When’s the best time to visit the Jersey Shore? Right now!
For a longtime Shore resident like me, September is the golden, glorious month. After Labor Day, traffic on the Parkway is merely mildly jammed as opposed to being at an absolute standstill, you don’t have to arm-wrestle for a spot on the beach, and generally you need not wait hours for a table at your favorite restaurant. And the weather’s usually sublime.
But let’s not romanticize too much: In many cases, you still have to feed the meters, and if the weather’s nice, those crowds can be sizable post-Labor Day. Nothing keeps New Jerseyans from the Shore. It’s in our DNA.
Here are 23 great places to visit in the Shore’s absolute best month. It’s an annual list; the first one appeared in 2018.
This is an all-new list, a mix of towns, restaurants, beaches, natural areas and the Shore’s weirdest, wackiest contest. Some are popular nearly year-round; others you may not even have heard of. All have one thing in common — the best time to visit is NOW!
The places are not ranked but listed alphabetically by town.
READ MORE: The one thing you must eat in every Jersey Shore town, 2025 edition
Atlantic City Aquarium, Atlantic City
The Atlantic City Aquarium re-opened this May - finally! - after five years of work and delays. Inside are 125-plus different species of marine animals, plus touch tanks filled with sharks and horseshoe crabs. It’s open year-round, seven days a week. The aquarium is in Gardners Basin, also home to The Back Bay Ale House and Gilcrist, the latter an atmospheric hole-in-the-wall wonder and one of my favorite AC restaurants.
African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, Atlantic City
Ralph Hunter started collecting African American cultural artifacts 30-plus years ago; his first find, in a North Carolina antique shop, was an original edition of “Little Black Sambo” by Helen Bannerman. “I bought it to take it off the market,” Hunter says. His collection soon grew to overwhelm his apartment. The mayor of Buena Vista offered him a space, and the African American Museum of Southern New Jersey was born. A satellite location later opened at the Noyes Arts Garage in Atlantic City. Paintings, ceramics and advertising memorabilia on display portray African-Americans “in both a flattering and unflattering way,” according to the website. “They may make some uncomfortable, but they also serve to start the larger conversation about the true African American experience.” I named the original museum the best thing about Buena in my Greatest Thing About Every New Jersey Town series. The Atlantic City museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free; donations are encouraged.
Queen City Crust, Beach Haven Gardens
Long Beach Island wasn’t really a pizza paradise until BLVD Pizza in Surf City and Queen City Crust opened in recent years. Queen City Crust, which makes Detroit-style pizzas (rectangular pan crispy pizzas) opened in a Beach Haven coffee shop in the summer of 2022, then opened as a pop-up in the Beach Haven Fire Department in 2023. Last summer, Queen City Crust moved into a building next to Howard’s Seafood Restaurant. This summer, I named them the Jersey Shore’s best pizzeria, replacing BLVD Pizza at the top spot.
Delaware Bay Museum, Bivalve
Admit it, you’ve never been to Bivalve. It’s a ride from just about anywhere, perched sleepily on the Maurice River, near Delaware Bay, on the “other’' Jersey Shore. The town was once the booming center of the state oyster industry. Today it is home to the Delaware Bay Museum and the A.J Meerwald, the state’s official tall ship. The restored 85-foot oyster-dredging schooner was one of hundreds built on the Bayshore in the 1920s. The museum features photos and artifacts that tell the story of that rich, colorful chapter in the state’s history.
The River Queen, Brielle
Sightseeing cruises, buffet luncheon cruises, fireworks cruises, murder mystery cruises, and don’t forget weddings, corporate events, private parties and special events — the River Queen offers adventures of all kinds. The paddle boat — it looks like a two-story funnel-topped birthday cake — plies Manasquan River, Point Pleasant Canal and Barnegat Bay with daily 90-minute sightseeing cruises. Bars on both decks, and don’t worry about waves. One of the website’s FAQs: “Will I get seasick?” Answer: “It is very unlikely. The River Queen cruises only calm, inland waters.” I named the River Queen as the best thing about Brielle in my Greatest Thing about Every NJ Town series.
