If you want to quickly form an opinion about spending a weekend in Atlantic City as a place for a short break, then Las Vegas is the best comparison. Although these cities are located on different coasts, tourists find much in common between them.
First, this is an abundance of upscale hotels, casinos, and restaurants. However, Atlantic City has essential advantages over its West Coast twin. And this is the location by the ocean and many kilometers of sandy beaches.
Therefore, guests of Atlantic City have a more diverse choice of leisure options. For one weekend, you are unlikely to be able to use all the opportunities for tourists. Therefore, we have compiled a rating of 5 main places in the city, trying to include entertainment activities for different tastes.
Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa
One of the things to try while on holiday in Atlantic City, NJ, is visiting the local land-based casinos. If on the West Coast, the most famous and fashionable gambling establishment is Bellagio in Las Vegas, then on the East Coast, several clubs can claim this title. We recommend staying at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City. Its beautiful rooms are great for living for a few days.
You can try to get acquainted with thousands of gambling entertainment during this period. Customers have access to 180 gaming tables and about 3,000 slots. There are 50 rooms for poker players.
If you, your partner, or your group members are not too interested in gambling entertainment, then Borgata has many recreation options. If you prefer to stay home and enjoy virtual games, you can satisfy your passion on this page. If you want the live thing, then head to the location.
With the abandonment of the land-based casino game, the extensive list of pleasant services that can be enjoyed at the Borgata Hotel will not notice a loss.
You can spend time in a spa center with a jacuzzi and a sauna, have a delicious lunch in a trendy steakhouse, and shop for branded clothes in numerous boutiques. Every week, the casino hosts premiere shows of various groups. With the onset of the evening, visitors are waiting for bars, nightclubs, and sports bars with bets on basketball, football, and other popular sports.
The Borgata Hotel has everything to stay there after the weekend and not experience inconvenience:
- indoor and outdoor pools;
- several upscale fitness centers;
- barbershop;
- water club;
- beauty salon;
- meals in the room.
Please note that a resort fee of approximately USD 20 per night is spent at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa (excluding taxes). If you come to Atlantic City by private or rented car, self-parking will cost an additional 10 USD daily.
Atlantic City Boardwalk
The Atlantic City Boardwalk is the main tourist attraction in Atlantic City. You only need to walk a few steps from one first-class establishment to the next. On a narrow strip for 5 miles along the coast, there are many legal casinos and accessible beaches, shops, bars and restaurants, and nightclubs. Every day there are live performances of musicians and artistic groups. You can escape from active and noisy entertainment at the Steel Pier, which is dedicated to art and culture.
If you’re planning to visit Atlantic City in the summer, try to match your vacation to the annual August airshow. The best position to watch the stunts of the masters of extreme piloting is, in fact, the famous footpath itself. It first appeared in the city in 1870, was rebuilt many times, and became one of the city’s symbols.
The main point on the boardwalk that you cannot miss if you come to New Jersey with children is Steel Pier Amusement Park. If you don’t fear heights, don’t miss the opportunity to ride the Big Wheel. From the 220-foot Ferris wheel’s peak, you’ll get perfect views of the ocean, waterfront, and surrounding beaches.
Within walking distance to Atlantic City Beach, you will find many places for kayaking, rafting, and fishing. But if you’re planning on spending the weekend on the water, it’s worth considering a visit to the best kayaking spots in Florida. There you will find both slow rivers for calm rafting and coastal areas with strong currents for those who like to test their kayak skills.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
You don’t have to leave the Atlantic City Boardwalk to get to your next must-see tourist spot. The museum Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is within walking distance. It contains the most extraordinary things, the existence of which would not even occur to anyone.
There are several other similar establishments in the USA that are named after their founder, Robert Ripley. Having a reasonably successful career as a cartoonist and writer, he devoted himself mainly to collecting unusual items. By the end of his life, Mr. Ripley had accumulated exhibits from 200 countries.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! perfect if you’re out for a family weekend. The entrance fee varies depending on the age of visitors. When planning a visit, it is worth remembering that some parts of the exhibition may seem intimidating. Therefore, from going to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! It is worth refusing if there are susceptible children in your company.
It is unlikely that you will be able to see all the curiosities at once. The exhibition area is 12,000 square feet². This is especially impressive, considering there are small items in the exhibits. (for example, the smallest car in the world).
Of course, there is a risk that children will quickly get emotionally tired of getting to know things that blow the brain with their unusualness. In this case, they will have a lot of fun in the Lazer Maze Challenge.
A fascinating attraction is a labyrinth through which you need to go through without letting yourself be hurt by laser beams. To complete this task, you will have to show the hero’s skills of a fantastic action movie: dodge, duck, and crawl through narrow places.
Sugar Factory
Guests of Atlantic City, NJ, cannot complain about the lack of restaurants and cafes where you can eat delicious food. But if you like sweets, there is one particular place for you – Sugar Factory. This iconic patisserie is tucked away inside the Hard Rock Hotel. The choice of sweets can be discouraging.
In the institution, you can order 500 types of sweets. These include many exclusives available only in the restaurant itself. However, there are also products like Couture Pops, which have already become a brand in their own right, and are recognized worldwide.
The restaurant menu has items for every taste: from donuts and hot chocolate to signature hamburgers and pizzas. The establishment offers to enjoy all this in the halls with cozy red banquettes.
If you come to this sweet kingdom in a big company, we advise you to order the main dessert – uniquely designed King Kong Sundae ice cream for 12 people.
If you can’t call yourself a sweet tooth even by a couple of percents, then Sugar Factory can still surprise you with its white marble bar for 20 people. The drinks menu includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. They were explicitly designed for Sugar Factory and refer to the theme of sweets with their composition, design, and accompaniment.
The bar is upstairs. We advise you to take a seat with an overview of the casino below. With a spectacular view, enjoying cocktails will be even more pleasant.
Sugar Factory is open daily. However, opening hours depend on the day of the week. Therefore, before the visit, you should make sure that you get at a convenient time to have time to get the full range of emotions.
Atlantic City Ballet
AC Ballet has one of the most vibrant teams of professional ballet dancers in the United States. Therefore, if you appreciate the art of dance or simply exquisite relaxation, attending a ballet show will highlight your adventures in Atlantic City.
The repertoire is not limited to classical ballet, although Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake contributed to the growth of AC Ballet’s fame. You can also buy tickets for original shows: Dracula, Carnen, and others. They were first staged by Phyllis Papa, founder and artistic director of Atlantic City Ballet.
The best dancers from all over the world perform at ACB. In addition to ballet, the program includes dances of other directions: jazz, tap dance, and dances in modern styles. The composition of the performances, as a rule, changes from season to season. However, a memorable show is guaranteed to viewers in any case.
AC Ballet is in demand throughout the United States and frequently tours the East Coast. The main venue for performances is the Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Interestingly, the Miss America beauty pageant has been regularly held in this building, albeit intermittently, for several years. The multifunctional arena also hosts other major events.
There is always a chance that the time of your trip will allow you to attend a performance of your favorite musician or a basketball game.