Wildwood: Atlantic Beach, Boardwalk, and Doo-Wop History

Wildwood combines a long Atlantic beach with a Boardwalk lined with amusement piers and rides. These offer different focuses for planning your trip: wide sandy areas for beach activities or attractions along the promenade. There is also a water park and a history of Doo-Wop architecture. If you’re looking for hotels in Wildwood, it helps to first decide whether you’d like to focus your stay on the coast, rides, or cultural history.

Atlantic Beach and Coastal Area

Wildwood Beach stretches for five miles along the Atlantic coast and is part of the wider Wildwood coastal area. The wide sandy areas offer plenty of space for beach activities. This makes the coast a distinct focus for planning your trip: you can think of beach activities as a counterpoint to the rides on the Boardwalk.

Boardwalk and Rides

The Wildwood Boardwalk is centrally located in Wildwood and stretches for nearly two miles. It starts in North Wildwood and ends in Wildwood Crest. Comparing five miles of coastal beach with nearly two miles of Boardwalk gives you two different scales: one figure describes the wider beach area, the other the promenade. A trackless tram car runs the entire length of the Boardwalk.

Morey's Piers comprises three amusement piers on the Wildwood Boardwalk, with more than 100 rides and attractions. These include children’s rides, roller coasters, water rides, and a Ferris wheel. This variety can help you decide whether to prioritize different types of rides or focus more on beach and cultural themes during your stay.

Another water-focused option is Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club. It offers water slides, pools, private cabanas, and ocean views. The difference between beach activities and a water park is clear: Wildwood Beach offers wide sandy areas, while Ocean Oasis offers water slides and pools, as well as private cabanas and ocean views.

Doo-Wop History in Wildwood

The Doo Wop Experience Museum preserves the history of Wildwood’s Doo-Wop architectural style from the 1950s and 1960s. Its exhibits include items from that era, such as historic signs, furniture, and other memorabilia. Visitors can take guided tours and learn more about the history of the Wildwoods and the Doo-Wop architectural style. For a stronger cultural history focus, the museum complements the coastal and leisure offerings: a guided tour connects the architectural theme with the history of the Wildwoods.

Events in the Wider Coastal Area

In the wider region, the beach areas along the coast of North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Diamond Beach host annual events. These include the Wildwood Beach Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, the Thunder on the Beach Monster Truck Race, and the Wildwood International Kite Festival. The events broaden the focus on Wildwood to include the wider coastal area. If you’d like an event to shape your stay, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations: Sea Isle City, Wildwood Crest, Stone Harbor, Middle Township, Ocean City, Avalon, Dennis, Marmora

Go to the main travel overview: Cape May.