Bayside Center
General Information
The Bayside Center is a an activities and education facility operated by the City of Ocean City that is dedicated to the environmental and cultural aspects of Ocean City’s bayfront along the Great Egg Harbor Bay. Located on the grounds of an historical home on the bay, the Bayside Center is a perfect location to learn about the South Jersey seashore environment through an array of exhibits, displays, and information or to simply enjoy the bay for its views, wildlife, or water recreation.
The house was originally built on the 1.35 acre property around 1916 when owned by the Diesel family. In 1958, the Wheaton family purchased the house for use as a summer property. They owned the property until it was purchased by the County in 1995 through the New Jersey Open Space and Farmland Preservation Program. The name Bayside Center was given and the property had capital improvements including elevation for flood proofing, a new bulkhead, new railings and painting of the exterior. The City of Ocean City holds a 25 year lease on the Bayside Center.
The Bay Window Environmental Center
On the first floor of the house is The Bay Window Environmental Center. Highlights of The Bay Window include a walk under estuary waters, local game fish, a display of tools used by bay men of the Great Egg Harbor Bay estuary, a mural by Ocean City artist Diane Bressler featuring species found in the local estuary, and a photo gallery. Information about Watershed Planning in New Jersey explains how everything we do on land affects the water and how citizens and visitors can minimize their impact on the environment by having this knowledge and making minor adjustments in certain everyday activities.
The second floor is home to the Hutsko ship models, a collection of 25 museum quality boat models of historic, local and well-known ships. This life’s work of Master Ship model builder Stephen Hutsko is on loan from his family. Another room is devoted to a collection of to-scale models of historic Ocean City buildings. This interesting collection was produced by former local resident Al Burch.
The third floor is open to the public for unmatched views of the Great Egg Harbor Bay. There is a telescope to help you see the osprey nest close to the 9th Street Bridge. An elevator has been installed for full accessibility to all three floors.
Open Public Areas
The Bay Window Environmental Center is only one of the many highlights of the Bayside Center. There is a lovely pavilion on the grounds that provides shaded seating during a hot summer day and is a wonderful place to relax on a nice evening.
The docks allow bay access to the public on a year-round basis for fishing and crabbing. Boaters and kayakers may use the slips to launch or dock on a short-term basis. Sunset views are spectacular from this site.
Events and Camps
The Bayside Center presents the Summer Sunset Series, a variety of nature programs on Tuesday evenings. The program is free of charge and offers a wide range of topics for families. Reservations are requested by calling the Center during its hours of operation.
Night in Venice is a big night on the bay in Ocean City and the Bayside Center is a great place to view the infamous boat parade. An outdoor party is held on the grounds with a band and special children’s activities prior to the start of the parade. Bleacher seats are available and attendees are encouraged to bring your own picnic. Tickets go on sale July 1, reserve your seat early as this event is usually a sell-out!
The Bayside Center also offers Summer Fun Science Camps for children aged six to 11. Download the schedule and camp descriptions by clicking here.
In addition to all of these wonderful activities, the Bayside Center hosts special events throughout the year. Click here [link to ocweb_eventsBayside.pdf] to see what events are happening and how you can get involved!
Contact Information
The Bayside Center is located at 520 Bay Avenue in Ocean City. It is open to visitors in the summer months from the last Saturday in June until Labor Day from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Year-round, the property is available for special events and meetings. To contact the Bayside Center, phone 609-525-9244 (summer) or 609-525-9301 (winter).
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