Filled with beautiful scenery, colorful neon lights, iconic buildings, quirky landmarks and signs, The Wildwoods, NJ are one of the most Instagrammable destinations at the Jersey shore!
The Wildwoods, NJ – April 24, 2024 – The Wildwoods, NJ provide a cinematic backdrop and unique visual charm unlike anywhere else. Every block bursts with genuine retro vibes, stunning landscapes, vibrant neon lights, and iconic structures. It’s no surprise that tourists frequently snap and share selfies at every turn; the Wildwoods are truly Instagrammable!
With visually interesting flair, the Instagrammable possibilities are endless in the Wildwoods! Just in case you plan to seek out those places and backdrops that are must-dos for photos in the Wildwoods, here are some fan favorites:
Grand Gateway – ‘Welcome to the Wildwoods!’
The first Instagrammable location when visitors arrive in the Wildwoods is the fabulous Grand Gateway, a new visitor experience designed to greet visitors and launch them into vacation mode from the moment they arrive. As visitors make their way over the bridge and onto the island, they’re greeted by a ‘Welcome to the Wildwoods’ Doo Wop-style sign in the shape of a giant surfboard. With its vivid colors and lighting, it can be seen upon approach day or night, setting the tone for the fun that lies ahead. Visitors will also notice colorful beach ball bollards along the entranceway, leading straight to the world-famous Wildwoods sign; as well as a large LED electronic billboard in the shape of a wave set in the midst of a beach ball garden. The digital display features exciting events happening in the Wildwoods as well as other useful information for visitors.
The WILDWOODS Sign – Rio Grande Avenue and the Boardwalk
Passing the Grand Gateway, head down Rio Grande Avenue towards the beach and you’ll find the iconic WILDWOODS sign, nine brushed aluminum letters with blue background letters that make up the 80-foot- long, 19-foot-high sign. Coined ‘the Hollywood sign of the East Coast’ with its brightly colored giant beach ball bollards and colorful pavers, the WILDWOODS sign has become the most photographed icon in the Wildwoods. It is an ideal backdrop for your selfies and photos plus a great setting for major outdoor events, weddings, class pictures, group and family photos, TV broadcasts and press conferences. The sign is also captured on a live video webcam that broadcasts 24-7 over the worldwide EarthCam video network. You can pose in front of the Wildwoods sign and have friends and family see you live on video. The EarthCam can be seen at www.WildwoodsNJ.com/view-webcam.
The Icon Wall Murals
Representations of iconic music legends who have positively influenced the Wildwoods’ rich musical history are displayed throughout the Wildwoods in a series of ‘Icon Wall Murals.’ The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) conceived of and developed the Icon Wall Murals project to beautify selected public spaces while heightening appreciation of how the Wildwoods have evolved over the decades into a living, breathing slice of Americana. Subjects of the three Icon Wall Murals include key individuals whose mark on the world-wide music scene was first indelibly made in the Wildwoods:
Bobby Rydell – “Wildwood Days” – Boardwalk at Roberts Avenue
Bill Haley & The Comets – “Rock Around The Clock” – Oak and Pacific Avenues
Chubby Checker – “The Twist” – 3707 Pacific Avenue
Each of these musical icons has significantly contributed to Wildwoods’ colorful musical history and unique culture that has drawn people of all ages to this shore resort destination for generations.
Traffic Signal Boxes Murals
The traffic signal boxes on each street corner on Rio Grande Avenue starting at the base of the George Redding Bridge at Susquehanna Avenue, all the way to the Wildwoods sign at the corner of Rio Grande and Ocean Avenues, have been painted with scenes of the shore, each with a different theme and saying.
The Surftopia – Burk Avenue Beach (behind the Wildwoods Convention Center)
Snap a selfie in front of Surftopia’s surfboard wall. Surftopia is an epicenter of surf culture with surf lessons, rentals, music, food, events, and cool vibes.
