Atlantic City Boardwalk Webcam – America’s First Boardwalk

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Webcam looks straight down the wooden promenade in Atlantic City, New Jersey, covering the stretch between Tennessee Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. The planks fill most of the frame and run away toward the northeast, with a beach railing and dune grass along the right edge. The tan building on the right is Schiff’s Central Pier Arcade, and the blue building behind it is the Atlantic City Beach Patrol headquarters. Further up the beach, LandShark Bar and Grill sits out on the sand in front of Resorts Casino Hotel, and Steel Pier reaches over the water in front of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Foot traffic is what changes most: quiet at first light, steady by mid afternoon, heavy on a summer weekend.

About the Atlantic City Boardwalk

The Boardwalk opened on June 26, 1870, and it was only ever meant to last the summer. Local businessmen put up a temporary plank walkway for about 5,000 dollars, running 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) and measuring roughly 3 meters (10 feet) across. The reason was practical rather than scenic. Beach sand was being tracked into hotel lobbies and railroad cars, and a raised wooden path kept it on the beach where it belonged.

It was the first walkway of its kind anywhere, and the idea travelled quickly along the coast and then around the world. The modern Boardwalk runs 8.9 to 9.3 kilometers (5.5 to 5.75 miles), which makes it the longest in the world. The camera covers a few hundred meters of that total, near the middle of the casino frontage, so what appears on screen is a small slice of a very long walk.

Two of the piers in shot carry their own history. Central Pier opened in 1884 as Applegate’s Pier, was expanded in 1891, took fire damage in 1912, and was rebuilt in 1922. It still operates today as the arcade the camera looks down on. Steel Pier opened on June 18, 1898 and reaches about 300 meters (1,000 feet) out over the Atlantic. Advertised for decades as the Showplace of the Nation, it closed in 1978, burned in 1982, and was rebuilt late in the 1980s on the same footprint.

Weather and Climate in Atlantic City

Atlantic City sits on a barrier island, and the ocean takes the edge off both ends of the year. January is the coldest month, averaging highs near 4 C (40 F) and lows around 0 C (31 F). Winter mornings on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Webcam are often close to empty, with the planks bare and the beach behind them a flat grey. July is the warmest, with average highs near 27 C (81 F) and lows around 22 C (72 F), and that is when the promenade carries its heaviest foot traffic.

Spring and autumn sit between the two and tend to produce the clearest pictures, with lower humidity and long stretches of open sky. Coastal weather can turn in any season, though. Wind driven rain leaves the planks dark and reflective, which the camera picks up well, and a wet afternoon can empty the frame almost completely. Sea fog is possible along this coast and will soften the piers in the distance while the foreground stays sharp.

Things to Do Near the Atlantic City Boardwalk

Steel Pier is the obvious first stop, sitting directly in front of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at the far end of the camera view, and it still runs as an amusement pier out over the water. Closer to the lens, Schiff’s Central Pier Arcade occupies the pier that has stood here in one form or another since 1884. Resorts Casino Hotel fronts the beach a little further along, and LandShark Bar and Grill is the low building out on the sand in front of it, which is about as close to the water as a table gets in this town.

The Boardwalk itself is the main attraction, and there is no need to walk all of it. Rolling chairs and tram cars still work this stretch, which is the old way to cover ground between the piers without wearing yourself out. The beach runs the full length on the ocean side and is free to use, with the Atlantic City Beach Patrol headquarters, the blue building in the camera frame, staffing the lifeguard stands through the summer season.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Atlantic City Boardwalk located?

It runs along the oceanfront of Atlantic City, on Absecon Island in Atlantic County, New Jersey. This camera covers the section between Tennessee Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, in the middle of the casino frontage.

What can you see on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Webcam?

The wooden promenade and the people on it, with Schiff’s Central Pier Arcade on the right, the Atlantic City Beach Patrol headquarters behind it, and Steel Pier and Resorts Casino Hotel further up the beach. The beach railing and dune grass run along the right edge of the frame.

What is the weather like in Atlantic City?

January averages highs near 4 C (40 F) and lows around 0 C (31 F). July averages highs near 27 C (81 F) and lows around 22 C (72 F). Spring and autumn are milder and usually give the clearest view.

How long is the Atlantic City Boardwalk?

It runs 8.9 to 9.3 kilometers (5.5 to 5.75 miles), which makes it the longest boardwalk in the world.

When was the Atlantic City Boardwalk built?

It opened on June 26, 1870, as a temporary summer structure about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) long and 3 meters (10 feet) wide, built to keep beach sand out of hotel lobbies and railroad cars.

Can you see Steel Pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Webcam?

Yes, at the far end of the view, in front of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It opened in 1898 and extends roughly 300 meters (1,000 feet) over the Atlantic.

Is the Atlantic City Boardwalk free to walk?

The promenade and the beach alongside it are open to the public. Rolling chairs, tram cars and the rides on Steel Pier are paid separately.

Source: APM Digital