A tlantic City, New Jersey has beena tourist Mecca for more than a

century and continues to reinvent itself.For group travelers, the “Las Vegas of the East” offers a Mother Lode ofgaming, shopping, dining and sightsee-ing opportunities, many of them con-centrated along the famous Boardwalk.

Elaine Zamansky, manager of media relations of the Atlantic CityConvention and Visitors Authority, said the iconic oceanfront promenadeincludes “four miles of free, well-guarded, white sand beaches and aboardwalk lined with seven casinos,restaurants, amusement piers, miniature

golf, souvenir and clothing stores, a shopping/dining pier, Boardwalk Hall(entertainment arena), attractions andgreat people-watching opportunities.”

From traditional sights to new de-velopments, here is an overview ofwhat’s what in Atlantic City:

GAMINGThere are 11 casino hotels in

Atlantic City: Atlantic City HiltonCasino & Resort, Bally’s Atlantic City,Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, CaesarsAtlantic City, Harrah’s Resort AtlanticCity, Resorts Atlantic City, ShowboatCasino, Tropicana Casino & Resort,

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High-rise casino hotels, like the Showboat and Trump Taj Mahal, light up

the shoreline of Atlantic City, a holiday haven since the late 1800s.

All About

Atlantic CityThe Eastern Seaboard’s casino capital is a

winning destination for tour groups

Travel the Boardwalk on a rolling

chair, a classic tourist experience.

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Golden Nugget Atlantic City, TrumpPlaza Hotel & Casino and Trump Taj Mahal Casino & Resort.

Zamansky said, “Trump Marinahas been sold to Landry’s Inc., ownerof the Golden Nugget, and has beentransformed into the Golden Nugget,with new restaurants by Landry’s andrenovations throughout the property.”(goldennugget.com)

Revel Entertainment plans on open-ing Revel, a new beachfront casinohotel, in May 2012. When construc-tion is complete, Revel will include150,000 square feet of gaming spaceand 500,000 square feet for entertain-ment, dining and shopping. Revel’s two towers will hold 3,800 guestrooms. Plans also include a 5,000-seatspecial events center and AtlanticCity’s first wedding chapel. (revelen-tertainment.com)

Resorts, Atlantic City’s first casinohotel, opened Club Piscopo on June30, 2011. Stand-up comedian Joe Pis-copo, born in New Jersey, is well knownfor his Saturday Night Live skits, filmroles and impressions. Performers atClub Piscopo will include Piscopohimself and other comedians, musiciansand entertainers. Zamansky added,“Resorts Casino has re-branded itselfunder new ownership with a Roaring20s theme, and has opened Prohibitionnightclub, Torch whiskey bar, EastWind Asian gaming area and noodlebar, among others.” (resortsac.com)Borgata opened in 2003 and was

the first hotel casino built in AtlanticCity since Trump Taj Majal in 1990. It includes fine and casual dining, twoentertainment venues, nightclubs, a spaand specialty shops. Borgata’s maintower has 2,000 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and the casino has161,000 square feet of gaming space.(theborgata.com)

SHOPPING AND DININGAtlantic City Outlets - The Walk

is a 15-block retail outlet mall that alsofeatures dining and entertainmentvenues. This open-air shopping centerhas 100 well-known retail stores, including Bath & Body Works, Coach, Eddie Bauer, Guess, H&M, J Crew, Nike, Old Navy and The Gap. (acoutlets.com)Pier Shops at Caesars, located next

to Caesars Casino, includes many upscale designer stores as well as nine

restaurants. The shops are on four underwater-themed floors: the Board-walk (gift and entertainment shops),Skybridge (higher-end shops), Prome-nade (restaurants and nightlife) andOne Atlantic (space for special eventsand parties). The fountain at the PierShops at Caesars is famous for its daily choreographed shows. (thepier-shopsatcaesars.com) The Quarter at Tropicana is an

Old-Havana-themed shopping, dining and entertainment center at Tropicana

Oceanfront diversions include beach frolics and Steel Pier thrill rides.

Carmine’s at The Quarter at Tropicana serves Italian dishes family-style.

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2011 33

Casino & Resort. The Quarter also hasan IMAX theater and a spa. (tropi-cana.net)

Other casino hotels with shoppinginclude Borgata (Borgata Shops andThe Shoppes at Water Club), Harrah’s(The Waterfront Shops), Trump TajMahal (Spice Road) and Resorts.

