Then and Now

What you see now as you look at Ocean City is an island 10 miles long and a few blocks wide, jam- packed with everything you could desire for fun in the sun. But it wasn’t always like this.

The mid 1800s, Assateague Island stretched for 60 miles along the Delmarva Peninsula. It was wind swept and desolate, and only a few brave souls operated small, seasonal hotels, while the island was primarily used for hunting, fishing and grazing cattle and horses.

When the Atlantic Hotel opened in the tiny town of Ocean City in 1875, it was the beginning of this area as a true vacation spot.

Travelers came by ferry and train, often traveling hours to spend one idyllic afternoon at the shore. In the early days, the Boardwalk was one of the main attractions. Starting as boards laid in the sand (and picked up each evening); it was later built as a permanent structure 10 feet above the beach, to let the tide wash below. Sitting under the Boardwalk was a favorite way to picnic or play in the shade. Ropes were tied to the posts and anchored in the ocean so daring bathers could venture safely into the water.

The Boardwalk has always been the promenade of the resort – the place to see and be seen. In the early part of this century, the evening ritual was to stroll “the boards” in your best attire after an elaborate dinner in your hotel. The look today may be more casual, but a walk down the Boardwalk is still a “must do” event.

The oldest part of Ocean City is at the southern most tip of the island. As you meander the area south of Division Street, look up – above the shops at street level. Cottages and small hotels still proudly reflect the strong heritage of the early pioneers of this town. For decades, this was the tightly packed hub of the resort. From about 9th Street north, there were only a handful of cottages, sparsely dotting the dune lines northward.

It wasn’t until the early 1960s, when then – President Lyndon Johnson’s close friend, Bobby Baker, built the Carousel Hotel at 118th Street, that Ocean City began to take on its present form.

In an always connected high speed digital age, Ocean City offers its visitors the best of both worlds – from state-of-the-art meeting and convention facilities to the simple pleasure of feeling the warm sun on your face as you stretch out on the sand to relax.

On the following pages, we hope to share with you some of the many reasons why Ocean City should be your top choice for both business and pleasure. And if you don’t find exactly what you are looking for on these pages, give us a call at 1-800-OC-OCEAN and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have.

The face of Ocean City may have changed, but what draws visitors to our shore all year long has not. The smell of the salt air. The majestic vista of the ocean. The pure joy of shedding your city shell and luxuriating in the freedom of the beach.

We invite you to see all that Ocean City can offer.