Just a few blocks from the Boardwalk, the Absecon Lighthouse towers over a grassy square. At 171 feet high, it’s New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the nation’s third tallest, with 228 steps leading to grand views of glittering casino skyscrapers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, the lighthouse was built in 1856 to guide ships to shore after more than 60 vessels were lost approaching Absecon Beach within just nine years prior. “They actually nicknamed the waters off Atlantic City the ‘Graveyard Inlet,’” says Milton Glenn, the lighthouse’s Manager of Operations and Education. “It was built because during rough storms, sailors didn’t necessarily realize how close they were coming to the shoreline. Our shallows actually go out for miles,” he adds. “So many ships ran aground and so many sailors lost their lives.” The lighthouse grounds include a replica of the keeper’s house, a small museum and the original first-order glass Fresnel lens first lit in 1857. “We are the oldest building in all of Atlantic City,” notes Glenn. “Everyone knows Atlantic City is a casino town, but there are so many family-friendly things people can do here.”
Lucy the Elephant attraction in Margate is actually a six-story architectural marvel.
I drive south along Atlantic Avenue and stop at Lucy the Elephant, an unusual tourist attraction in Margate. The colossal figurine is actually a six-story architectural marvel dating back to 1881, built to attract visitors and promote real estate investment for what has become a suburban-like community. “There aren’t many things that can capture the wonderment that comes across a person’s face like a giant elephant when you’re not expecting it to be there,” observes caretaker Ryan Brown. “There’s definitely a magic to it as well.” A National Historic Landmark, the odd-shaped building, is open for tours. After closing in the early 1960s, it was saved from condemnation by area residents and reopened in 1974. Restoration and upkeep projects since then have ensured it remains one of the Jersey Shore’s top tourist attractions. “Her biggest threat is the weather, not hunters and poachers,” jokes tour guide Kaitlyn Lafferty, saying the structure has survived many storms. We climb a stairwell within one of the giant legs that leads to the interior’s wood-paneled chamber, often rented out as a venue for small meetings, weddings, birthdays, and other events. Another stairwell leads up to a glass skylight and outdoor platform with sweeping views of Margate and its beaches, with Atlantic City’s skyline in the distance.
Absecon Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey
EXPLORING THE SOUTH JERSEY SHORE
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2026 | 21
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