Non-Gambling Activities in Atlantic City

Do people go to Atlantic City for any reason other than
gambling?

Sure they do. The city is a major draw for conventions,
corporate meetings, and morale-building events. Atlantic City is
also a major wedding destination. The city offers a combination
of nightlife perfect for bachelor parties. Women love the town’s
upscale beauty, which makes it an ideal wedding backdrop.
Atlantic City is in the middle of a massive suburban and even
rural population, but it’s only a short trip by car or train
from New York City, Philadelphia, and a few other major cities.

Not everyone who comes to AC is coming to gamble. In fact,
increasingly, fewer people who arrive on Absecon Island are
planning to gamble at all. This is a big problem for the
casinos, but a big help for people who are visiting or moving to
the city who have no interest in placing bets.

Atlantic City was originally a resort town, a natural
landscape of beaches, dunes, and bays at the southern tip of New
Jersey. Once, the area was dotted with tiny health spas and
resorts catering to the wealthy. Though legalized casino
gambling (a product of 1970s economics) changed the face of AC
forever, the now-$3 billion industry did nothing to wipe out the
natural beauty of the place where it was built. As the casinos
disappear, you have an opportunity to enjoy the area for its
original purpose as a haven from the big city.

Yes, Atlantic City is a small town of just 39,000 people or
so. It has a certain small-town appeal, especially if you travel
a mile or two south. Attached to the city (mostly to the south)
are several small suburban neighborhoods that function as
independent cities. Towns like Ventnor City and Margate swell
the local population and provide a lot of places of interest to
tourists.

26 million people visited Atlantic City last year, and fewer
than forty percent of them placed a bet in a casino. They got to
the city mostly by car, though some arrived on a plane or by
rail. Tourism is still a major part of the local economy – which
is why the city is perfect for visitors who aren’t planning on
darkening the door of a casino.

So how do you decide what to do in AC if you aren’t
interested in gambling? You can start by reading the tips
offered on this page. You can also take a look at some of the
activities we recommend, in four separate categories. If you
want to jump straight to one of these categories, please use the
relevant button below.

Tips for Picking a Non-Gambling Activity

The easiest way to figure out what to do in Atlantic City is
to answer four simple questions.

• What time of year is it?
• What age groups are taking part?
• How much time do you have?
• How much do you want to spend?

The answers to these questions help narrow down your choices.
You can add questions if you want – that’ll narrow down your
choices even more. The answers to these particular questions do
tend to get people on the right track toward picking an activity
in the AC area that’s not in a casino though.

What time of year is it?

Atlantic City has the Atlantic Ocean for an eastern border.
It’s also located in a fairly active part of the country,
weather-wise. Ice and snow in the winter months mean that your
best bet in terms of weather is the months of May to September.
The average high for the months of November to February is 44
degrees; the average low for those months is a chilly 29
degrees. It’s not a great time to do anything BUT sit in a
casino and place bets. But if you’re there between May and
September, you’ll find warm days, temperate nights, and lots of
sunshine.

If your visit is during the cold months, you’ll want to stick
to lots of indoor activities. AC gets about 20 inches of snow a
year, so you might find yourself snowed in. Don’t worry. There’s
still plenty to do in AC indoors besides sit at a slot machine.
If, on the other hand, you’re in the area during the warm
months, you should DEFINITELY set some time aside for the many
outdoor activities available in the area.

What age groups are taking part?

Your options for entertainment and activities vary depending
on if you have any kids in the crowd. If your group is made up
mostly of adults, you have a lot more choices. Atlantic City is
family-friendly, but many of the options are geared more for
grown-ups than kids.

How much time do you have?

Do you need entertainment to fill an hour? Do you have an
entire day to kill? The amount of time you need to kill also
plays a role in determining what activities you choose. Much of
AC’s charm comes from the part of the country where it lies, so
some of these activities require a journey. If you have extra
time, you have a wider range of activities to choose from.

How much do you want to spend?

Did you come to AC looking to spend big and experience a
little luxury? Plenty of activities are right for your budget.
Do you have a day to kill and not much money to spend? We can
help you there, too. The trick isn’t spending a ton of money.
It’s matching your budget to activities that are available and
having the best time you can for what you want to spend. Most
activities below cost some amount of money, though we’ve
intentionally included both inexpensive and high-dollar options
on purpose to show range.

Now that you’ve thought about the four most important
factors, look through the lists below. They contain a great
selection of recommended activities in the Atlantic City area,
and none of them involve gambling. These ideas may inspire you
to think of your own activities – that’s great! So long as you
stay within the parameters of your answers to the questions
above, you’ll have a great time.

Best Luxury Activities

Even after a spate of casino closings and a general downturn
in the city’s economy, Atlantic City still appeals to big
spenders who don’t want to make the cross-country trip to Las
Vegas for their casino gambling, wining, and dining. The
following activities are designed for guests to the city that
are expecting some of the finer things in life, regardless of
the cost.

Have a five-star meal at Bobby Flay at Borgata

This is not your father’s steakhouse. Bobby Flay’s steakhouse
at the Borgata serves $50 steaks like they’re appetizers. They
also have specials, rare wines, and multi-course tastings
available at three and four times that price point. You’re going
to spend some coin for a meal at this spot, but it’s the
glitziest of AC’s many steakhouse-themed eateries. It’s also the
place where you’re most likely to see celebrities grabbing a
bite before or after a show at the casinos.

Stay at The Water Club

AC’s newest boutique hotel is actually part of Borgata – a
very successful part. You can take your pick from gigantic lofts
to smaller guest rooms, all built around a theme of “luxurious
elegance,” according to the Borgata’s website. You can pay
anywhere from a few hundred to well over $1,000 a night at this
smaller and ritzier cousin to the popular Borgata next door. As
an added bonus, you’ll be as far away from the gambling as you
can get and still be in a five-star hotel in AC. Make a
reservation online for special deals and offers to local
businesses.

Charter a private boat for a fishing run

The place where the continental shelf meets the deep part of
the Atlantic Ocean is called the Canyons. During the summers,
canyon runs are the main fishing event in an area known for its
excellent fishing. You can charter an overnight trip for a small
group to “run the canyons” for tuna, shark, and other big
predators, but you’ll pay for the privilege. At the cost of
around $6,000 per day, you can have the run of a 60 foot ship, a
crew that knows how to run the canyons, and breakfast, lunch,
and dinner. Several companies make these runs – so take a look
locally and make your pick.

Sample rare wines at a Prohibition-era restaurant

Make a reservation early. The Knife and Fork Inn tends to
fill up, especially during peak tourist season. The Knife and
Fork is special – it’s probably the closest thing to a
traditional gourmet restaurant that’s available in or near
Atlantic City, not counting the lovely restaurants up Atlantic
Avenue in the “suburbs” of Ventnor and Margate. The Knife and
Fork is home to a world-class sommelier, as well as a library of
300 rare and connoisseur-level wines. Drinking in a place
popular among Prohibition-era gangsters? Nothing’s more AC than
that.