Family Fun at Tuckerton Seaport

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions and Jersey Strong pride is my own.

Family fun on your summer bucket list this year? Tuckerton Seaport in Tuckerton, NJ has a ton to offer for all ages.

We had a marvelous opportunity for family fun as we went to check out Tuckerton Seaport yesterday. Invited to enjoy their Bluegrass & BBQ Festival, we were able to take a tour of the facility, learn about the history of the area and help them to celebrate their first event post-Hurricane Sandy. For those of you who were not in the path of the storm last fall, it’s blow to the Jersey Shore was devastating. I grew up spending summers on Long Beach Island, but somehow we never found the gem of a daytrip that is Tuckerton Seaport.

Tuckerton Seaport is a maritime village that serves as a historical register for the Barnegat Bay area. Across 40 acres, it houses the recreated Tuckerton Lighthouse (pictured above), 17 historic and recreated buildings, a boatworks shop and a maritime railway.

We started our day in the Hunting Shanty where we saw a wide array of decoys. Decoys and how they were/are used are a big part of Barnegat Bay history.

They were hosting one of their many festivals for the season, so after a brief chat with our guide, we moved down through the museum to Todd’s Musical Petting Zoo. If you have a chance to see his musical instruments, please do! The kids all had a blast trying folk instruments that they might otherwise never see. It was a such a great way for them to explore and have fun!

In addition, the Adventure Aquarium was on hand to talk about the environment at the shore and how Hurricane Sandy affected things. We spent some time under the tent with the bluegrass music and had lunch.

They have a ton of events at the Seaport, including the Privateers and Pirates Festival on June 8th, so we will have to check out more of the music later this summer. Next, we went on a tour of the grounds. They have so many different sections to visit. They maintain chickens, goats and sheep and some quail. They have a cute maritime themed playground for the little ones and miniature golf is set up for kids of all ages too. Family fun for all!

This history buff in me was excited to tour their maritme and surfing museums. We were able to learn about the lighthouses of NJ, check out a beautiful floor map, climb the lighthouse and check out the gorgeous collection of historical surfboards.

I am looking forward to heading back for more family fun at Tuckerton Seaport in the near future. I would love to wander through the museum and talk about the exhibits with Tomato and DH. I’d love to hear what her questions are when we aren’t in a large group.

So, if you are looking for some family fun options at the Jersey Shore this summer, be sure to put Tuckerton Seaport on your list of destinations. It’s a great place to find value in the traditions of the shore, understand its history a bit more, and explore the environment by the sea. Finally, be sure to check out their online auction this summer too in order to benefit their educational programs!