Over six miles of sand and surf await you at Jones Beach, one of Long Island’s most famous beaches. In addition to multiple swimming spots, the waterfront state park has a boardwalk, nature center, and playgrounds. Other attractions include the WildPlay Adventure Park and the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, home to a bevy of summer concerts.
Jones Beach is open from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September. No tickets or passes are required. Other parts of the state park are open year-round.
Getting there
- Take a Long Island Rail Road Babylon Branch train from Penn Station, Grand Central, Jamaica, or other local stops to Freeport Station, where you will transfer to a NICE bus. Freeport is an accessible station. (Not all trains stop at Freeport, so plan your trip beforehand with the TrainTime app.)
- Exit at Freeport and go downstairs, where you will catch NICE's n88X bus to the beach. The n88 makes three stops along the beach at the West Bathhouse, Central Mall, and East Bathhouse.
NICE will run special bus service for 90 minutes before and after concerts. The theater is a short walk from the East Bathhouse bus stop.
Note that NICE buses do not currently accept OMNY for fare payment, so you will need to pay with a MetroCard or NICE's GoMobile app.
While you're there
- Jones Beach opened in 1929 and was one of master planner Robert Moses’s first projects. Many of the structures from the beach’s earliest days remain, including the East and West Bathhouses (which opened in 1929 and 1931, respectively), and the Venetian-inspired Water Tower, which opened in 1930.
- Opened in 1952 as a home for musicals and other theatrical performances, the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater was renovated in the 1990s and expanded to become one of the area's premier concert venues. The theater's website has more details about show dates, as well as driving directions.
- Learn about the connection between the beach’s natural and built environment at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center, which opened in 2020 in a green building on the inlet. The center has interactive exhibits, and hosts events for both kids and adults, including tours that explore the waterfowl on Jones Beach.
- No trip to New York state’s most popular beach is complete with an adventure at WildPlay at Jones Beach, featuring a ropes course on an elevated platform, a challenge course, a child-friendly course, a zipline and much more.