Ocean City, Maryland is a little hub of fun and entertainment on the Eastern Shore. I’ve been going to Ocean City almost yearly throughout my life. In high school my friends and I excitedly roamed the lively boardwalk, in college we partied at Seacrets and the other fun bars, and as a young adult I go to enjoy a little bit of everything. These are my top choices for the best things to do in Ocean City MD for every type of traveler.
Explore the Famous Boardwalk: #1 of the Best Things to Do in Ocean City MD
The famous Ocean City Boardwalk stretches for three miles along the Atlantic coastline and stands as the heart and soul of this beloved beach town. It’s actually one of my favorite boardwalks on the whole east coast, and definitely worth a visit at least once.
The boardwalk buzzes with energy and a beach town atmosphere. I personally love that it’s right on the very wide beach, especially towards the end / 1st street, which means you can go between the crowded boardwalk and very uncrowded sand easily.
When considering Things to Do in Ocean City MD, the boardwalk is always at the top of the list. The top attraction is probably the rides at both Jolly Roger at the Pier and Trimper’s Rides. The terrifying looking sling shot ride is a HUGE hit for teens and thrill seekers. There are also a few roller coasters, thrill rides, a giant ferris wheel with cool views and even a haunted house between the two parks.
Some more spots to check out are Dumser’s Dairyland for ice cream, Thrasher’s French Fries, saltwater taffy or any candy you can imagine at Dolle’s and Grotto’s Pizza for lunch or dinner. These are all OC staples.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: One of the best things about visiting the boardwalk is that there’s so much to see for free. Also, while the rides can be pricy, you can pay per ride which makes it cheaper if you want to do just one or two rides, OR get an all you can ride wristband for relatively cheap if you want to ride them all- especially during the week days when there won’t be as many lines.
Enjoy the Jolly Roger Amusement Parks : Best Activity In Town For Families
There are lots of amusement rides in Ocean City to check out, even for the littlest ones. The most well known are the rides at the pier mentioned above at Jolly Roger and Trimper Rides, but there’s also a few other spots to check out- especially if you have younger kids or toddlers.
The original Jolly Roger amusement park on 30th Street is a little farther up in Ocean City and has classic amusement park rides, including some with no height requirement as long as a parent is along for the ride. We thought this sounded like so much fun so we took our 10 month old and she loved it! There’s even a roller coaster she could have ridden. This is my top choice of the best things to do in Ocean City MD for families
There’s also the well loved Splash Mountain Water Park and Speed World for go karts.
Splash Mountain is another park I recommend for kids as opposed to teens and thrill seekers. It’s super colorful and has a fun atmosphere with music playing. There aren’t many big big slides compared to some of the larger water parks, but there is PLENTY to do for younger kids.
Our toddler loved the tiny splash pad with a cushiony floor she could crawl around on, and the shallow pool with a mini playground. The jungle playground is also so much fun. For thrill seekers they do have the Aqua Loop slide which almost goes upside down.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: Entry to Splash Mountain at Jolly Roger on 30th is a separate ticket, and you can save A LOT on tickets by searching Google for discount tickets.Ā Just put “discount tickets for splash mountain ocean city”. Usually CertifiKid has one which I’ve used in the past.
Since you’re paying an entrance fee, it’s a little different than the other Jolly Roger parks but it’s totally worth it. They also aren’t strict about what you can bring in which is super nice and helps to save money.
Jolly Roger on 30th & Splash Mountain Water Park = Best for Toddlers & Young Kids, Also best for people who like waterparks or really hot days
Jolly Roger at the Pier + Trimper Rides = Best for Teens & Thrill Seekers
Seacrets or Fagers Island: Best of the Things to Do in Ocean City MD for Party Lovers
Seacrets is more of a destination that a restaurant/bar and live music venue. It’s hard to explain, but it’s basically a place on the bay where you can sit in the water and have drinks, listen to live music in the sand on one of the many stages, go to the bumpin nightclub or even sit down for a meal under the palm trees. This is the #1 place I recommend going to as someone visiting Ocean City from abroad or for the first time.
It’s become legendary as one of the largest waterfront bar and restaurant complexes on the East Coast, sprawling across multiple levels, bars and stages.
They import their palm trees from Florida each year, so the palm trees are a huge highlight here- and the venue is MASSIVE. Another highlight are the tables in the water. I love the feeling of walking around in the sand and wandering through the palm trees. It really feels like you’re on an island.
