Tuckerton Seaport Museum
This past Saturday, we were invited to a blogger event at the Tuckerton Seaport Museum. I knew my 4-year-old would love the Pirate Festival, and he did. I didn’t tell him we were going until about 48 hours beforehand and it was all he talked about.
He talked about finding treasure and all sorts of other pirate-y things. We were scheduled to take a short cruise on a real pirate ship. On Saturday when he woke up, he was so cute.
He said he thought that the pirate ship would be scary, and he started saying that he really didn’t want to go to the Pirate Festival. I talked him into it and off we went.
Unfortunately, because of Hurricane Andrea, our voyage on the Pirate Ship had to be canceled due to the rough water. So that’s why you won’t hear any more about the Pirate Ship.
We did get to see some pirate re-enactors do lots of fun things, my boys loved that part. They still don’t get the whole “pretend” thing, so they thought that these guys were actual scary pirates.
Attractions Near Atlantic City
I loved the Tuckerton Museum. It’s located in Tuckerton (duh) which is about 20 minutes from Atlantic City. If you are on the Jersey Shore for vacation, it makes a great little side excursion.
They have a playground and miniature golf there, and it was the kind of mini golf that we LOVE! We love the low-key kind, the one where my 4-year-old can float from hole to hole, maybe not in order, maybe taking too many shots or mulligans.
Sometimes at the big boardwalk places, you have to go in order and play goes quickly. He’s not ready for that yet but loves mini-golf. He loves to wander and just play at his own pace, which was ok here.
Is Tuckerton Seaport Museum Disability Friendly?
Absolutely! Reason number one why you should go.
It’s very slow-paced, very low-key. Even though there was a festival going on, there were places to get away from the noise. They had many food options, but if you have very specific needs due to allergies, double check first.
They have elevators and ramps for (I think) every building. Normally for an event like this, I would take a stroller, just so that Kevin has it as a safety net or comfort zone, but we didn’t need it.
There are plenty of benches everywhere if you are walking to the different parts you can easily stop and rest along the way. They really went all out in making it feel like a pirate day. They even had a pirate band there.
Tuckerton Seaport Museum: the Lighthouse
Our big accomplishment for the day was climbing to the top of the lighthouse. Kevin has had stairs/steps as one of his PT and O&M goals for FOREVER.
He still struggles with stairs, so I figured, hey, good practice. It was. I started to second guess myself as we made the final ascent up the open, spiral staircase to the very top, but we did it.
Getting down was slow going, but all the other visitors there were very patient and helpful. NJ has a bad rap for that, and it’s just not true.
Tuckerton Seaport Museum: a few safety concerns
The one safety concern I would have is the water. You can avoid it, but some of the walking path/boardwalk is right along the river and the docks.
If your child is super fast and an escape artist or eloper, be careful. The railing that barricades access to the water only has two bars, so an adult could easily climb or fall through if they weren’t aware and very careful. It wouldn’t stop me from visiting again, just something to be aware of.
Budget-Friendly Attractions in New Jersey
I loved the prices. Everything is very reasonable. Usually, at events like this, you get totally soaked as a parent. Am I right? All the pirate stuff–the hats, bandannas, swords, eye patches, flags, it was all just a buck or two. I loved that. We were totally outfitted in pirate gear for $8.
Attractions in New Jersey for Families
If your child is into pirates, you need to check out their Pirate Festivals. And, it’s close enough for most of metropolitan Philadelphia that it can be a day trip. What are you waiting for?
I would absolutely go again. Check their calendar of events. It seems all of their events are very well put together, well organized, and affordable for families. Surely you can find something that interests you.
If you found this blog post helpful, please check our entire Disability Friendly Travel Section.