North Wildwood Sand Dollar Wings – Beach at 5th Avenue
Every day in North Wildwood, a beachgoer gets his or her wings, thanks to a unique sculpture. The Instagrammable Sand Dollar Wings are made of approximately 350 sand dollars, inviting passersby to step in front of the wings and pose for a photo.
Mack’s or Sam’s Pizza
Pizza is truly Instagrammable, especially when served on the Wildwoods Boardwalk. Mack’s Pizza and Sam’s Pizza are two of the South Jersey shore’s truly enduring traditions, each with over 60 years of Wildwoods history. A friendly rivalry has endured as fans of each proclaim their choice as the best pizza. Are you a Mack’s or a Sam’s fan? Mack’s has two locations on the Boardwalk at Roberts and Wildwoods Avenue; you’ll find Sam’s on the boards at 26th Avenue.
Morey’s Piers Entrance Arch – Morey’s Mariners Pier, Schellenger Avenue
There’s something about standing at the Entrance Arch at Morey’s Piers that gives you that “I have arrived” feeling. Snap a selfie in front of the entrance with all the rides in the background to remember that feeling, and share it with your Instagram buddies as well.
Giant Wheel – Morey’s Mariners Pier, Schellenger Avenue
Walk through the Morey’s Piers Entrance Arch and straight to The Giant Wheel for more Instagrammability. This beautifully lit Ferris wheel is one of the largest on the East Coast. At 156 feet in height, the Giant Wheel provides the best views of the island. Roller coasters look like ant hills; the ocean, a baby pool.
North Wildwood Arch and Lifeboat – 16th Street & Boardwalk
The North Wildwood Arch marks the beginning for many of a great adventure onto the two-mile Wildwoods wooden way, filled with fun food and surprises. Capture the moment – and the Arch’s message: “Through this arch walk the happiest people in the world.”
Of course, no visit to the beach would be complete without a selfie in front of the Wildwoods lifeguard boats and lifeguard stands or sitting atop the Oversized Wildwoods Beach Chair located at the Wildwood Avenue Beach.
North Wildwood Sea Wall – John F. Kennedy Beach Drive
View a beautiful sunrise off the ocean, with no obstructive view, at the North Wildwood Sea Wall. Snap a selfie or portrait of this natural wonder before enjoying a fun-filled day in the Wildwoods.
Tramcars and/or Gigi the Tramcar Conductor
Tramcars can be easily spotted all day long on the Wildwoods’ Boardwalk, and you’ll likely hear them first as they chant “Watch the Tramcar Please!” as they travel the wooden way. A trip to the Wildwoods is not complete without a selfie in front of one of these iconic trams. If you’re really lucky, you just might spot Gigi and his personalized Tramcar, the Gig. A Tramcar operator for over 30 years, Gigi has local celebrity status at this destination, so if he’s not too busy, say hi and snap a selfie before he moves on to his next stop.
Doo Wop Experience Museum Neon Sign Garden – Burk and Ocean Avenues
The front entrance to the Doo Wop Experience Museum is adorned with vintage neon signs from the Wildwoods and 50’s style bicycles, making this a great selfie stop. The museum celebrates the mid- century architecture, culture and music known as Doo Wop including The Jukebox Cafe, a 50s-style malt shop complete with period furniture, some of the best-known resort signs, historic photos; and the Neon Garden, a showcase for the famous neon signs of the era.
Caribbean Motel – 5600 Ocean Avenue, Wildwood Crest
The Wildwoods offer the largest collection of mid-20th century architecture in the country, known as Doo- Wop Architecture. The Caribbean Motel is just one of many fine examples. First opened to vacationers in 1957 and celebrating its 67th year of continuous operation in 2024, the restored, renovated, and re- invented Caribbean Motel stands as a living monument to a magical era in our Nation’s history – a taste of pure Americana, you might say, with a 21st century tropical twist!
