AC Walking Tour Series

The Atlantic City Walking Tour Series allows participants to actively experience the historical landmarks, events, and sub-cultures of Atlantic City and the surrounding “Downbeach” communities which have supported our local area for over 150+ years. Our 2024 calendar will combine tours across various neighborhoods and niche sub-cultures on Absecon Island, Ocean City, and Somers Point. All tours are researched, designed, and led by our resident public historian, Dr. Levi Fox, current assistant professor of History at Immaculata University, and former adjunct of Arts and Humanities at Stockton University. Bring your walking shoes and water bottle, as each tour will cover between 2 to 3 miles of parks, city streets, boardwalks, and beaches. Individual tour descriptions will provide starting, ending, and parking locations; as well as key points of interest along the tour route. Select tours will also feature added interior visits of popular local attractions including the Absecon Lighthouse, Lucy the Elephant, Noyes Arts Garage, Margate Historical Society, and 4th Street Life Saving Station in Ocean City. 

Beginning in Summer 2022, the Chelsea Economic Development Corporation and the Ducktown Community Development Corporation have provided sponsorships to the AC Walking Tours to help reduce the costs of the tours for local residents.  Please show your support of our sponsors by supporting local businesses in the Chelsea and Ducktown Neighborhoods. 

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TESTIMONIALS 

The "Northside Heritage" Tour starts from the St. James AME Church (pictured in back) on N. New York Ave, and reviews the rich history and impact the African American community has made to Atlantic City. 

Informative and well-thought tour. Thank you Levi and team.

Levi makes the tours interesting and makes wonderful connections along the way.

There’s a lot of people who don’t know the history of the city outside of the casinos. Knowing that history makes you really appreciate what it can be. It’s working class city by the sea, something for everyone.

The "Louisa Mack LGBTQ+ Tour" beginning outside Cardinal (formerly Bourré) - Atlantic City, talks about the legacy of the previous "Gay-borhood" and redevelopment into the now "Orange Loop".

Featured Articles 

 

About the Instructor - Levi Fox

Levi Fox graduated in 2018 with his PhD in History from Temple University, where he was Allan Davis Public History Fellow. Levi has devoted much of his professional career to doing South Jersey public history work, starting as a tour guide at Lucy The Margate Elephant, and including a two-year stint developing a tour program, and historic exhibit, at the James Candy Factory in Atlantic City. In 2016 Levi founded Jersey Shore Tours, and he gained media attention for his “Trump’s Gambling Heritage Tour.” Levi is currently an assistant professor of Civic Engagement at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania, and has previously taught Writing at Stockton, History at LaSalle University, Intellectual Heritage at Temple University, and for the History and Anthropology Department at Monmouth University.

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Custom Tours & Private Groups

Stockton's Office of Continuing Studies and Adult Education organized customized programming, training, and walking tours for private groups upon request. With over 18 "Walking" and "Shuttle" Tours developed in the greater Atlantic City and "Downbeach" communities, we have a variety of topics, neighborhoods, and modalities to meet your needs. Groups are limited to 35 walking participants or 22 shuttle riders. Price quotes are customized to the group based on the length of the tour, needs for transportation, and availability of our tour guides. Groups with minors (youth under the age of 18) must provide chaperones under Stockton's POM Policy and these individuals are included in your overall roster of participants. If you are interested in a custom tour for your private group, school, or corporate program, please email diana.strelczyk@stockton.edu. 

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FAQ's

• Are there refunds for the Walking Tours?
  • NO! Refunds are not provided for Walking Tour registrations. We thank you for support of our programs.  Please see our "send a friend" program below. 
• If I am unable to attend, can I send a friend in my place?
  • YES! If you cannot attend a tour but would like to send a friend in your place, please call the office at 609-652-4227 to inform us of your replacement. These tours are designed for fun, fitness, and a little education.  We would hate to see a space not occupied simply becuase of an overbooked schedule. Send a friend and they can tell you all the fun they had!
• Are tours held rain or shine?
  • YES! Tours are held rain or shine. With exception to a major hurricane, severe lightening, or similar extreme weather events, we will not postpone the tours for minor inclement weather or a "chance of rain". We encourage carrying a jacket or umbrella for days with light sprinkles in the forecasts.  
• Do I have to pre-register, or can I show-up day-of?
  • PLEASE DO! Pre-registration is requested as most tours sell out.  Day-of registration will not be accepted on sold-out tours. But if limited spaces are still available for a tour, these seats will be sold first come, first served at "check-in" 15 minutes before the tour begins. Payment is accepted in exact cash, check or money order. No digital payments will be accepted on day-of registration. Thank you for your support! 
• Is it safe to attend the tours and walk around Atlantic City?
  • YES! Our tours are designed to highlight the beauty, history, and humanity of Atlantic City. Each neighborhood features a rich history and present day vibe. Our goal it to showcase all the interesting people, places and events AC has held, currently features, and hopes to achieve. We ask all participants to approach these tours like any other event in a heavy-tourist area, including: travel light, do not bring large bags or unnecessary valuables, lock your car after you park, look both ways when you cross the street, and follow the tour guide's instructions. These suggestions are not specific to Atlantic City; rather common guidelines for travelers and being aware of your surroundings while moving as a group of sightseers.   
• A select tour is currently sold out. Will you offer that tour again in the future?
  • MAYBE.We curate a new Spring, Summer and Fall schedule each year. We track our attendance and feedback records closely, and select the most popular tours at the best times of year. We regularly bring select tours back on rotation due to their popularity. Our 'Lower Chelsea,' 'Ducktown Revitalization,' and 'Louisa Mack LGBTQ+ Tour' have not left the schedule in recent years. We will also add new tours as others fade in popularity.  If you would like to hire us for a select tour and a private groups, please email diana.strelczyk@stockton.edu for more info. 
• Are you ever going to feature MY NEIGHBORHOOD in an Atlantic City Walking Tour? 
  • MAYBE. We are asked frequently about how we generate our topics, which neighborhoods we visit, and how the schedule is made. Our tours are researched and developed by our instructor, Dr. Levi Fox, and feature over 18+ different curriculum. Each neighborhood/sub-culture curriculum takes time to organize and we only release 1-2 new tour(s) a year. Since the inception of the program in 2018, we have listened to feedback from our surveys and have added several tours (in addition to what we already had) featuring the African American community, Jewish American community, Hispanic American community, Muslim and Southeast Asian Communities, the history of casino gaming in AC, the "downbeach & bedroom" communities, shuttle tours featuring the Atlantic City Arts Foundation (ACAF) Murals, and much more. If you do not see a tour that represents your location, affinity, or interests, please let us know. We are always looking to add new tours to the list. 

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Co-Sponsors