Bayshore Center at Bivalve
Website: bayshorecenter.org
Phone: 856-785-2060
Address: 2800 High Street, Port Norris
Where Is It? The Bayshore Center is located in Bivalve, Cumberland County, a 45-minute drive from downtown Cape May.
Why Should I Go? It’s a great day trip from Cape May for a family or for couples looking for something different to do! Bayshore Center is New Jersey’s only environmental history museum and the home port of the 1928 Schooner AJ Meerwald, New Jersey’s official tall ship.
Located on a working waterway, the Bayshore Center operates the Delaware Bay Museum in oyster shipping sheds dating back to 1904. The Bayshore Center is the perfect place to unplug from everyday life and experience the natural beauty of the region. There’s a special kids’ tour with hands-on activities, a scavenger hunt in the museum, and miles of nature trails to explore.
Together, you and your children can bag oyster shells, a fun family activity that also helps to improve the Delaware Bay and local economy. Or perhaps you and your children could simply sit quietly on the docks and enjoy an unspoiled view of the beauty of the Maurice River, where oysterman work as osprey and bald eagles soar overhead.
This is a place where you can learn about New Jersey’s oyster industry past and present and sail aboard a historic oyster schooner. It’s a refreshing change from the beach! The Bayshore Center at Bivalve works to further the understanding of the human impact on the aquatic environment — that’s a pretty good gift to share with your kids.
For seasonal hours, please go to bayshorecenter.org or call 856-785-2060. Admission to the museum is a suggested donation of $7 per adult, $5 for seniors and children. The Bayshore Center also hosts educational programs (both land-based and shipboard), which will enlighten and inspire participants, adaptable to all ages.
Land-based programs include Wetlands Walk, Bivalve Discovery Tour, Life in the Delaware Bay and a History of Bivalve. Shipboard programs include Educational Sail, Oysters, Wetlands and Water Chemistry.
Insider Tip: Don’t miss 2nd Friday events from April thru December — live music, presentations, oysters on the half shell and local beer and wine. PLUS The Second Annual Oyster Festival, October 21 from noon to 6pm. Enjoy multiple oyster purveyors, vendors, local wine and beer, entertainment and kids’ activities. Kids are admitted free! Visit njoysterfestival.com.
