With FREE Beaches, FREE Events, FREE Fireworks, FREE activities, and FREE Live Music throughout the summer, the Wildwoods offer the best family vacation value at the Jersey shore
The Wildwoods, NJ – February 20, 2026 – A Wildwoods’ vacation delivers a generous offering of FREE family fun. Conveniently located within day-trip distance for one quarter of the U.S. population, the Wildwoods are known for being the best value family vacation destination at the Jersey Shore.
As more travelers look for meaningful, thoughtfully curated getaways, the Wildwoods continue to shine, offering personalized experiences, timeless traditions, and remarkable value all in one unforgettable coastal setting. This seaside destination is bursting with FREE attractions, including FREE, sprawling, white sand beaches, a two-mile, world-famous Boardwalk, FREE events and festivals, FREE outdoor concerts, FREE Friday Night Fireworks, FREE Movies Under the Stars, FREE live entertainment, FREE scenic bike paths, fishing, crabbing, nature trails, must-see landmarks, and much more.
FREE Award-Winning Beaches & Boardwalk
The Wildwoods’ five-mile island has appealed to vacationing families for more than a century. One of the reasons families choose the Wildwoods is for the island’s expansive clean, safe beaches with plenty of room to spread out. The Wildwoods beaches remain FREE for all visitors, removing the hassle of purchasing expensive beach tags each season. In 2025, the Wildwoods’ beaches were voted the #1 Best Beach in New Jersey in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The Wildwoods’ beaches are an opportunity to clear the mind and enjoy the calming benefits of ‘Beach Therapy’. The award-winning, spacious stretches of sand are the perfect place to relax, recharge, and reunite with friends and family. The beaches also give visitors an opportunity to get some exercise and partake in all the exciting watersports offered throughout locations on the island, including surfing, boogie boarding, paddle boarding, kayaking, and more!
In 2025, the Wildwoods’ Boardwalk was voted #1 Best Boardwalk in the country in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Otherwise known as ‘two-and-a-half miles of smiles,’ the iconic, 38-block Wildwoods Boardwalk is one of the destination’s most exciting attractions for strolling, jogging, and biking. There’s no better way to take in the incredible views of the lively Boardwalk, beach, and ocean. The boardwalk offers a myriad of shops, eateries, arcades, and carnival games, plus three exciting amusement piers with over 100 rides and attractions, and two beachfront waterparks.
The Wildwoods’ Boardwalk is perfect for a stroll on a breezy, starry night or for a scenic daybreak bike ride amid all the Boardwalk’s amusements, shops, games, and restaurants. The Cresse Avenue bike ramp offers the connection from the Dunes Bike Path at the Southern end of Wildwood Crest up onto the Boardwalk, and to the rest of the Wildwoods bikeable paths and streets. At the North end of the Boardwalk, the bike ramp connects to the Muhlberry Bike path in North Wildwood all the way to the Sea Wall, a scenic one-way six-mile trek.
The Wildwoods’ Boardwalk has also won numerous travel and tourism awards throughout the years, including being named “One Of The Top Ten Boardwalks” by National Geographic , “One of America’s Best Boardwalks” by Smart Travel, “One Of The Best Boardwalks In America” by CNN Travel, “One Of America’s Best Seaside Boardwalks” by Trending Travel, ‘20 Best Beach Boardwalks in America’ by Reader’s Digest, and the ‘Favorite Boardwalk in New Jersey’ by New Jersey Family. The Boardwalk was also named among the ‘The 20 Most Iconic Boardwalks in the US’ By INSIDER, MSN.com and BEST TRAVEL TALE.
Over 160 FREE Events
Taking place almost every week throughout the summer on the five-mile island are FREE-to-attend block parties, craft shows, family outdoor movie nights under the stars, farmer’s markets, and many food and ethnic festivals. A wide variety of FREE entertainment can also be found almost every night of the week throughout the summer, including spectacular Friday Night Fireworks and live outdoor concerts featuring national recording artists, oldies groups, dance, big band music, and more!
The Wildwoods’ Calendar of Events is full of FREE fun events and festivals for the whole family. FREE-to-attend events in the Wildwoods include the Wildwoods Airshow taking place Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13. Additional FREE events taking place throughout the year including Sports Cards, Toys, Comics, and Collectible Shows; ethnic street fairs celebrating Latino, Irish and Italian heritage; food and music festivals, the Seafood and Music Festival, and New Jersey State BBQ Championship and Anglesea Blues Festival; National Marbles Tournament; Baby Parade; International Kite Festival; Classic Car Shows; and much more! You can view more than 160 events and festivals at WildwoodsNJ.com.
