When the weather turns chilly, basking at the beach is exchanged for taking in the scenery. Grab a Dumsers milkshake, a bucket of Thrashers fries, and introduce the kids to the rich art of downtown Ocean City.
South of the Route 50 bridge and North Division Street, heading towards the infamous Ocean City Inlet, are about 18* beautifully hand painted utility boxes “hidden” among the streets. The utility boxes containing electrical essentials of downtown OC, are just off the boardwalk all the way over to St. Louis Avenue. Being that the boxes are about five feet in height, one might think that they would stand out. However these decorated boxes tend to blend in with the gorgeous ocean scenery that we all know and love as Ocean City.
One of the best things about the utility box art downtown is that it keeps you and the family outside! No inside voices or “do not touch” signs. Kids get to look around the beautifully decorated streets of Ocean City, keep their eyes peeled for these incredibly painted boxes, and even learn how to read a map all at the same time. Shh- don’t let them know they’re learning.
This scavenger hunt would be best completed by foot. If the weather is cold, bundle up and get those steps in. If the boardwalk is too windy, this is a perfect activity as the buildings tend to block the wind on the side streets. Towards Christmas time, you might even come across some holiday decorations, especially the large Christmas tree lit up at Sunset Park.
If you’ve found all of the utility boxes in the downtown area, you can always venture out for others. Between 1st street and 121st street, over ten more boxes are decorated.
While this is a fun family activity, following traffic rules, using crosswalks, and being mindful are necessary to keeping everyone in Ocean City safe. Have fun!
For more information and a map of the scavenger hunt, visit https://www.oceancitytoday.com/news/take-a-walk-on-the-artistic-side-ocdc-creates-walking-tour-to-see-decorated-utility/article_96eb61e8-a901-11eb-bfe7-5bfdf46c2a62.html
*Mentioned about were “about 18” utility boxes as some boxes may have been replaced or relocated.
