Families enjoy the wide variety of exciting things to do in Ocean City, Maryland. This vibrant Mid-Atlantic city offers an extensive choice of accommodations, restaurants and activities.
Close-to-home beach destinations are perennial favorites for family reunions, multigenerational vacations and group getaways with families and friends. Ocean City, Maryland, fits the bill perfectly. Ocean City is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and the popular spot has been a cherished vacation choice for generations of families. Groups nostalgically return year after year to visit favorite places and create new memories and traditions.
While there’s a wealth of great things to see and do in Ocean City, Maryland, finding the right place for your family to reconnect is essential. Although all areas share Ocean City’s sun-kissed vibe, each has its own attractions. Outstanding resorts and hotels and resorts are available to fit a broad range of travel budgets, and family-friendly Ocean City vacation rentals are plentiful.
Ocean City has approximately 10,000 hotel rooms and more than 25,000 condominiums. Family groups can find top-notch accommodations and oceanfront vacation rentals with attractive features, sought-after amenities, and dazzling sea views. Certain Ocean City beachfront hotels and condominiums, including Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort, The Quay and Carousel Oceanfront Resort Hotel & Condominiums, also offer a variety of indoor attractions that families will enjoy.
If you’re planning to reunite for a family vacation in Ocean City, Maryland, here are 11 fantastic things to experience while you are there.
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Ocean City’s beautiful beach is an ideal place for families to make memories together. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Miles Of Sandy Beaches In Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City features a stunning 10-mile-long beach that is well-maintained year-round. While families flock to these golden strands during the summer, off-season months are also a good time to visit. Ocean City’s wide beaches provide an idyllic place to play, build sandcastles and enjoy the stunning sea views.
Vacationers scour the ocean to spot dolphins offshore, and surfers are often seen riding the waves. Beach passes are not required in Ocean City, and free parking can be plentiful on select days during off-season months.
Festivals, Fireworks And Entertainment in Ocean City, MD
Families often come to Ocean City for popular festivals, concerts and events. These include Sunfest and Winterfest of Lights, car and boat shows, music and culinary festivals, parades, and arts & craft fairs. Ocean City also hosts free seasonal events for families, including Sundaes in the Park and free movies on the beach.
To mark its 150th anniversary, Ocean City is featuring “150 Days of Celebrations” with special initiatives, exhibits, and festivities. Families can enjoy a variety of kid-focused activities, weekly summer activities, and pop-up events throughout the year.
The Ocean City Boardwalk is filled with restaurants, shops, hotels and attractions. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Ocean City Boardwalk
Ocean City’s famed three-mile-long wooden boardwalk got its start in 1902, and the classic seaside landmark is open year-round. Families will enjoy strolling along the beachfront boardwalk and checking out all the exciting attractions. It’s always fun to view the amazing exhibits at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, play arcade games, grab some delicious Thrasher’s fries or Fisher’s caramel popcorn, and shop for souvenirs.
Ocean City’s boardwalk rules change seasonally, and attractions are often open for limited times outside of the summer months. Check the Ocean City website for complete details. Leashed pets and biking on the boardwalk are permitted at certain times during the off-season.
Fun-Filled Waterparks And Watersports in Ocean City, Maryland
Families can choose from a variety of outstanding waterparks in the Ocean City area. Some are within the city limits, while others are just a short drive away. Jolly Roger’s Splash Mountain waterpark offers thrills for guests of all ages. The waterpark features 16 slides, a lazy river, kiddie pools designed for little ones and other attractions. Frontier Town Waterpark and Thunder Lagoon Waterpark are located just a short drive from Ocean City’s borders and are also ideal for families.
Getting out on the Atlantic Ocean or bays is a popular pastime in Ocean City. Options include boating, kayaking, fishing, jet-skiing, parasailing, surfing and themed cruises. Families also enjoy taking a relaxing sail along the Atlantic coastline on the Alyosha, a spacious catamaran perfect for groups. The 450-foot Oceanic Fishing Pier is a great place for adults and kids to fish together, and a fishing license isn’t needed here. Rod and reel rentals are available, too.
Wild horses in Assateague Island National Seashore’s Maryland herd can often be seen roaming throughout the park. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Wild Horses at Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island is known for its beautiful wild horses and pristine beaches. Stretching along the Maryland and Virginia coasts, the 37-mile-long island is a paradise for nature lovers. The Maryland district of Assateague Island National Seashore is less than 10 miles from Ocean City, and wildlife viewing on the island can be excellent. Add a diversion to nearby Berlin, Maryland for shopping and delicious homemade ice cream at the family-owned Island Creamery.
Assateague Island National Seashore’s Maryland herd consists of close to 80 wild horses. In addition to Assateague’s world-famous horses, visitors can spot sika deer and white-tailed deer. Families can get free access to Assateague Island National Seashore with an Annual Pass, National Parks Senior Pass or Military Annual Pass. The park also offers free admission to all visitors on select fee-free dates.