Keep in mind lines to get in can be very long on holiday weekends. You can always call ahead to see how the line is looking, or honestly just pull up and take a look. There is a roped off area.
There’s a huge live music line up at Seacrets with multiple bands playing across multiple stages most days. You can see the full live music line up at their website here.
Also, Seacrets has surprisingly good food. Every meal I’ve ever gotten here has been fresh. I still remember I used to be picky about sandwiches, but I got a sandwich as a teen here and I still remember what it tasted like. I was obsessed. I wish I remember what exactly what was on it!
Seacrets is a reason in itself to go to Ocean City for people who love to dance or party. I’ve made many trips to OC for that reason, and now I love visiting Seacrets occasionally for a super fun outing or even a great lunch or dinner during less crowded weekends.
If you’re looking for a more upscale experience, Fagers Island is similar in that it’s a large place on the water with sand, and it’s also a live music venue. They’re known for their sunset celebrations and you won’t find a better place to watch the sun go down over the water in OC. Go early to grab a firepit spot.
Fager’s Island is known to be more upscale compared to Seacrets, attracting an older crowd most of the time. On holiday weekends and weekend nights it turns into a party spot where you can dance the night away. You can check out their live music line up here.
There’s even a few hotels which are 21 and up that you can stay at on Fagers Island, called the Edge and the Lighthouse Inn, with unique decorated rooms.
See Wild Horses at the Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island’s wild horses are honestly one of the most magical things you’ll see on the Eastern Shore and seeing them the most unique of the best things to do in Ocean City MD for sure. It’s a must for nature lovers and just a short drive away from the boardwalk. They roam completely free across the island, and you might catch a small herd grazing right along the dunes or wandering shockingly close to the road as you drive in.
A word of caution: they’re wild, not tame, and rangers are serious about keeping a safe distance (at least 40 feet).
You don’t have to drive all the way to the Assateague Island National Seashore to find them either. You’ll likely start seeing them as you drive further south. One spot you can put in your GPS to see them either on the beach nearby or in the marshland is the Life of the Forest Nature Trail.
As an extra tip, you can also camp in this area! This is a magical place to camp. You can reserve a camping spot here.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: Camping in Ocean City is the cheapest place to stay outside of dirty motel rooms, as campsites are only $40 per night.
My family and I went to Assateague Island in the winter and we got some really cool shots of the deserted other wordly looking beach, and we saw lots of horses just hanging out here and there.
See Live Music
OC pulses with live music and there’s never a shortage of places to see it, especially during the summer months. Like I mentioned earlier in this blog, Seacrets and Fagers Island are two of the best live music spots in town, but you’ll also find live music at many other spots.
Sundaes in the Park is a free live music series at Northside Park on Sunday nights, while Sunset Park Party Nights also offers free live music in the summer on Thursdays at Sunset Park.
Coconuts is a great party place with live music regularly, especially acoustic and it’s right on the beach. The Purple Moose Salon is a rock n roll bar, while Mackys’ and Bourbon Street on the Beach are a few other local favorites.
Dewey Beach
Also, if you’re a live music person like me, consider driving up to Dewey Beach. It’s the live music hub of the Eastern Shore and especially during summer weekends, there are multiple bands throughout the bars of town each day and night.
Bottle and Cork is my personal favorite and there’s also the iconic Rusty Rudder that my parents talk about going to when they were young, Other good options for live music in Dewey Beach are Starboard and North Beach.
Enjoy Springfest, Sunfest, Winterfest or Dreamfest : Best Ocean City MD Events
Ocean City has a great line up of annual events that keep people coming all year. Here are four worth noting in case you are in town during the off season at any point!
Springfest takes place in April with four days of free live music, crafts from local artists, and of course plenty of food & drinks. Two stages feature more than 20 bands playing everything from rock and country to R&B, and over 200 artists show off work in glass, jewelry, pottery, wood, and more.
Sunfest is one of the largest outdoor festivals in the region, taking place in October each year at the Boardwalk. Similar to Springfest there’s live music, shopping from more than 200 artisans, family-friendly activities and additional ticketed events like Wine on the Beach. There’s also a few fall specific activities like tractor rides.
