By: Erin McFeeters

Established in 1850 and celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, is a county renowned for its sandy shores, plentiful pine trees, and fertile farmland. From seed to shore, Ocean County is more than summer tourism and sea breezes; its storied history is full of tales of the Rockefellers, famous airships, and so much more.

Offset from portions of Monmouth County, Ocean County became New Jersey’s 20th county in 1850, according to Ocean County. Just 10,000 residents resided within the county at the time, and according to John Fee, Long Beach Island Historical Museum Media and Communications Secretary, Ocean County’s residents are known across history book pages for self sufficiency, which played a vital role in New Jersey’s development as an agricultural state and becoming the Garden State it is today.

“Ocean County was dominantly a region that thrived on agriculture, hunting, and fishing. I hear stories of people who lived on LBI, for example, in the early to mid-1800s, and they were baymen who fished all summer long and hunted all winter long. And if they needed shelter, they built a house. And if they needed food, they went and hunted and fished for it,” said Fee. “There’s something about that grit that is dominantly a part of Ocean County.”

The opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1957 forever changed the tides in Ocean County, according to R. Joseph Latshaw III, President of the Ocean County Historical Society. The GSP brought new life to the Jersey Shore, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and revolutionized highway design. Spanning 173 miles from Cape May to the New York state line, the ease of travel the roadway created, attracted people from around the tri-state area. Discovering the beauty of Ocean County’s coastline with the help of the GSP turned its 10,000 residents upon establishment into today’s estimated 637,229 residents, according to the U.S. Census.

From Point Pleasant to Holgate, Ocean County’s beaches make up 44 miles of New Jersey’s coast, each unique in and of itself, and attract millions of visitors throughout the year. Ocean County’s community life varies across different regions and towns, according to Latshaw. From the barrier islands with their distinct culture to the bustling northern Ocean County shores to the slower pace found in Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor. Each has its place and coveted by its annual visitors and year-round residents.

According to New Jersey Realtors® latest housing market data report, the average single family home in Ocean County has a median sales price of $607,000 and is on the market for an average of 41 days year-to-date. Taking a closer look at the municipalities within the county, on one end of the spectrum, you have Ocean Gate Boro with a median sales price of $395,000 and Lakehurst Boro with a median sales price of $335,000. While homes in Beach Haven Boro have a median sales price of $2,300,000 and Bay Head with a median sales price of $2,325,000. All data is for single family homes year-to-date.

Lighthouses to Explore

You can still find historic beacons in Ocean County, and while neither lighthouse currently operates to aid ships navigate, both are unique experiences to visit for all to enjoy.

Barnegat Lighthouse

Old Barney to her friends, the Barnegat Lighthouse, located in Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island, is a state park complete with one of New Jersey’s last remaining maritime forests. It’s the perfect setting for bird watching and fishing, and recently underwent a $1.3 million renovation project, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, to repair the façade, interior steel platform, and install a new beacon light, which shines up to 26.5 miles away. Climb up the 217 steps for spectacular views of Barnegat Bay and Long Beach Island.

Tucker’s Island Lighthouse

Not far from Old Barney, located on Tuckerton Creek, is Tuckerton Seaport, home to Tucker’s Island Lighthouse. Their goal is to preserve the Jersey Shore’s rich maritime history and heritage. Through museum exhibits, make-and-take crafts, and more, visitors can obtain a feel for baymen’s lives and even take a ferry ride across the bay to Long Beach Island.

Parks to Enjoy the Outdoors

Beyond the beach, Ocean County is filled with parks full of nature trails, playgrounds, water views, and so much more.

Cactus Island County Park

Enjoy 530 acres of nature trails, birding, scenic boardwalks, cross country skiing, and the newly renovated nature center with brand new exhibits featuring the Barnegat Bay.

Double Trouble State Park

The water of the Cedar Creek once provided power and raw materials to a sawmill and large cranberry operation at Double Trouble Village, according to the New Jersey State Park Service. Today, visitors can explore the history of the Pine Barrens while enjoying trails for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. Canoeists and kayakers will love the views while paddling along the Cedar Creek through the park.

Forked River Beach Bay Front Park

Equipped with a playground, picnic tables, fitness equipment, and a gazebo, it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon and enjoy the wading bay. It’s also known for its unmatched sunrise views.