Sunrise walk, any Jersey boardwalk
Yeah, I know, Jersey shore sunsets are epic and all, but a sunrise walk down any Shore boardwalk may be the most quietly awesome thing you’ll do this time of year. The shops are shuttered, the rides silent, even the seagulls are, for once, are not launching dive-bomb missions. There may be a scattering of walkers and joggers but you’ll have the boardwalk mostly to yourself.
Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Brigantine
One of the more unusual attractions on the Jersey Shore, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center cares for stray or injured dolphins, whales, seals and other marine mammals until they can be returned to the water. Founder Bob Schoelkopf and his wife were putting on dolphin and sea lion shows on Steel Pier when their help was sought for an ailing pygmy sperm whale that had washed up on the beach. They opened their first center in Atlantic City in 1977, moving to Brigantine in 1983. While you’re in town, stop at Aversa’s Bakery, which merely makes the best sticky buns and rolls Down the Shore.
Louisa’s, Cape May
The best dish I’ve had so far this year? The cinnamon rice pudding at Luisa’s. Colossally creamy and close to perfect. Louisa’s ended up No. 1 in my ranking of Cape May’s 11 best restraints, but it wasn’t just because of that rice pudding. I tried the blackened baby bluefish, tender and moist, with a lemon and olive oil dip as a perky accompaniment. I loved the crisp asparagus; I can count on one hand or two the number of times I’ve had asparagus in my life. But that rice pudding...
US Froth Blowing Championship, Cape May
The strangest event at the Jersey Shore this time of year? The United States Frothing Championship, held Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Ugly Mug. Whoever blows the most foam out of his/her glass becomes the United States National Froth Blowing Champion. Now that’s one title I’d love to hold.
Mambo Nando’s, Keansburg
Time to give Keansburg, and the Raritan Bay towns, some love. Nando and Jaime Diaz operate Mambo Nando’s, an open-air stand specializing in Puerto Rican food at Keansburg Amusement Park. The menu covers traditional dishes - pernil (slow roasted pork), carne guisandas (beef stew), and chicharrones (deep-fried pork cubes), among others. But the best dish here is the stuffed chicken (a special, check their Facebook page to see when it’s available). A baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach and a creamy cheese blend, it’s the best chicken dish I’ve had all year.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Lakewood
Minor league baseball is wrapping up for the season, but you can still catch some action at the Jersey Shore BlueClaws this week, with games Tuesday through Friday. The Blue Claws are the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and the fact that I’m a Phillies fan has nothing to do with them being on this list.
Flight Deck Diner, Lower
Eat where the Secret Service eats. That could be the motto of the Flight Deck Diner, where members the agency charged with protecting the president ate in 2020 when then-president Donald Trump held a rally in Wildwood. The restaurant, at Cape May Airport, is decorated with hundreds of police, fire and military badges and photos of fighter jets. I love the soups, especially the roasted red pepper, and the chili, thick and hearty.
Manasquan Inlet, Manasquan/Point Pleasant Beach
A great place to watch fishing and party boats stream to sea or back to port, or just to chill, Manasquan Inlet separates Manasquan from Point Pleasant Beach. Carlson’s Corner, a longtime breakfast, lunch and ice cream spot, is there. The inlet was one of my favorite places when I lived in Manasquan. It represented Manasquan in our Greatest Thing About Every Single Jersey Shore Town installment, one of five parts in our Greatest Thing About Every Single New Jersey Town series. Who knows, you may even run into Bruce there.
Cape May-Lewes Ferry, North Cape May
For some reason I cannot explain, I rode the Cape May-Lewes Ferry for the first time several years ago. I was heading for a weekend in Rehoboth Beach, but the ferry ride was the highlight. It’s a peaceful, scenic 17-mile trip across Delaware Bay. Bring your car, bike, or just yourself. Reservations are required.
Ocean Grove
There is no Jersey town quite like Ocean Grove, the “Jewel of the Jersey Shore.” Oceanfront setting, charming main street (Main Avenue), cute shops, ample restaurants, maybe the state’s most splendid structure (the Great Auditorium). And did we mention the 100 or so tents residents call home in the summer (rules: no barbecues, no dogs, and definitely no loud music). Ocean Grove, part of Neptune Township, is a dry town, but you can have beer or wine on your tent porch, as long as it’s in a cup (no cans or glasses allowed). They don’t make towns like this anymore. It ranked high on my list of the Jersey Shore’s best towns.
