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Kids love romping in the Asbury Splash Park that is right on the boardwalk. Photo by Rose Gordon Sala 

Best Asbury Park Boardwalk Destinations

1. Asbury Splash Park

Kids 8 and under will make a beeline for the outdoor, seasonal Asbury Splash Park, which sits right on the boardwalk with beach (and street) views. There’s also an oversized garden hose nozzle and lounge chairs for parents to sit. At $15 for kids and $7 for adults, with a $40 family pass, make sure your kids want to do this, and also call ahead or check the Facebook page for updates if this is your main destination—although it's open 7 days a week beginning in mid-June (it's weekends-only before that), it can close suddenly for repairs and weather. 

2. Asbury Eighteen Mini Golf

Have a young golf enthusiast? Right next to Asbury Splash Park, Asbury Eighteen Mini Golf offers one of the shore’s better mini-golf courses. A round of golf costs $10 for kids and $13 for adults.

3. Silverball Arcade

Another attraction centrally located on the boardwalk, Silverball Arcade sparkles as a sudden rain go-to option, with a legit collection of throwback pinball machines, current games, and vintage video games. One hour is $17.50, but a half-day pass is $20.00. The arcade also serves a simple menu of snacks, so you never need to leave. Just outside the arcade, you'll find small, quarter-operated rides for toddlers and preschoolers, including a small train and a pair of cars.

4. Biking on the Boardwalk

Bring your own or rent a bike at Asbury Park Cyclery, located directly on the boardwalk. Keep in mind that during the summer, cycling is only allowed on the boardwalk in the early morning and late evening (10pm to 10am during peak season).

11. Playground

As noted, there’s a fenced-in playground on the beach, but you don’t need a badge for it. 

12. Window Shopping on Cookman

This might be more for you than your children, but my kids have never minded walking down Cookman Avenue as I glance in the different boutiques and maybe even step into a few. If you start from Main Street and walk toward the beach along Cookman Avenue, you can always use a cupcake from Confections of a Rockstar Bakery as a reward for good behavior.

13. Dog Beach

Located on the north side of the Asbury Park stretch of beach, Bradley Cove is where area dogs and their owners come for a romp. If you have brought your dog with you for the weekend, you can let them have some fun there, just be sure you clean up after them. And if your kids love dogs, they might want to watch the pups playing in the waves.

14. Asbury Park Bazaar

Located in the Convention Center along the boardwalk in Asbury Park, the bazaar is a pop-up marketplace where people sell artwork and handmade goods. Often, there's live music playing in the convention center during the bazaar.

15. Christmas in Convention Hall

I love going to the Grand Arcade in the Convention Hall at Christmas time. It really puts me in the holiday mood with the decorations, the large, lit-up Christmas tree on display, live music playing, and lights strung from the ceiling. You can find lovely little gifts and buy a nice coffee or hot cocoa inside. 

16. Admire Street Art by Local Artists

Stroll the boardwalk and explore the old buildings to check out fantastic murals from local artists such as Porckchop and others, all part of the Wooden Walls Mural Project. You'll find them in the old Beaux Arts Casino and Carousel buildings, as well as the Grand Arcade, and just north of the 1920s-era Conventional Hall along the walls and in the abandoned Sunset Pavilion—the latter two are all toward the north end of the beach—but also in spontaneous spots or just on the sides of buildings. Some are colorful, others moody, and all add to the artsy Asbury vibe.

RELATED: Best Jersey Shore Beaches for Families: Sandy Hook to Cape May

The gorgeous beach is always a hit with kids. Photo by Rose Gordon Sala

Top Attractions in Asbury Park for Families

17. The Beach

The main attraction for kids? The beach! Now regularly staffed by lifeguards and cleaner than it’s been in years, the beach requires a badge ($10 weekends, $7 weekdays, kids under 12 are FREE) easily purchased online or on the boardwalk. The beach is loaded with families and can get crowded with everyone packed in during high tide among the many umbrellas, tents, towels, and boom boxes. It's a bit of a scene! Stake out your spot depending on which attractions and eateries you'd like to try, but go for the middle, between the Convention Center and the old Casino, if you want to hit most of the kid spots (Ocean Avenue between Second and Third Avenues). Note: If you're looking to avoid the boardwalk crowds, head to the northern end of the beach, just past the Convention Center, or south to Ocean Grove beach.

RELATED: Wildwood, New Jersey: A Summer Weekend Getaway with Kids

 Get your fortune told at Madam Marie’s Temple of Knowledge. Photo by Lisa Warden

18. Asbury Park Boardwalk

Besides the beach, the boardwalk hosts several kid-friendly attractions. Most of the businesses on the boardwalk in Asbury Park can be found between the old arcade and carousel on the south end and Convention Hall on the north end. Many of the businesses are in kiosks that are brightly painted, large, metal storage containers, giving this boardwalk an edgy feel. Lining the Asbury Park boardwalk, businesses abound, such as Eddie Confetti's ice cream shop. Or maybe your older children would like their palms read and futures told at Madam Marie’s Temple of Knowledge, made immortal in a Springsteen song. 