Once the holidays arrive, Winterfest of Lights lights up Northside Park. Here you’ll find a huge Christmas tree, a massive amount of light displays, rides, bonfires and visits with Santa. There are also special nights / events, which you can find info about on the event page.
Lastly, Dreamfest takes place in January / Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Music, history, commemorative speakers and more come together to celebrate Black history and the new year.
Play Minigolf
There are a surprising amount of mini golf spots in Ocean City and a bunch of great courses. The two best ones are Lost Treasure and Island Mini Golf near the Jolly Roger on 30th street park. I’ve also played Nick’s Mini Golf near Macky’s and enjoyed that course too.
Old Pro Golf also has two indoor mini golf courses, which are perfect for rainy days and my #1 choice of the best things to do in Ocean City MD on rainy days.
Water Sports on the Bay
The calmer waters of the Isle of Wight Bay and Assawoman Bay provide ideal conditions for water sports that require more control and less wave action. It’s the perfect afternoon activity if you’re looking for something to do outside of the beach and boardwalk, especially with younger kids since the bay water is calmer than the ocean.
Also, the water in the bay tends to be warmer than the ocean, making it a great activity for cooler days.
48th Street Watersports is one of the best places to go on the island for rentals and tours. They offer kayaking, paddleboards- including night tours, windsurfing, sailing and more.
Paradise Watersports is a great option for both jet ski rentals. This boat tour is really unique and takes you to search for dolphins and wild ponies on the bay, on a fast boat.
Visit the Art League of Ocean City
Visiting the Art League of Ocean City is the perfect activity for art lovers or rainy days where you can get truly thoughtful and unique gifts that also support local artists. This is so much more appealing than visiting the typical souvenir shops that are full of duplicate, cheap items that will shortly be forgotten. Come here for free exhibits and a more thoughtful break from the typical chaos of the boardwalk.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: Seeing the art inside the Art League of Ocean City is 100% the best of the free things to do in Ocean City for art lovers.
One of the Best Things to Do In Ocean City MD For Families : Dine in the Sand at Fish Tales
Fish Tales is more of a destination than your average waterfront restaurant and it’s a very unique place for families to hangout after a fun day on the beach, so I’m listing it separate than the other Ocean City restaurants. It’s not quite as much of a destination as Seacrets or Fagers, but it is worth planning a night or two around- especially with kids under 10.
As long as there aren’t any big party-style events going on, like their Bike Week in the summertime, it’s a combined restaurant and bar on the water with a big, almost treehouse style playground in the sand, tables in the sand, live music and a really fun, family-friendly atmosphere.
My husband, 10-month old and I had so much fun here. I was wishing we had gone more than one night. Dinner was great, our daughter had so much fun and even made a few little friends, and we felt like we had an actually fun night out that wasn’t just dominated around what our daughter needed. It’s truly fun for kids and adults!
Honorable mention: Dead Freddies and de Lazy Lizard are good back up bars with similar set ups, in case you need an alternative that is closer to you, or would like to try one of these on a different night.
Dead Freddies would be a much better choice than Lazy Lizard due to the locations- since the Lazy Lizard is right on the boardwalk, the prices can be really really high and it gets very crowded at dinner time.
Have A Beach Day
The beach is the main attraction on the Eastern Shore. The Ocean City beaches can have a little bit rougher surf in comparison to the other beaches on the area, so if you have little ones who want to be on the edge, consider going North to Bethany Beach for the day. Just try to avoid the beach area in front of the main boardwalk, as it can get CRAZY crowded.
The good thing about the waves being a little stronger is that it makes for great surf.
Water Sports on the Ocean
Water sports on the bay are usually a more popular choice due to the calmer water, but there’s lots of water fun to be had on the ocean too. If you’re up for it, Oceanside Watersports OC offers parasailing and jet skiing on the ocean for more of a thrill ride. They’re located near the pier at the end of the peninsula.
Watch the Sunrise over the Ocean
Watching the sunrise or sunset at the beach is one of the most magical experiences, and Ocean City is one of the beaches where you can watch the sunrise directly over the ocean most times of the year.
Waking up early will be worth it when you’re sitting on a beach blanket in the beautiful weather without the hot sun beating down on you watching the sun slowly rise up over the ocean. Truly the best way to start the day! You can check the sunrise time here to make sure you don’t miss it. Showing up 15 minutes early or so guarantees you’ll see the best colors.