Smithville
I keep running into people who’ve been to Atlantic City innumerable times yet have never been to Smithville, and it’s minutes away. It started as a one-room stage coach stop and is now a quaint and folksy burg with 60 shops in an attractive park-like setting. The Historic Smithville Inn — the original one was built in 1787 — is here, plus three other restaurants, and you can even spend the night in town, at the Colonial Inn Bed and Breakfast. My favorite places at Smithville include the Smithville Bakery and Underground, the latter for all your punk rock merchandise needs. The best peanut butter in New Jersey is also here. I tried 29 kinds, and the best was at Smithville Peanut Butter Co.
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Shut Up and Eat! Toms River
New Jersey’s wackiest restaurant? Shut Up and Eat! and it’s it’s not even close. The waitresses wear pajamas (the owner has 360 pairs of her own), the Christmas tree stays lit year-round, a goat is mounted on the wall, and the menu includes 40 burgers and a staggering 47 kinds of waffles.
One of the many whimsical/wacky signs around the place proclaims: Three rings of marriage: Engagement RING, wedding RING and suffeRING.
Shut Up and Eat! opened in 2006 in the Silverton section of Toms River. It’s moved three times since. The restaurant’s current spot is a former Friendly’s. It’s an essential Jersey experience, and the food’s good.
Robert J. Novins Planetarium, Toms River
I know we said earlier that September is the most glorious month, but that doesn’t mean it’s always sunny. A rainy day isn’t a lost day; head to the Robert J. Novins Planetarium at Ocean County College. Renovated in 2010, the building features a 100-seat surround-sound auditorium with seats that recline at 45 degrees. Programs this month include laser shows devoted to the music of Taylor Swift, The Beatles, and Prince.
Albert Hall, Waretown
Albert Hall is not just the state’s pre-eminent venue for bluegrass and old-timey music, it’s an unforgettable slice of Americana. In the early 1970s, brothers George and Joe Albert and friends would play in the brothers’ secluded deer cabin. The event became so popular they rented space at Waretown Auction. The building burned down in 1992, and Albert Hall moved to an elementary school and then to its current location. There are Saturday evening shows (adult admission $6, children 11 and under $1). And it’s cash only.
West Cape May
Cape May is the Shore’s most romantic town - all those B&Bs! - but prefer West Cape May, where 1,020 people live at the end of Jersey. There’s plenty to love here: Beach Plum Farm; Chez Michel (one of my favorite Shore bakeries); Exit Zero Filling Station; Sapore Italiano; Willow Creek Winery; South Cape May Meadows (in West Cape May and Lower Township). Five of the 11 restaurants on my list of Cape May’s 11 best restaurants are in West Cape May.
West Wildwood
West Wildwood - guarantee you’ve never been there - is the hidden Wildwood, the one that never gets any love. Well, I’m about to give it some. The minuscule municipality, with about 600 residents, is not on the ocean, as is North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, which explains West Wildwood’s anonymity. “Small town charm on the back bay” is the official slogan. There’s no much to “do” here, and that’s the point. The Dock (photo) finished high on my list of Wildwood’s 11 best restaurants.
Race of Gentlemen, Wildwood
A Mad Max movie crossed with a motorcycle rally. That’s a good way to describe the Race of Gentlemen, with vintage motorcycles racing across Wildwood’s impossibly wide beach. The weekend-long event, billed as the Greatest Race on Earth, celebrates American racing heritage. It’s a great, grand spectacle, with vintage vehicles you’re not about to see on the Parkway any time soon. This year’s event will be held Oct. 3 to 5.
Giant Wheel, Wildwood
A ride on the Giant Wheel, high above the Wildwood boardwalk’s neon-lit magnificence, is an essential Jersey Shore experience. There’s no better way to end your summer, local or otherwise.
Stories by Peter Genovese
Peter Genovese’s new book, “The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore,” is available at Amazon and at bookstores.
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Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. On Twitter, @petegenovese. On Instagram, @peteknowsjersey and https://www.instagram.com/themunchmobile/?hl=en