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse & English Gardens – 2nd Street & Central Avenue in North Wildwood
The Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is an historic landmark with picturesque, award-winning English gardens densely landscaped with many varieties of plant life, including Hollyhocks, Nicotiana, Nasturtium, Snapdragons, and Foxgloves. Decorated with arbors, fences, birdbaths, urns, and clay pots, the gardens extend up to the seawall at Hereford Inlet. They are the perfect colorful, natural background for any photo.
Wildwood Crest Fishing Pier to Nowhere – Heather Road and Boardwalk
The Wildwood Crest Fishing Pier once stood over ocean water, offering anglers the chance to sit back and catch as many fish as they could carry. But due to the ever-growing beach around it, it now stands over sand, with not a fish in sight. It’s a fun and scenic spot to explore and capture photos on your phone to share and entertain your Instagram fans with its irony and beauty.
Wildwood Crest Sunset Lake – New Jersey and Miami Avenues
Are you into spectacular sunsets? We’ve got them at Sunset Lake in Wildwood Crest. Stand aside for these Instagrammable moments, as the sun reflects off the lake and slowly sinks into the Western horizon.
Bike Sculpture at Rambler Road
Another Instagrammable hot spot is the giant Bike Sculpture at the Rambler Road Bike Path.
Wildwoods Dog Park- The Beach at Maple and Glenwood Avenues
The 25-foot-tall red Fire Hydrant Sculpture at the beach Dog Park – right at the entrance to the Dog Beach located between Maple and Glenwood Avenues– is the perfect place to capture an Instagrammable moment with your four-legged friend!
Ringer Stadium – The Beach at Wildwood and Pine Avenues
If you’ve ever wondered how the game of Marbles is officially played, visit Ringer Stadium, site of the National Marble Tournament for over a century, and strike a pose.
Giant Adirondak Beach Chairs – The Beach at Garfield Avenue
These oversized, colorful Wildwoods Adirondak beach chairs are a visitor favorite and classic, can’t-miss Instagrammable opportunity.
1950’s Replica Wildwood Sign – The Beach at Garfield Avenue
Visit and capture this inspiration for the iconic, oversized entryway sign that dates back to the 1950s.
Cedar Avenue Boardwalk Entrance
The new Cedar Ave Boardwalk grand entrance and archway sign welcomes visitors to the Wildwoods’ Boardwalk and is the perfect place to capture the moment you begin your Boardwalk adventure!
The Boardwalk Sign at Cresse Avenue
You can enter or exit the Boardwalk at the entrance ramp at Cresse Avenue, where a “Boardwalk” sign marks your journey and creates a great photo opp.
Crest Arts Pavilion – Ocean Avenue & Wisteria Road
The Crest Arts Pavilion is beautiful inside and out, with art displays, new gardens, and outdoor music stage, and the life-sized “Crest” sculpture of a painter who will stand still for a selfie, anytime.
Splash Zone Wall Mural – Schellenger and Ocean Avenues on the Boardwalk
There’s a new wall mural at Splash Zone that’s worth a look and a photo.
Oversized Baseballs at The Beach – Higbee Field
Sports and Baseball fans will love the giant Baseball Bollards at Higbee Field/Morey Field, located at Ocean Avenue and East Aster Road.
Giant Mini Golf Putter – Ocean and East Rio Grande Avenues
Golf and mini-golf fans alike will love the chance to pose in front of the Starlux Mini Golf/Kohr Bros. giant putter!
SOLCOW Solar Sculptures – New York Avenue
Explore the unique “SOLCOW” solar sculptures at New York Avenue Park, ranging from large metal sculptures to giant Beach Ball Bollards, to a giant sundial. Between West Juniper Avenue and West Poplar Avenue.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #WildwoodsSelfie when posting to social media of your time in the Wildwoods. We look forward to seeing your favorite Instagrammable moments during your visit here!
For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com.
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