If your family loves Marguerite Henry’s best-selling children’s book Misty of Chincoteague, you may wish to plan a trip to Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Driving to Chincoteague from Ocean City in light traffic takes a little over an hour, and you can visit the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center along the way. A wide array of Chincoteague Island vacation rentals is available for those who wish to spend more time exploring.
Northside Park In Ocean City, Maryland
Set in uptown Ocean City, this popular 58-acre park is a great place for reuniting families to hold picnics and spend time together. Northside Park offers indoor and outdoor facilities, including a large pavilion and picnic areas, community and meeting rooms, two playgrounds, paved walking paths, and Northside Park Recreation Complex. The park’s fishing and crabbing pier extends over 900 feet into Assawoman Bay, and no fishing license is needed in this location.
Family groups can rent Northside Park’s facilities for events and activities by making bookings in advance. See the Ocean City website for complete details.
Ocean City’s miniature golf courses and amusement parks are popular with families. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Ocean City Thrilling Rides, Games And Amusements
Families seeking epic thrills plan to make memories together at Ocean City’s epic amusement parks and attractions. Launched over a century ago, Trimper Rides is the longest-running family-owned amusement park in the United States. The park is filled with rides for various ages and thrill levels, as well as games and arcades. Favorites include the Grand Carousel, Spinning Coaster, and Tidal Wave.
Jolly Roger Amusements offers multiple parks for Ocean City vacationers. Families can experience a variety of adrenaline-pumping rides at Jolly Roger at the Pier, including Kraken and the Looping Star Roller Coaster. Jolly Roger at 30th Street is known for its four rollercoasters and the Iron Horse Express, a 1950s-era vintage train. Vacationers feeling the need for speed will want to head to SpeedWorld, which is said to be the largest go-cart facility on the East Coast.
Miniature golf is one of Ocean City’s most popular activities, with more than a dozen themed indoor and outdoor courses to match all skill levels. If championship golf is a sport your family enjoys, the greater Ocean City area is home to 17 top-notch golf courses within a 15-mile radius of the city limits. Some golf courses offer stay-and-play packages.
Ocean City, Maryland Restaurants With Play Areas
Ocean City caters to vacationers with over 200 restaurants, from fine dining establishments to carry-out venues. At certain eateries, adults can relax and enjoy their meals together while the kids have fun on the playground or in the game room. Favorite restaurants with children’s play spaces include Ropewalk, Dead Freddies Island Grill, Alley Oops and de Lazy Lizard. Some playgrounds are near tables outdoors, while other restaurants have indoor play areas.
Ocean City offers a diverse array of restaurant choices to please all palates. If your family is craving seafood, Hooked, The Shark on the Harbor, and Harborside Bar & Grill are good options. Ocean City’s many crab houses are popular dining options, too.
Families can view Ocean City’s spectacular sunrises from an extensive array of oceanfront vacation rentals. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Spectacular Sunrises And Sunsets in Ocean City
Ocean City, Maryland, is situated on a lovely barrier island stretching between the Atlantic Ocean and several bays. Vacationers can view breathtaking sunrises and sunsets across the water, and the opportunities for group photos are outstanding.
Families can watch Ocean City’s stunning sunrises from the beach or the balcony of their oceanfront vacation rental. Fager’s Island, Northside Park, and Ropewalk are some of Ocean City’s best spots for watching the sunset. Other restaurants and bayfront areas offer excellent views as well.
Indoor Sports And Attractions in Ocean City
Ocean City offers many year-round things to do when the weather isn’t cooperating. Some Ocean City condominiums and hotels provide appealing indoor amenities, including swimming pools, arcades, movie theaters, and even an ice rink.
Other fun indoor activities in Ocean City include playing indoor miniature golf, solving puzzles together at an escape room, visiting the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum and the Art League of Ocean City, and shopping at Outlets Ocean City.
Dumser’s Dairyland serves its award-winning ice cream at seven Ocean City locations. Photo credit: Nancy Schretter
Delicious Sweet Treats in Ocean City, Maryland
It’s always fun to indulge in sugary goodness on a family beach vacation. Whether it’s a nostalgic return to a favorite childhood spot or trying something new, Ocean City has your cravings covered. Here are three great places to sample some of the area’s local delights.
- Dumser’s Dairyland. Visiting Dumser’s Dairyland for hand-dipped ice cream has been an Ocean City tradition for generations of families. Founded in 1939, Dumser’s Dairyland serves over a dozen flavors of homemade ice cream and other specialties at its seven locations in Ocean City, some of which are open year-round.
- Dolle’s Candyland and Candy Kitchen. Candy-loving families should plan to visit the Candy Kitchenand Dolle’s Ocean City locations. Both landmarks launched during the first half of the 1900s and offer delicious saltwater taffy, fudge, chocolate, and other confections.
- Fractured Prune. Vacationers have been making a beeline to Fractured Prune for hot doughnuts with unique glazes and toppings since 1976. Families can select from more than a dozen varieties, such as strawberry shortcake, chocolate-covered cherry and blueberry hill.
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By Nancy Schretter, Contributing Editor
Header Photo Credit: Nancy Schretter
