Tuckerton Seaport
Encyclopedia
The Tuckerton Seaport is a working maritime village and museum located in Tuckerton
, New Jersey
, United States
. The 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) site, which opened in May 2000, features 17 historic and recreated buildings connected by a boardwalk, a maritime forest and wetlands nature trail. The Seaport, which is a member of the Council of American Maritime Museums
, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010.
The site of the Tuckerton Seaport was built on a formerly-wooded site along Tuckerton Creek, which had long been slated for commercial development. In 1989, plans for a motel, campground, and marina were brought to the planning board. July 1993, Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum opened adjacent to Stanley "Tip" Seaman Park, on a site currently occupied by tennis courts. The Baymen's museum officially announced a revised plan for commercial development on the Tuckerton Creek site, an 11-building village dubbed the "Tuckerton Seaport". However, as planning and development were underway, the plan for the site grew larger than originally proposed.
Developed by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
, the $11.3 million Tuckerton Seaport project officially opened on May 13, 2000, to a crowd of over a thousand, dedicated by then-governor Christine Todd Whitman
and the widow of Jacques Cousteau, among others. However, the village held an unofficial "soft opening" a week earlier. In preparation for the new traffic created by the museum, the intersection of Route 9
and Great Bay Boulevard was redesigned, eliminating the "fork in the road" and the addition of Tuckerton's second traffic light. The nautical-style lampposts seen throughout the Seaport were originally located at the former Trump Marina in Atlantic City, but were dismantled and then shipped to Tuckerton to make way for the Atlantic City - Brigantine Connector.
The special edition New Jersey license plate
known as "Baymen's Heritage" features an image of the Tucker's Island Lighthouse along with a Canada Goose
decoy. The plates were introduced in 1998 to benefit the construction of the Tuckerton Seaport; the plates are still available for purchase.
In 2010, the New Jersey Surf Museum opened at the Seaport, which documents the culture of surfing
in New Jersey as well as displaying of over 300 boards. It is the only surfing museum in the state.
Tuckerton, New Jersey
Tuckerton is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, named for founder Ebenezer Tucker , and was a port of entry, but not the third Port of Entry as commonly believed, in the United States As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 3,517.Tuckerton was incorporated as a borough...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) site, which opened in May 2000, features 17 historic and recreated buildings connected by a boardwalk, a maritime forest and wetlands nature trail. The Seaport, which is a member of the Council of American Maritime Museums
Council of American Maritime Museums
The Council of American Maritime Museums was established in 1974 to be a network for professionals working in North American maritime museums. It has a membership of some eighty museums in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda....
, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010.
History
Developed by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority or CRDA is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1984 and is responsible for directing the spending of casino reinvestment funds in public and private projects to benefit Atlantic City and other areas of the state...
, the $11.3 million Tuckerton Seaport project officially opened on May 13, 2000, to a crowd of over a thousand, dedicated by then-governor Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
and the widow of Jacques Cousteau, among others. However, the village held an unofficial "soft opening" a week earlier. In preparation for the new traffic created by the museum, the intersection of Route 9
U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9 is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the United States. It is one of only two U.S. highways with a ferry connection ; the other being US 10. US 9 is signed east–west in Delaware and north–south on the rest of...
and Great Bay Boulevard was redesigned, eliminating the "fork in the road" and the addition of Tuckerton's second traffic light. The nautical-style lampposts seen throughout the Seaport were originally located at the former Trump Marina in Atlantic City, but were dismantled and then shipped to Tuckerton to make way for the Atlantic City - Brigantine Connector.
The special edition New Jersey license plate
Vehicle registration plates of New Jersey
The U.S. state of New Jersey first issued license plates in 1908. Plates are currently issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.All bases of all classes of plates from 1959 to present are still valid for display in New Jersey...
known as "Baymen's Heritage" features an image of the Tucker's Island Lighthouse along with a Canada Goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
decoy. The plates were introduced in 1998 to benefit the construction of the Tuckerton Seaport; the plates are still available for purchase.
In 2010, the New Jersey Surf Museum opened at the Seaport, which documents the culture of surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
in New Jersey as well as displaying of over 300 boards. It is the only surfing museum in the state.
Exhibits
- Visitor's Center/Gift Shop - The Visitor Center serves as for Tuckerton Seaport’s partner organization, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. On the third floor, the "Life on the Edge" exhibit is dedicated to the Barnegat BayBarnegat BayBarnegat Bay is a small brackish arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles long, along the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. It is a long barrier peninsula, as well as by the north end of Long Beach Island...
Estuary. The lower floor of the Visitor’s Center features the "Walk on the Wildside" exhibit interpreting the four habitats of the Jersey Shore with a three wall mural and taxidermied animals.
- New Jersey Surf Museum - Museum documenting the history of surfing in New Jersey, where many rare or collectible boards are on display.
- Scojo's Restaurant - A full-service casual dining restaurant located inside the museum. The restaurant has a second location on Long Beach IslandLong Beach IslandLong Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...
.
Preserved and Recreated buildings
- Tucker's Island Lighthouse - The centerpiece of the Tuckerton Seaport, the Tucker's Island Lighthouse was located on Tucker's Island, a former resort community that was destroyed in a storm in the 1920s. It is currently located at the museum's entrance, fronting Route 9.
- Skinner/Donnelly & Periwinkle Houseboats - two historic houseboats preserved at the museum
- Joe Dayton's Sawmill
- Perrine Boatworks - A working boatworks and exhibits on the evolution and history of traditional boat building include vintage and newly constructed Barnegat BayBarnegat BayBarnegat Bay is a small brackish arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles long, along the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. It is a long barrier peninsula, as well as by the north end of Long Beach Island...
sneakboxes and garveys. - Parson's Clam & Oyster House - A recreation of the former "Parson's Seafood" building
- Jay C. Parker's Decoy Shop - A recreated decoy workshop
- Crest Fishery - Scale recreation of the popular LBI pound fishery houses the Pound Fishing in NJ exhibit and interactive fish market.
- Hotel DeCrab - Representing the hotel industry during the early years of the Jersey ShoreJersey ShoreThe Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. - Hunting Shanty - The structure is the original building of the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum, which was moved to its current site in 2000.
- Sunny Brae Salt Box - The Salt Box’s original structure dates from the early 18th century, but extensive reconstruction and additions to the home were made during the 1960s. The historic building serves as the Tuckerton Boro mayor's office as well as a municipal meeting hall.
- Sea Captain's House - A historic victorian house built circa 1835.
- Andrews Bartlett Homestead - Built circa 1699 for one of the original founders of the Tuckerton Community, the Andrews Bartlett Homestead is considered the oldest home in Ocean County.