defense System located in Delaware. It was built to spot enemy German ships at the height of Nazi victories throughout Europe. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)

A passing ship seems oblivious to the wreckage from the S.S. Atlantus as it cruises by on the Delaware Bay. (Courtesy of Lynn Topel)