In addition to the Wildwoods renowned events, the island also hosts a FREE fireworks show Friday nights at 10 p.m. throughout the summer. The fireworks are launched from the beach at Pine Avenue and are synchronized to music that plays over the Wildwoods Boardwalk Sound System. Fireworks are visible anywhere on the boardwalk,
FREE Outdoor Adventures
Fishing and crabbing are another popular and FREE way to enjoy the natural beauty of the island. Fishing and crabbing are great ways to have fun and enjoy the island’s unique seaside environment. A fishing pier on the Intracoastal Waterway at Sweetbriar Road in Wildwood Crest, known locally as “the back bay,” is a popular fishing spot. The beaches along Hereford Inlet in North Wildwood are also a popular spot for surf fishing enthusiasts to enjoy. Construction on the Wildwood Crest Fishing Pier is also underway, with completion of the pier’s renovations concluding in mid-2026, just in time for summer ocean fishing.
Another FREE way to get outside is by exploring the town by bicycle. Recharge, exercise, and enjoy the beautiful sea air and scenery by hopping on your bike and taking part in the Wildwoods exclusive version of ‘Bikeability’. Enjoy a scenic, leisurely, 12-mile round-trip route with plenty of fresh air and breathtaking views starting at the far southern end of the island along the Dunes Bike Path in Wildwood Crest. Travel along the path up onto the iconic Wildwoods’ Boardwalk, and through North Wildwood’s Muhlbury Bike Path to the North Wildwood Sea Wall. You can also ride your bike along the Wildwoods’ streets and Downtown, with special “bikes only” lanes available around the entire island.
FREE Historical Sites
The Wildwoods offer the largest collection of mid-20th century architecture in the country. This iconic style is known as ‘Doo Wop Architecture.’ Brimming with cool artifacts, fun memories, fascinating history and bright neon lights, a Doo Wop Experience Museum and Neon Sign Garden is a celebration of architecture, design, music, pop culture and everything else that made Wildwood famous in its heyday of the 1950s and 1960s. Admission is FREE, with donations accepted. Visit: DooWopUSA.org
Take a FREE self-guided tour on foot or by car to view the island’s unique aesthetic up close and personal. The bright neon signs, vibrant architecture, and colorful motel names create an ambiance for which the Wildwoods are famous and gives the destination its unique flair.
Listed on the State and National Historic Register, the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1874 and served as a beacon of safety to 19th century mariners. The English Cottage Style Gardens surrounding the Lighthouse feature over 170 plant varieties. Exploring the Lighthouse Park, Gardens, and Gift Shop is FREE. The lighthouse still serves as an active navigational aid maintained by the United States Coast Guard. Tours of the Lighthouse are available for an entry fee. For current hours and more information, visit: HerefordInletLighthouse.com.
Located on the corner of Ocean and Burk Avenues, the Wildwoods Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is an exact half-size replica of the official Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This attraction offers ample opportunity for individuals to reflect and pay respect to the heroes of the Vietnam War who made the ultimate sacrifice. The memorial also offers an important educational opportunity for people of all ages.
2026 Wildwoods ULTIMATE FREE Family Vacation Contest
Two lucky winners will have the chance to experience all the thrills and relaxation of the Wildwoods with a FREE vacation of a lifetime by entering the 2026 Wildwoods ULTIMATE Family Vacation Contest.
Enter for a chance to win the ULTIMATE family vacation packed with fun for all ages. The contest offers two, 5-day, 4-night vacations for up to four people. There are two drawings, one in the spring, and one in the fall, with the lucky winners being notified on May 25, 2026, and on October 26, 2026, respectively.
This year’s contest is bigger and better than before, with a total prize package nearly double the size of previous years. With all amenities included, the total prize package is worth nearly $5,000. Each winner will enjoy a Wildwoods vacation for four that truly has everything you could want in a vacation experience, including:
- A four-night mid-week stay for four guests at the beautiful Madison Resort in Wildwood Crest
- Four General Admission Tickets to the Barefoot County Music Fest
- Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterpark combo ride and waterpark passes for four guests
- A 90-minute Back Bay Boat Cruise for up to six guests aboard Sandbar Joe’s Wildwoods Cruises
- $50 gift cards to MudHen Brewing Company, Poppi’s Brick Oven Pizza & Kitchen, and Dogtooth Bar & Grill, courtesy of MudHen Hospitality
- A $50 gift card to Lime Ricky World Arcade & Ice Cream Bar
- Bike rental or surrey rentals for four people courtesy of Surf Bike Rental or Ocean Cycles
- Dragon’s Lair Blacklight Mini Golf admission for four guests
- Sightseer Tram Car passes for one round-trip ride for four guests
- Free parking at the Wildwoods Convention Center Lot daily for one vehicle for four days during your stay
The Wildwoods offer everything a family could ever want in a fun, affordable vacation destination. With FREE Beaches, FREE Events, FREE Fireworks, FREE activities, and FREE Live Music throughout the summer, the Wildwoods offer the best family vacation value at the Jersey shore.
For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.
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