19. Convention Hall

The Convention Hall is unmistakable on the Asbury Park shoreline. This majestic building, connected to the Paramount Theatre by the Grand Arcade, is a hub of activity for Asbury Park locals. Hosting Christmas markets, bazaars, weddings, and the occasional pop-up skating rink, this is where it’s at! There are also restaurants inside and bars to enjoy refreshments on the outside landing that wraps around the building allowing for great views of the beach and ocean. Convention Hall is a historic venue where musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith have played, just to name a very few.

20. Old Casino and Carousel

The grand casino and carousel at the south end of Asbury Park, where Wesley Lake meets the ocean, are the crumbling remains of the beach town’s glory days. These once-glorious structures were designed by the same architects who designed Grand Central Station. The carousel has been a site to display art, a theater, and even an indoor skate park in the past.

Where to Stay in Asbury Park with Kids

21. Asbury Ocean Club Hotel

Right off the beach is the family-friendly Asbury Ocean Club Hotel. Your family will have plenty of room as this hotel offers lofts and suites. The stunning ocean views and lots of places within the hotel to hang out outside of your room make it an excellent choice for families. Enjoy the pool, the bar and grill, and then unwind in the drawing room with a reflecting pool to center yourself after a long day with the kids, or treat yourself to the spa to make it a real vacation! In the summer, rooms cost upwards of $1,000 a night on a weekend.

22. The Asbury Hotel

Consider staying at the new boutique hotel, The Asbury, just a stroll from the north end of the boardwalk on 5th Avenue. Check out its “Family King” room, complete with a convertible futon. With all that’s outside, there’s little reason for kids to hang in this, or any, hotel, but the Asbury makes it tough with the Baronet, its sixth-floor grass deck, where movies often play at sundown, a pool, and two rooftop bars. On the lobby level, the Counter serves bites. In the winter, it has hosted an ice-skating rink with an attached bar. Many of the hotel’s other features—while inviting and cool, like the Soundbooth, a bar with live music, seem oriented to 20-somethings. In the summer, rooms cost about $500 a night on a weekend.

23. Holiday Inn Express Neptune

Asbury Park doesn’t really have any budget options for hotels, but if you look at nearby Neptune, you will find a Holiday Inn Express, which offers free breakfast, a pool, and a fitness center for about $350 a night.

Best Restaurants for Kids in Asbury Park

24. Pop’s Garage

When it’s time to eat, Asbury really kicks in with family-friendly options, like Pop’s Garage, a sustainable Mexican eatery right on the boardwalk that will be sure to tickle your kid’s taste buds.

25. Talula’s

This pizzeria with a bar on Cookman Avenue is very family-friendly and even has vegan options.

26. Mogo Korean Fusion Tacos

Located on the boardwalk, people rave about these Asian-inspired Mexican dishes, and they have a very affordable kids’ menu.

27. North Eats Food Trucks Court

This gathering of food trucks is available only during the summers and is located between Seventh and Eighth Avenues at the beach. The newish foodie destination serves up snacks, mains, and treats all from local food entrepreneurs.

28. Frank's

Should you seek a meal away from the hoopla, here’s a real insider food tip: drive west on Sunset Avenue, all the way to Main Street, and get a bite at this family-owned deli. This establishment offers excellent food at a reasonable price. Breakfast is my favorite meal there!

29. Porta

Also, off the boardwalk, but within shooting distance, Porta offers great pizza and Italian food in a relaxed atmosphere where kids can scream their heads off (but shouldn't). The outdoor area is walled in, which will keep your kids contained.

While You’re There, Stop in Next Door at Ocean Grove

Not part of Asbury Park, but right next door, is the family-friendly Ocean Grove. Just walk south along the boardwalk, and once you pass through the old casino building, you are in Ocean Grove. If you want to drive there parking is free in Ocean Grove, although during peak season it can be difficult to secure.

Ocean Grove is a religious town with gorgeous Victorian-style houses painted in bold, beautiful colors. The highlights are the giant Methodist Church, which is also a concert venue that can be seen from the beach and the accompanying tent city. These colorful and quirky tent rentals always pique the interest of my children. The beach here is usually less crowded than in Asbury Park, and the downtown area is truly a throwback to another era with cute shops and irresistible cafes, including The Starving Artist at Days.

Gorgeous Bed and Breakfasts abound here, and if you want to spend the night, I suggest the family-friendly Inns of Ocean Grove, which both have family rooms, or the very accommodating B&B, The Majestic.

How to Get to Asbury Park

From New York City-Penn Station, an NJ Transit train to Asbury Park takes about an hour-and-a-half, including a train change at Long Branch—and then there's a serious walk from the station to the beach. NJ Transit also offers a seasonal round-trip ticket, plus a beach badge deal that offers a small discount and can be obtained at transit ticket machines in Penn and any other NJ Transit station. If you can, do the 45- to 60-minute (without traffic) drive from the NYC metro area or 75 minutes from the Philadelphia metro area, although parking after 10 am on a weekend day can require a good 20 minutes of driving in circles. There are some lots and a parking garage on Bangs Avenue, but also lots of on-street metered parking just a few blocks from the beach. 

Secret tip: Any weeknight (except Fridays) makes for a great time to visit Asbury Park's boardwalk (if you don’t plan on swimming), especially if you enjoy overhearing one of The Stone Pony’s ticketed, Summerstage concerts (some are all ages, too). Parking isn’t too difficult on any evening, unless it's during events.