Atlantic City Boardwalk

The Atlantic City Boardwalk is the original, the first boardwalk in the world, built in 1870, and remains the iconic spine of this New Jersey seaside resort. Stretching for miles along the Atlantic, the wooden promenade links the big casino-hotels with classic seaside amusements, arcades, saltwater-taffy shops, and piers jutting over the ocean, most notably the Steel Pier with its rides and the shopping at The Playground (Pier Shops). Rolling wicker chairs pushed by attendants are a only-in-AC tradition.

It's brash, nostalgic, and quintessentially American, a mix of faded glamour and seaside fun. Come for the ocean air and a stroll, the casinos and entertainment, or the beach (free, unlike many on the Jersey Shore). It's busiest and liveliest in summer; some find it melancholy off-season, but the boardwalk and beach endure year-round.

Don't miss

• The world's first boardwalk (1870), running for miles
• Steel Pier's rides and the oceanfront piers
• Classic arcades, amusements, and saltwater taffy
• The rolling wicker boardwalk chairs
• The free beach and Atlantic Ocean air

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Atlantic City Boardwalk

Cheapest way inAces to Ashes: Apparitions of Atlantic City Boardwalk Ghost Tour4.2★ · 39 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$26 per personSee dates →Most bookedNYC Empire State Building Observation Deck Ticket4.4★ · 7,289 travelers1–2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$48 per personSee dates →Top ratedOC Bay Hopper - Assateague Island Cruise4.9★ · 176 travelers1–3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$40 per personSee dates →

Good for

How travelers rate it

Know before you go

• The beach is free here, unlike many Jersey Shore towns.
• Summer is liveliest; off-season is quiet and some attractions close.
• Try a rolling wicker chair ride, a long-standing boardwalk tradition.
• Stick to the boardwalk and busy areas, especially after dark.

A bit of history

Opened in 1870 to keep sand out of hotels and railcars, Atlantic City's was the world's first boardwalk. The resort boomed as a seaside getaway and entertainment capital (and inspired the street names in Monopoly), later reinventing itself around casinos from the late 1970s.