About Us

The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum is a must-see attraction that offers visitors a rich introduction to Ocean City’s maritime heritage and coastal culture. Housed in a beautifully restored 1891 United States Life-Saving Service station, the museum stands at the southern end of the Ocean City Boardwalk, overlooking the inlet where surfmen once watched the horizon for ships in distress.

Before the modern Coast Guard, these brave crews carried out daring rescues along the Atlantic coast, launching wooden surfboats into dangerous waters to save stranded mariners. Today, the museum preserves and shares their story through engaging exhibits that include historic rescue equipment, shipwreck artifacts, photographs, and original logbooks that document life at the station.

In addition to life-saving history, the museum explores the broader story of Ocean City through exhibits on the Boardwalk, beach recreation, surfing, storms, and the area’s natural environment. Highlights include a popular aquarium room featuring local marine life and a unique sand collection from beaches around the world.

Saved from demolition in the 1970s by community advocates, the building was relocated and opened as a museum in 1978 by the Ocean City Museum Society, ensuring that this important piece of local history remains accessible to residents and visitors alike.

With rotating exhibits, seasonal programs, and family-friendly educational offerings, the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum provides an engaging, authentic experience that connects visitors to the people, place, and stories that sh