12 Best Sights in Atlantic City, New Jersey Shore

Part thoroughfare, part three-ring circus, the Boardwalk is center stage for every imaginable oddity. Conceived in 1870 as a way to allow Victorian-era visitors to experience nature without getting sand in their shoes, the Boardwalk became the place to see or be seen. Named for Alexander Boardman, the promenade's inventor—and not as you might think, for its wooden boards—the 4-mi-long Boardwalk begins in Atlantic City's Inlet section (at Maine Avenue), and heads south into neighboring Ventnor, where it continues for another 1½ mi (to Jackson Avenue). Saltwater taffy was invented on the Boardwalk in 1883, as legend has it, when a storm flooded a candy dealer's wares. The Boardwalk's attractions include amusement piers, museums, arcades, bars, restaurants, carnival games, and miniature golf. The Steel Pier, which once hosted the best music acts of the day as well as the famed diving-horse show, is now home to rides and carnival games. On Schiff's Central Pier you can take a spin in go-carts or play the signature shore game: skeeball. Aside from strolling up and down the boards, the traditional way to experience the Boardwalk is to be pushed in a rolling chair. These wicker chairs evolved from the wheelchairs that infirm visitors used back when the city's promoters' claimed the salty ocean air could cure all diseases. Despite medical evidence to the contrary, after a long stroll on the Boardwalk, you might have to agree.

The 1857 lighthouse was designed by George Meade, stands 171 feet tall, and is the oldest man-made tourist attraction on the Jersey shore. You can tour the adjacent lightkeeper's house and climb the 228 steps to the top for a great view of Atlantic City. In summer, kids are invited to Wacky Wednesday programs, moonlight climbs, and even sleepover adventures.

Ease into the morning with a skyline cruise, take the family on a quest for marine mammals with a lunchtime dolphin cruise, or toast the end of the day with a happy-hour cruise. In the summer, daily departures from Gardner's Basin aboard Cruisn 1 ply the coastal waters, granting up to 100 passengers a unique perspective on Atlantic City and is ocean and bay inhabitants.

The 456-foot-long, 310-foot-wide, and 137-foot-tall architectural wonder was once the largest clear span space in the world. Opened in 1929, the main hall hosted the Miss America Pageant from 1940 to 2004 and is now the city's main venue to see championship boxing and stadium-style performances by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Cirque Du Soleil. After more than 80 years, it still holds at least one record. It houses the world's largest pipe organ.

One of the hottest properties in Atlantic City is not on the Boardwalk but in the Marina district, way on the other side of the city. When it opened in 2003, the $1.1 billion casino-hotel was the first addition to Atlantic City since 1990 and exists on a scale more akin to Las Vegas than anything in these parts. Glitzy yet trendy, Borgata encompasses a 161,000-square-foot casino with more than 170 gaming tables and 2,549 slot machines, 14 restaurants (including offerings from Micael Symon and an outpost of New York City's Old Homestead steakhouse), and two theaters that each seat more than 1,000 people. The architecture and interior design, a blend of modern elements and old-Italy motifs, combined with the Borgata's nightclubs and specialty boutiques pull in a younger, hipper crowd than the other area casinos.

More than 48,000 acres of coastal habitats—including nearly 5,000 acres of woodland—are protected in this refuge. Peregrine falcons and bald eagles are among the winged visitors. There are numerous trails to explore like the 8-mile self-guided wildlife drive; the 3-mile dog-friendly Bristow Trail, which is a great place to see migratory songbirds; or the Akers Woodland Trail, an easy ¼-mile jaunt that's wheelchair and kid-friendly. To get here from Atlantic City, head west on U.S. 30, then right on U.S. 9. After about 5 miles, make a right onto Great Creek Road.

Once home to pirates, privateers, and whalers, this neighborhood across the water from the Marina district is now a restored maritime village and waterfront park complete with Crafters Village, historic vessels, restaurants, and the Atlantic City Aquarium.

This enclave of restaurants and shops (or shoppes, as they prefer) is centered on the Historic Smithville Inn. Car shows, parades, drum and fife performances, and other special events descend upon the quaint brick streets throughout the year. To get here from Atlantic City, take the Atlantic City Expressway to northbound U.S. 9.

Located in the city's Arts District and home to artist's studios, galleries, shops, and a café, the Garage hosts special events throughout the year. It's also home to 1,200 square feet of gallery space for The Noyes Museum of Art and the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey.

The wunderkind of the Boardwalk welcomes the well-heeled to its casino and sportsbook, where there are nearly 2,000 slot machines, more than 125 table games, a plush section for the high rollers, and the Gallery Bar, Book & Games with 140 feet of LED walls that line the venue and plenty of space to watch all the sports you want. Expansive views of the Atlantic during the day give way to a sultry nightclub vibe as the sun slips below the horizon, and there are a variety of live shows and a dozen restaurants to choose from including the steakhouse American Cut and Jose Garce's Amada. The 5,500-seat venue Ovation Hall hosts musicians, sporting events, and Broadway-style entertainment.

The non-profit Marine Mammal Stranding Center is on call to rescue stranded dolphins, seals, sea turtles, and whales that travel up this way and into New York Harbor. The Sea Life Museum is the only part of the center that's open to the public. Its exhibits relate to ocean life and showcase bones recovered from the beach and life-size replicas of fish and marine mammals. To get here from Atlantic City, cross the Brigantine Bridge to Atlantic-Brigantine Boulevard.

The 20-acre theme park, about 10 miles west of Atlantic City, has 50 larger-than-life buildings and displays illustrating the tales of popular childhood stories—perfect for the under-8 set. There are also whimsical low-speed rides, gift shops, food stands, and a picnic area. The Easter Bunny visits in April, there's fall and Halloween fun in October and early November, and Santa arrives in mid-November.