Island Beach State Park

Located just south of Seaside Park, this narrow barrier island stretches for 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Made up of over 3,000 acres, it is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches along the Atlantic coast. Visit to see the Jersey Shore just as it was thousands of years ago.

John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island

You can find impeccable views of Barnegat Bay at this park, which features a spray park, fishing and crabbing pier, walking paths, and a playground. While Hurricane Sandy severely damaged the park in 2012, it was reconstructed to make it storm-tolerant, according to Ocean County Parks.

Ocean County Park

Before the turn of the 20th century, the region was sought after by affluent figures such as John D. Rockefeller, whose vacation estate is in today’s Ocean County Park in Lakewood Township. Rockefeller’s heirs donated the estate in 1940, and today visitors enjoy walking trails, playgrounds, cross-country skiing, and unique trees such as white pine and Norway spruce—all imports by the oil-monger himself.

Windward Beach Park

Right along the Metedeconk River in Brick Township, visitors know this park for its beach-like setting, expansive playground for children of all ages, farmers market on Saturdays, free summer concerts, and more.

Museums to History Hunt

Explore the history of this shore county to appreciate all it is today for visitors and residents alike.

John F. Peto Studio Museum

You can discover the world of John F. Peto at this studio museum, which showcases his home, studio, and organic gardens, from this 19th century American still-life painter. After undergoing a preservation project, the house, and now museum, are a looking glass into Peto’s life and his paintings. The museum presents changing art exhibits, lectures, workshops, concerts, and more throughout the year.

Long Beach Island Historical Museum

Celebrating 50 years of preservation, the Long Beach Island Historical Museum shares and celebrates the diverse history of Long Beach Island. Notable island figures formed the historical association following the 1962 Nor’easter, which devastated Long Beach Island, to preserve the island’s history as it transformed during the recovery efforts after the storm. While the storm wiped out some of the original cottages, their stories remain.

“We try to tell the story of the history of the island and the people who live in it from the early 19th century all the way through to today,” said Fee. “This group of passionate people who wanted to make sure that they retained the historical aspects of the island got together and formed the LBI Historical Association.”

Navy Lakehurst Historical Society

Learn about New Jersey’s ties to airships and hangars at this unique museum located at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. In its early days, Lakehurst often hosted airships, which carried European tourists across the ocean to the U.S.

The most well-known aircraft, the Hindenburg, made several trips to the station before it crashed at Lakehurst in 1936. Visitors can see where the Hindenburg crashed and explore other areas of the base: Cathedral of the Air, the Ready Room, the POW-MIA Room, and Historic Hangar One.

New Jersey Maritime Museum

Located on the southern end of Long Beach Island, the New Jersey Maritime Museum began as Deb Whitcraft’s personal collection of information and artifacts from New Jersey maritime disasters, and since opening its doors in 2007, it has expanded with the help of donations from the diving community. Visit the museum on a rainy LBI day and explore the vast history of New Jersey’s maritime ties.

Ocean County Historical Society

Located in the Elizabeth Sculthorp Force House, “Visitors can be transported back to how home life was like during the Victorian Era,” said Latshaw. Each room within the home showcases different aspects of life in Ocean County since the dawn of time, such as toys, kitchens, the county’s full history dating to the Lenape people, the industries that made their mark on the county, and visitors can conduct research and look into genealogy at the research center.

Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey

Take a drive down memory lane at Point Pleasant’s only museum dedicated to vintage cars. Admission is free, and the museum brings in new vehicles every two to three months, so visitors can come back time and time again to learn about different eras in automobile history.

Spotlight On Long Beach Island

Deep through the pines, traveling Route 539 and over The Causeway, is one of New Jersey’s barrier islands, chock full of more small businesses, eclectic homes, and stories of summers down the shore than one could fathom. Long Beach Island, LBI to most, isn’t like other Jersey Shore towns. There’s no boardwalk, chain establishments are few and far between, and in some spots, there are only a few steps between the bay and the ocean’s sea foam.

