Asbury Park combines Atlantic beaches with a boardwalk lined with cultural and recreational attractions, as well as a defining music history. When planning your visit, it helps to distinguish between these highlights: beaches and surfing offer a different experience from historic buildings, exhibitions and live music.
Beach and surfing: Check the designated areas
The roughly one-mile beach and waterfront area has attracted surfers, swimmers, sunbathers, anglers and onlookers for centuries. The beach is a defining part of the town, but for specific plans, it also matters which section you have in mind.
The beach area between the groins at Deal Lake Drive and Eighth Avenue is reserved exclusively for surfing; swimming is not permitted there. Check the seasonal dates for the surf beach before your visit. On the beach between Eighth Avenue and Deal Lake Drive, Summertime Surf offers surf lessons and a surf camp. If you are planning your trip around these, check the seasonal dates and current program, as details may change.
The Asbury Park boardwalk is fully accessible. There are ramps to the sand and portable beach mats at every beach entrance. These access options provide practical guidance for planning a beach visit; they do not affect the designated surf zone, where swimming is prohibited.
Boardwalk, architecture and recreation
Shortly after Asbury Park was founded, a boardwalk was built with a band shell, public changing rooms and a pier extending into the Atlantic Ocean. Today, the Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre complex is a distinctive part of the boardwalk. It includes a theater, an exhibition hall and an arcade lined with shops and amusement attractions.
Music is also part of the boardwalk. The Silverball Retro Arcade, a tribute to pinball and video games, is located there; there is also mini golf. Alongside its architectural and historical highlights, the boardwalk offers its own recreational activities.
Music history and historic houses
The Stone Pony opened its doors on February 8, 1974. A live concert broadcast from the venue brought it and Asbury Park into the national spotlight in 1976. The Stone Pony Summer Stage draws a range of artists during the warmer months; the artists change from one event to another. The venue’s history and its seasonal program are distinct aspects: the opening date points to the past, while the Summer Stage takes place during the warmer months.
The Stephen Crane House is one of the oldest surviving houses in Asbury Park. It was built in 1878 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Open tours for individuals and small groups are available on Sundays from 12 to 2 p.m.; additional tours can be arranged by appointment. Check visitor information before your visit.
The Asbury Park Museum presents its exhibitions in the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, at 1401 Ocean Avenue. They are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The current multimedia exhibition, “More Than A Beach Town: The Commercial Rise of Asbury Park,” features commercial buildings and businesses established between 1871 and the 1940s. Its focus is the town’s commercial development, while the Stephen Crane House spotlights a single historic building.
More waterfront and recreational activities
The Asbury Park Spray Park is a free public outdoor water park open to residents and visitors. The beach playgrounds at 2nd Avenue and 7th Avenue are also free to access; no beach pass is required. The water park and playgrounds offer activities that differ from those in the beach zone designated specifically for surfing.
A kayak storage rack is located at the Deal Lake Boat Launch, at the intersection of Main Street and 7th Avenue. Before using it, check whether it is available and what rental terms, if any, apply.
Discover more destinations: Eatontown, Belmar, Keansburg, Tinton Falls, Sea Girt, Middletown, Wall Township, Marlboro Township
For the regional travel overview: Monmouth.
