The best boardwalks in the U.S.

Atlantic City Boardwalk, the first boardwalk in the U.S., was built in the 19th century to keep sand out of the hotels and train cars on New Jersey’s Absecon Island. The four-mile boardwalk passes by the Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City Historical Museum, Boardwalk Beach, and casinos galore. There’s also the iconic Steel Pier, a 300-year-old pier filled with nostalgic amusement rides. No trip is complete without sampling saltwater taffy.

Located a half-hour drive from Houston, Kemah Boardwalk is a must-stroll spot in southeastern Texas. The name "Kemah" is derived from the Karankawa for "wind in the face." Located along Galveston Bay, Kemah Boardwalk was built by hospitality group Landry's, Inc., which acquired the 60-acre land in 1997 and built the bustling boardwalk in 1998. Kemah Boardwalk boasts waterfront dining and more than one dozen amusement rides like the 3,236-foot-long Boardwalk Bullet wooden roller coaster and the 65-foot Century Ferris Wheel. The boutique Boardwalk Inn is right on the boardwalk should you wish to extend your fun in the sun.

Completed in May 2010, the $6.5 million Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is made of 800,000 feet of lumber and boasts beautiful oceanfront views. The 1.2-mile boardwalk runs north to south, from the 14th Avenue North Pier to the Second Avenue Pier. Along the way, stop for beachfront dining, shopping, and carnival amusements, including the nearly 200-foot SkyWheel Myrtle Beach and a stroll through a beautifully manicured park.

More than a century after architect Daniel Burnham envisioned the People’s Pier, the lakefront Navy Pier continues to entertain Chicagoans and visitors. Opened in 1916, the 292-foot-wide Navy Pier was the first to combine the shipping business with leisure and entertainment. Stretching 3,040 feet into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier remains the longest public pier in the world. Navy Pier has been revitalized several times and now boasts the Centennial Wheel and Wave Wall staircase that connects the South Dock to Pier Park, restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Built in the aftermath of a powerful 1938 hurricane, Ocean Beach Park boasts a beautiful half-mile boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean and a white-sugar-like sand beach. All the classic boardwalk staples are here, including classic amusement rides like a carousel, an arcade filled with retro video games, and creamy, delicious ice cream. The boardwalk hosts fireworks and concerts each summer.

The Ocean City Boardwalk was originally created by several hoteliers in 1902 as a removable wooden walkway for guests to walk easily between oceanfront businesses. A five-block permanent boardwalk was erected in 1910 and extended a decade later. After a storm destroyed the boardwalk in 1962, it was rebuilt as the present-day three-mile-long Ocean City Boardwalk, which runs from the inlet to 27th Street. From amusement rides, including a Ferris Wheel, rollercoaster, and Trimper’s Carousel from 1912, to arcades filled with games to food like Maryland crab cakes, boardwalk fries, and funnel cakes, this oceanfront boardwalk is fun from end to end.

Located on the seven-mile Old Orchard Beach on Maine’s southeast coast, this New England summertime hotspot is populated with restaurants, bars, shops, and Palace Playland, a beachfront amusement park that has been in business since 1902. Stroll along the pier, which juts out 500 feet from the center of Old Orchard Beach into the Atlantic Ocean, and stop for lobster rolls, drinks, and other treats at the businesses perched on this old-school pier.

Originally built on high ground between the beach and Surf Avenue, the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk once stretched along the entire oceanfront. Many storms since the boardwalk’s construction in 1873 have changed the boardwalk’s configuration. Today, the one-mile-long Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk is lined with restaurants, beach shops, and old-fashioned amusements. If you go early in the day in the summer, rent a bike or surrey to explore this charming oceanfront boardwalk.

'Coney Island's Fifth Avenue' has welcomed beach-goers to the southwestern shore of Brooklyn since 1923. Made of Bethabara, Ekki, and Cumaru hardwoods, the boardwalk stretches 2.7 miles from West 37th Street to Corbin Place. In the last century, Riegelmann Boardwalk has been rebuilt several times, including adding an extension east to Brighton Beach, but has retained much of its original charm, including the Deno’s Wonder Wheel, the defunct Parachute Jump, and Luna Park.

As the oldest boardwalk in California, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has entertained locals and tourists alike since it opened in 1907. Its origins trace back to 1865 when a public bathhouse led to the development of restaurants, shops, and photo stands. Fred W. Swanton, a renowned entrepreneur, envisioned the casino and boardwalk to be the "Coney Island of the West." Today, the Boardwalk boasts two National Historic Landmarks—the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster and the Looff Carousel—alongside thrill rides, kiddie rides, and over 300 games in the Casino Arcade. Visitors can also immerse themselves in history at the Boardwalk Historium, featuring exhibits and memorabilia from its rich past.

Originally built in 1909, the Santa Monica Pier has transformed during the last century from a 1,600-foot concrete pier with a pipeline used to get rid of treated sewage into a famous oceanfront gathering spot. Located at the endpoint of Route 66, the Santa Monica Pier is home to funky shops, restaurants, bars, boardwalk performers, a Pacific Park amusement park, a historic merry-go-round, a trapeze school, and Playland Arcade. The pier is also a popular place to go fishing.

The two-mile Venice Beach Boardwalk, also known as Ocean Front Walk, is flanked by the beach on one side and restaurants and storefronts on the other side. Hundreds of vendors and street performers populate the iconic paved boardwalk, which is anchored by the Venice Beach Recreation Center, which offers basketball, paddle tennis, and handball tournaments, and the Muscle Beach Venice outdoor gym famous for its bodybuilders. Aside from those more obvious must-see attractions, the area is full of more under-the-radar things to do as well.

Originally built in 1888, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk has been rebuilt several times, evolving from a five-block wooden walkway to a 28-foot-wide, three-mile-long concrete boardwalk extending from 2nd Street to 40th Street. The oceanfront boardwalk includes a separate bike path, making for less chaotic strolls along the shore. The lively boardwalk includes four oceanfront stages, a massive 24-foot-tall bronze statue of King Neptune, and dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Not your traditional coastal boardwalk, this inland marvel claims to be the "longest floating boardwalk in the world."  Measuring 3,300 feet long, the boardwalk jets out into the lake from The Coeur d'Alene Resort Spa and offers both picturesque views and the option to rent paddleboards or motorized boats. Between the nearby bars and restaurants, regular live music, and other programming, the unique boardwalk is always being brought to life. (That's true year-round; at Christmas, the boardwalk is lit with 1.5 million lights during a show that includes fireworks.)

The historic Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier is the perfect place to watch surfers ride the waves on Florida’s Space Coast in central Florida. The 800-foot boardwalk stretches over—not along—the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1962, the Canaveral Pier was \built by local businessman Richard Stottler. It was renamed Cocoa Beach Pier in 1984. The boardwalk was bought and renovated by David Siegel and Jim Gissy of Westgate Resorts in 2014 and "Westgate" was added to the name. The 40-foot-wide Boardwalk is populated with seafood restaurants, gift shops with beach gear and souvenirs, and bars serving beers, beachy bucket drinks, and sundowners.