Each year, Ocean City hosts a Best of Ocean City voting in over 50 different categories.  the Best of the Boardwalk is one of our major categories along with Best Activities, Best Bars and Best Restaurants.   As for the winners of the Best of Ocean City on the Boardwalk,  Thrasher’s Fries always wins the best French fries, in fact, we quit publishing that poll because it’s a foregone conclusion on who has the best fries.  We do have voting for the best caramel corn, the best sit-down restaurant, the best pizza on the boardwalk and more.  If you are looking for a great view, try Harrison’s Harbor Watch which overlooks the inlet and has one of the best raw bars in town.  The Kite Loft wins our best boardwalk shop most years.  Check out the Best of Ocean City winners below.

Starting at the inlet, you will find stores that offer specialty pet stores, museum stores, jewelry stores, many t-shirt shops, surfing stores, and much more. The most famous boardwalk amusement can be found inside Trimper’s along the inlet parking lot. The Trimper’s Carousel has been giving children and adults rides since 1912, making it the oldest continuously operating carousel in the country! The two-tiered Herschel-Spellman Venetian style merry-go-round was built in 1902 with elaborately painted animals as well as benches for the young or old. All will love the mirrors, decorations, and whimsy of this beautiful icon of Americana, making it well worth the trip – and the price! Trimper’s may be one of the main attractions, but there are also of other amusements and activities for the whole family. The old Pier Amusements is now operated by Jolly Roger and is home to many famous rides, including the Slingshot, 1001 Nights, Tornado, Looping Roller Coaster, Giant Ferris Wheel, Hurricane, Crazy Dance, Morbid Manor 3D, bumper cars, Bear Affair, Rockin’ Tug, Family Himalaya, and Ripley’s Mirror Maze. If you’re not in the mood for rides, you can enjoy the midway games or souvenir shops as you stroll along the inlet area.  Ripley’s Believe it or Not, marked by the giant mechanical shark emerging from the buildings destroyed siding, caps the end of the building where Jolly Roger and Trimper’s are located.

Hotels, motels, condos, and even a B&B overlook the ocean along the boardwalk. The Grand Hotel & Spa, the Park Place Hotel, the Boardwalk Hotels, some of the Harrison Hotels, the Hyatt, as well as the Dunes Manor, which sits just beyond the terminus of the boardwalk, are just a few of the oceanfront hotels you can choose for your Ocean City vacation. If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk, there are also numerous hotel options just off the boards on the ocean block. 

The Ocean City Boardwalk dates back to 1902 when several hoteliers decided they and their guests needed a way to walk easily between their places of business while enjoying the view of the ocean. The result was a wooden walkway that was removed at high tide and stored on the hotel porches. In 1910, a more permanent boardwalk was created for the visitors and residents of Ocean City. It originally ran five blocks, but was extended to 15th Street the following decade. When the boardwalk was destroyed in the great storm of 1962, it was rebuilt to its current length, running from the inlet through 27th St., ending just before the Dunes Manor Hotel. In 2012, the Ocean City Boardwalk underwent a complete renovation whereby the old splintering and rotten boards were replaced with new wood, while retaining the old-fashioned feel of its historic past.