While most lump LBI’s 18-mile stretch into one big town, it’s made up of six municipalities, and even more communities and neighborhoods known mainly to those who live or visit them year after year. You have spectacular Old Barney views in Barnegat Light, mailboxes that catch your eye in Loveladies, Peahala Park remembered by the old water tower you could spot from the beach, Spray Beach’s quaint neighborhood feel, and at least eight towns with Beach Haven included in its name, but who’s counting?

It’s a place where residents still place ads in the local paper to advertise their yard sales, there’s a Facebook page dedicated to helping each other find their lost deliveries, and the host at your favorite pancake place knows you by name.

“Here you have to learn how to ride a bike, build a drip castle, and figure out how to have your own fun in the sand and in the water safely,” said Fee.

“Find the joy in your first lick of ice cream, find the joy in your toes in the sand, and not seek out things like a big boardwalk…If you want to relax, the place in time is now, and it’s on LBI, because there’s no place like this.”

The LBI draw began early. Inhabitants and visitors, mostly men at that time, came to hunt and fish, but soon enough, the families wanted in on this little slice of the Jersey Shore; thus, they built more elaborate accommodations. Soon after, they started building cottages and more permanent residences, according to Fee.

Some of the original cottages remain, but over time, the island has transitioned into what it is today. A big factor? Superstorms like the 1962 Nor’easter and Hurricane Sandy in 2012 wreaked havoc on the island. Rebuilding takes time, but to preserve the history and LBI-feel everyone loves, municipalities have tight regulations in place to prevent tall buildings and expansive development, while some municipalities even have preservation commissions to preserve designated historical areas.

Other areas, such as Barnegat Light State Park and parts of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, are undeveloped protected lands that serve as critical habitats for wildlife. The Holgate Wilderness Area of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge closes for visitors during the spring and summer seasons to protect the many beach-nesting and migratory birds that call LBI home. Also in Holgate: The best seashell and sea glass hunting on the island.

“LBI is probably one of the most beautiful places on the Jersey Shore,” said Fee.

Year-round, Long Beach Island is home to approximately 10,000 residents, but in the summer months, it’s estimated there could be upwards of 100,000 people on the 18-mile island.

“You could walk it from one end to the other and never be disappointed by what you’re looking at,” said Fee. “18 miles is a nice, long hike, but you would probably get lost in everything you’re seeing. You would never realize you’re walking 18 miles, it’s just stunning that way.”

Beyond the beach, LBI is known for its unique restaurants with some being on the island since the early days like Kubel’s or the Porthole, the ice cream from Skipper Dipper and Dairy King, the unique attractions such as the Long Beach Island Historical Museum and the Surflight Theatre, iconic clam chowder from Country Kettle and Stefanos, and its unique places to explore like Viking Village and Schooner’s Wharf.

“It’s what’s most pure about the island. It’s that experience. Toes in the sand, the sun on the shoulders, salt in you know, every other place,” said Fee. “That’s the call of LBI in my humble, humble opinion.”

MUNICIPALITIES & NEIGHBORHOODS on Long Beach Island

Barnegat Light

Long Beach Township

• Bay Vista

• Beach Haven Crest

• Beach Haven Gardens

• Beach Haven Heights

• Beach Haven Inlet

• Beach Haven Park

• Beach Haven Terrace

• Brant Beach

• Brighton Beach

• High Bar Harbor

• Holgate

• Loveladies

• North Beach

• North Beach Haven

• Peahala Park

• Silver Sands

• Spray Beach

• The Dunes

Harvey Cedars

Surf City

Ship Bottom

Beach Haven

Local Summer Bucket List

• Explore the Long Beach Island Historical Museum

• Go on the Ferris Wheel at Fantasy Island at Sunset Climb Old Barney

• Have Peach Pancakes at Uncle Will’s

• Buy Fresh Seafood from Viking Village

• Get Up in Time for the Sunrise Over the Ocean

• Try a Poptart from The Local

• Have a Salty Dog Coffee on the Rooftop at Guapos

• Order the Wipeout Flight at Ship Bottom Brewery

• Go to Daqs on the Deck at Bird & Betty’s

• Read the Sandpaper

• Hunt for Seaglass in Holgate

• Find the Mickey Mouse Mailbox in Loveladies

• Eat Outside at Wally’s

• Go to Mustache Bill’s for Lunch