Take a Surf Lesson
Speaking of a beach day, Ocean City Maryland is where a lot of East Coast surfers post up, so if you’ve been wanting to try head over to K-Coast Surf Shop for a lesson. This place has been open since 1989 and has lots of great surf gear too, so it’s a fun place to pop into regardless.
You can also rent a board if you’d rather try the waves on your own- just ask the shop or check Surfline ahead of time to make sure the conditions are safe for beginners (less than 3 ft waves).
Ocean City for Foodies: Explore the Seaside Restaurants
Ocean City’s culinary scene has evolved far beyond the fried seafood and boardwalk treats that built its reputation, now offering sophisticated dining options that rival any coastal destination. The town boasts hundreds of restaurants. Exploring the culinary scene is one of the delightful Things to Do in Ocean City MD.
Some of the restaurants that locals and foodies consistently recommend are Watermans Seafood for fresh seafood, Belly Busters for cheap seafood on the boardwalk, Shotti’s Point for casual dining, Barn 34 for a little more upscale brunch in a lively, fun atmosphere, and Hobbit House Restaurant for fine dining and beautiful views. Harpoon Hannas is a local staple a little off the beach for great seafood on the water and a lively atmosphere.
Best Sunset Dining In OC
Dining on the water at the beach is by far my favorite evening activity on a nice day. Luckily there are lots of great options for dining on the bay where the sun sets over the water in OC.
Fagers Island has a gorgeous view of the sunset, with famous cannon blasts when the sun goes down and dining in the sand. Sunset is a whole ritual here.
Seacrets Hideaway is another great spot, associated with the party venue Seacrets but offering a quieter, more refined dining experience.
Saltwater 75 is a great more laid-back bay option farther up the beach, directly on the bay with multiple levels and a rooftop bar, and the restaurant specifically promotes its sunset views.
Anglers Restaurant & Bar is a true old-school OC staple, right on the bay at the inlet. Think seafood, drinks, docks and a casual vacation atmosphere with sunset views.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: If you want to watch the sunset without paying for an expensive meal, head to Sunset Park near the pier and stake out a spot.
Spain Wine Bar
Spain Wine Bar gets its whole section because it’s definitely my favorite restaurant in Ocean City and a real gem. Oddly enough it’s located in the Cambria hotel on the bay, but once you’re inside it truly feels like you’re in Europe. Spain Wine Bar is on a rooftop and the outdoor patio has sweeping views of the water. This is a small plates restaurant just like you would expect for Spanish tapas- YUM!
The interior is also gorgeous and the wait staff was excellent. We went with our daughter who was in a phase of waving to everyone, especially the waitors and waitresses, at restaurants and we sat by the kitchen. By the end of our lunch everyone was waving at her as they passed which she was so happy about.
Arcade Hop : Best of the Things To Do In Ocean City MD For A Rainy Day
There are lots of fun arcades in Ocean City so this is my #1 recommendation for the best thing to do in Ocean City MD on a rainy day. Marty’s Playland is the big arcade at the end of the boardwalk, and Fun City Arcade is just a short walk from there.
There are also two Alley Oops locations, both of which have shark fish tanks that kids will love. Alley Oops is a more upscale arcade with a full restaurant, so you can have a meal and play games after.
P.S. If you go to the Alley Oops Midtown location, head across the street to the Quality Inn Oceanfront to check their atrium to see if the parrots are out! Throughout the day they bring out parrots which you can hold and talk to, usually in the mid morning through mid day in the summer.
š¤ Money Saving Tip: Seeing the parrots at the Quality Inn is a little bit of a secret and one of the best free things to do in Ocean City. Just make sure to call the hotel first to confirm when they will be out!
Visit Northside Park
Northside Park spans 58 acres of beautifully maintained green space along the bay at 125th Street, offering a peaceful retreat from the beach crowds and commercial bustle of downtown Ocean City. This expansive park features sports facilities including baseball and soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, and a pier perfect for fishing or simply enjoying bay views.
Families love the large playground equipment designed for different age groups, plus the open lawn areas ideal for picnics, throwing frisbees, or letting kids burn off energy.
Throughout summer, Northside Park hosts free concerts, movie nights, and special events like the weekly Sundaes in the Park series in the summer that draw both locals and visitors for entertainment in a relaxed outdoor setting. Visiting Northside Park is one of the top Things to Do in Ocean City MD for families.
Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.
