Discover Delmarva: Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum
OCEAN CITY, Md- The Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum, located right next to the inlet, tells the history of the boardwalk, the wildlife within the waters, and most importantly, what the purpose of this building was not long ago. Museum Curator Christine Okerblom started our tour with our aquatic neighbors. Okerblom tells us, “When you come here to the museum, you get to look at our aquariums. You’re going to get to see the animals up close and personal. Animals that would typically hide- lined sea horses, flounders, American eels.”
The animals in these tanks are great educational helpers for the thousands of visitors who pass through this museum. We continued into the heart of the museum. It takes you back to the earlier days of the building. “The exhibit that we’re standing in today is the history of the United States Life Saving Service. This exhibit focuses on the Ocean City life-saving station. This was an original life-saving station.” The Life Saving Service eventually became a part of the modern-day Coast Guard. The original members of the service have quite an interesting assortment of tools to use to rescue distressed ships. The work was no easy day at the beach, according to Okerblom: “The surfmen and the keeper had to work hard to conduct these rescues. They trained six days a week and became efficient at saving these ships. With the busiest season happening during the winter.” They used the Life-Cars and Breeches Buoy as some of the earliest life-saving measures. The centerpiece of the museum is their 26-foot surfboat, which weighs in at 3,000 pounds! Launching directly into the sea was a challenge that the earliest members faced, too. “The inlet was created in 1933; before that, Ocean City was just one continuous barrier island. So the surfmen had to launch their boats directly into the surf.”
We moved upstairs, where the history of the town is on full display and what led to the boardwalk we have today. “We have the history of the boardwalk and the history of some of our first hotels here in Ocean City. Many of them were run by women.” The Petticoat regime was one of the main drivers behind creating the historic hotels that still stand today. Helping to make Ocean City a destination for years since the 1800s. This eventually led to the boardwalk we all know and love. But how different was it back in the earliest days? Okerblom tells us, “The boardwalk has something for everyone. Today we have museums- like our museum you can visit. We have games, food, and different forms of entertainment.”
One of the earliest forms of entertainment was the laughing Sal Dol, which may or may not give you a scare. The change in the souvenirs is something you’ll notice with their display of prizes from boardwalk games throughout the year. The elegance of these prizes and craftsmanship are a change from what we have now. Nowadays, the boardwalk is home to shops, games, rides, and even a museum! Okerblom tells us this unique location has helped them reach far beyond the United States: “Our location has played a vital role to reach the audience that we reach. We have people who plan to come here. So they have it on their agenda to visit the Ocean City Life Saving Station, and then we have people who just stumble in here because they’re on the boardwalk.”
Christine tells us the museum is excited to help the town celebrate their 150th anniversary this coming year. A new exhibit showcasing the history of bathing suits will be unveiled just in time for summer. To plan your visit and for a list of their programs, you can check out their website.