SIGHTSEEING TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS

Groups traveling to Atlantic Cityshould definitely spend time at the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the world’sfirst boardwalk (opened 1870). TheBoardwalk, Atlantic City’s lifeline, hassouvenir shops and restaurants and pro-vides access to casinos, hotels and otherentertainment venues. Download a pod-cast or print a copy of the “BoardwalkWalking Tour” to learn about the Board-walk’s history and main attractions.

Garden Pier, a pier stemming from theBoardwalk, serves as a cultural centerand includes the Atlantic City Histori-cal Museum, Atlantic City Art Centerand Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum.

One unique way to see the Board-walk is a ride in a rolling chair. Relaxwith up to three people as an attendantpushes your rolling chair along. Thechairs have been around since 1887.Royal Rolling Chairs offers Boardwalktours. (609-347-7148)

Zamansky mentioned trolley toursas a fun way to see Atlantic City.Among offerings from Atlantic CityTrolley Tours are “Shorelines & andShipwrecks Tour,” “Splash of AtlanticCity Tour” and the brand new “Roaring20s Trolley Tour.” (gatrolley.com)Steel Pier is Atlantic City’s family

amusement pier. The pier originallyopened in 1898 and was known for the famous entertainers that performedthere. Steel Pier has been making acomeback since 1993 and featuresgames, helicopter rides, prize wheelsand 24 rides. (steelpier.com)

Visitors can also explore AbseconLighthouse, New Jersey’s tallest light-house. The lighthouse was built in 1857 and remained active until 1933.Climb the 228 steps to the top and visitthe museum in the keeper’s house. (abseconlighthouse.org)Atlantic City Aquarium displays

100 marine species including coral, eels,fish, octopi, sharks and turtles. Makesure to watch the “Dive and Dine” showwhere an aquarium diver feeds and interacts with marine animals in theFish of the Mid-Atlantic tank. Guestscan ask the diver questions during theshow. Groman, a 100-lb. loggerheadturtle, is a must-see. (acaquarium.com)

Another way to see marine wildlifeis by going on Atlantic City Cruises’dolphin watching cruise. The two-hour ocean cruise is narrated by a ma-

rine naturalist. (atlanticcitycruises.com) Lucy the Elephant is an example of

novelty architecture in nearby MargateCity. The elephant is six stories high(65 feet tall) and was built by real estatedeveloper James V. Lafferty in 1881 todraw potential buyers to his properties.Lucy has been more than just a touristattraction over the years— she has beena business office, campground center-piece, cottage, restaurant and tavern.Climb a stairway through her hind legsfor a panoramic view. A gift shop andrestaurants surround Lucy. (lucytheele-phant.org)

Atlantic City offers more grouptravel options than almost any other re-sort city on the East Coast. For gam-ing, shopping, dining out andsightseeing, the choices are limitless.

For more information, contact theAtlantic City Convention and VisitorsAuthority, 609-449-7151; atlanticci-tynj.com. LGT

Obtain New Jersey

visitor guides

and itineraries –

and contact group-

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directly – at

leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

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WHEATONARTS

We offer Flexible and Affordable Adult and Student Group Packages!

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Visit the Museum of American Glass Only museum collection devoted exclusively to American glass. Special exhibitions and tours.

Enjoy Special Glass Studio Shows

Watch Artist Demonstrations in the

Ceramics and Woodcarving Studios Shop Award Winning Museum Stores

One-of-a-kind gifts. Free packaging!

Bake Shoppe and Café Scenic Picnic Area

April through December Open Tuesday thru Sunday, 10am to 5pm

One of Southern New Jersey’s Most Popular Cultural Destinations!

Located Less Than An Hour From Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Cape May!

on location: northeast �

Historic Absecon Lighthouse is

New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse.

ATLANTIC CITYExcitement Is Always In Season!

• Sizzling Casino Action• Exhilarating Nightlife• Distinctive Dining• Rejuvenating Spas

• Stylish New Shopping• Free Beaches• Electrifying Entertainment• Legendary Boardwalk

For group tours, contact Heather Colache at 609.449.7151 or hcolache @accva.com

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