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Bill Haley & His Comets made “Rock Around the Clock” the song of summer in 1954 when they played a Memorial Day weekend show at the HofBrau Hotel. Four years later, Chubby Checkerdid The Twist for the first time at the Rainbow Club. Almost 10 years since rock ‘n’ roll broke on the Jersey Shore,Bobby Rydell penned “Wildwood Days,” cementing the Cape May vacation town’s reputation as the capital of teen romance in the doo wop era.
Wildwood, New Jersey, is still defined by its history as the place where doo wop turned into rock, and where electric harmonies are the soundtrack to summer. Sixty years on, it's a time capsule of those happy days thanks to a proliferation of Googie architecture that’s been preserved as part of the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District. Although many iconic hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping centers have been demolished over the years, including the HofBrau, over 90 neon-spangled motels remain.
From Rock ’n’ Roll Roots to Midcentury Googie Architecture
The story of how Wildwood became the stuff of teenage nostalgia starts not with a motel, but a highway. In 1955, New Jersey completed the Garden State Parkway, which connected Philadelphia and New York City to the Jersey shore just as car culture was getting into full swing. The boardwalks and opulent railroad hotels of Asbury Park, Keansburg, Atlantic City and Cape May had drawn well-heeled tourists since the Victorian era. Some of these century-old resorts are still part of South Jersey’s charm, including the wedding-cake Chalfonte Hotel (Cape May’s oldest still in operation), Hotel Alcott, Congress Hall, and the Inn of Cape May.
With the parkway open, however, it had never been more convenient for the average suburban Joe to drive the family down the Shore for a taste of beachtown life. This new generation of travelers preferred the relatively inexpensive, car-friendly motorlodges that had become part of American life since the first coast-to-coast highway in the United States was built in 1912. Not only motels but also nightclubs, ice cream parlors, restaurants, and other businesses competed for tourists with splashy, eye-catching exteriors that captured the spirit of colorful, futuristic optimism that defined the era.
When you picture midcentury architecture, you might think of ranch homes and glass office buildings. But you might also picture the dramatic angles, cantilevered rooflines, and geometric shapes and design motifs associated with Googie architecture. The style was named after a design by architect John Lautner, Googie’s Coffee Shop in Los Angeles.
On the East Coast, however, it was brothers Lou and Will Morey who put modernist style on the map, particularly in the Wildwoods. They drew on Googie styles that defined midcentury Miami Beach, and brought them to Cape May, where New Jersey juts toward Delaware Bay just south of Atlantic City. First was a property called the Fantasy Motel, which Will and his wife Jackye flipped to build a second doo wop motel. They continued developing Wildwood until Wilbert swung for the fences by buying an entire block to build the Pan American, complete with a penthouse suite where the family lived during the summer season.
Some Wildwood properties like the Lollipop Motel expressly leaned into the sweet, family-centered culture of the 1950s. For others, the kitschy themes of motels like the Caribbean, the Kona Kai Motel, and the Ala Kai evoked more tropical vacation destinations popularized by tiki culture and music genres like exotica first popularized by Les Baxter, Martin Denny, and Yma Sumac. Meanwhile, other doo wop motels like the Starlux and the boomerang-shaped Satellite Motel leaned into a Jetsons-era fascination with all things space-age.
Young people flocked to the Wildwoods on their own, too, where there were plentiful part-time jobs for college students on summer break and an endless parade of musicians playing R&B, jazz, blues, and rock and roll. Dizzy Gillespie, Sammy Davis Jr., Little Richard, The Drifters, The Platters, The Supremes, and other Black artists touring on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” played in Wildwood clubs, drawing crowds of R&B and pop fans from New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
By the time the term “doo wop” was coined in 1961, Wildwood was synonymous with both Googie and early rock and roll. In fact, the two were so linked that Wildwood’s signature style became known as “doo wop architecture”, distinct from the Southern California version named for a coffee shop few Wildwood tourists had ever heard of or visited. If, like Bobby Rydell, you’re dreaming of Wildwood days when you can twist again and rock every night seven days a week, here are some of the best spots in Wildwood to transport you back to the 1960s.
Must-See Retro Attractions, Boardwalk Bites, and Neon Nights
On Tuesday and Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m., the Doo Wop Preservation League offers Back to the ’50s Neon Nights. These guided trolley tours of midcentury architecture in the Wildwood Doo Wop Motel district start at the Doo Wop Experience Museum, which is housed in the former Surfside restaurant. The museum has interactive exhibits, a retro-style malt shop, a garden filled with neon signs rescued from demolished Wildwood Googies, and plenty of memorabilia from the doo wop heyday.
It’s not a visit to New Jersey without hitting Wawa, a beloved convenience store chain that’s been slinging hoagies, fresh coffee, and snacks since the 1960s. With almost 300 Wawas in New Jersey, it’s a cultural institution you shouldn’t (and can’t) miss–especially when the Wildwood Wawa is a doo wop masterpiece. Wawa #0729 on Rio Grande Avenue isn’t actually original to the era. It’s new construction carefully designed to blend into Wildwood’s doo wop cityscape, and it has been such a success that Wawa now has a second retro storefront planned for North Wildwood on New Jersey Avenue.
Head down to the boardwalk for the classic Jersey Shore experience. The boardwalk is 38 blocks of arcades, carnival games, the Great White wooden roller coaster, two beachfront water parks, free beaches, and more. Explore the section between Atlanta Avenue and Morning Glory Road to stay within the Doo Wop Historic District. You never know who you might run into– back in 2017, Bruce Springsteen made headlines when he was spotted riding the boardwalk tram.
Morey’s Pier is great for kids of all ages, and yes, it’s named for the same family who made Wildwood’s architecture so distinctive. Grab a bite at the Doo Wop Diner, where you can enjoy burgers named after classic cars, a sandwich named after Ricky Ricardo, the “Johnny Angel” salad, as well as milkshakes and malts in flavors like orange cream and a classic black & white.
Don’t forget to grab a photo in front of the Wildwoods Beach Ball Sign before you leave the boardwalk. Families will love the Blue Palms, named for bright blue artificial palm trees straight out of Dr. Seuss. Access to Morey’s Piers and the Beachfront Water Parks is included in your stay when booked directly, and the on-site Jersey Girl Kitchen serves up brunch, dinner, and live music.
Adults will enjoy the boardwalk nightlife that’s open until 1 a.m. Grab a drink at The Point Tiki Bar or hit classic local wateringholes like the Firehouse Tavern before returning to your hotel for the night. Girls trips and bachelorettes will find the right vibe at the Pink Champagne Motel, with its Barbie-worthy coffee makers, microwaves, and mini fridges in the rooms and suites. For weekends with the boys and stag trips, bachelors will enjoy the swim-up Tiki bar at the Oceanic.
Grab breakfast at Uncle Bill’s, a family-run local chain that started in 1962 in nearby Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and now boasts 8 locations across the Jersey Shore. In addition to “Our Famous Strawberry Waffle” and a wide range of pancakes–from the Iowa corn to the Yeasty Old Fashioned Buckwheat–Uncle Bill’s also offers apropos dishes like the Hawaiian Ham Steak and Creamed Chipped Beef.
Where to Stay, Dine, and Experience the Vintage Charm Today
Couples can make some memories at the Pan American Hotel, inspired by Will and Jackye Morey’s own honeymoon at the Americana Hotel in Miami Beach. This elegant spot with its rotating starburst sign and two-tiered sun deck is just steps from the beach and has an outdoor heated pool and an on-site restaurant. Save room, though. It’s hard to beat Urie’s Waterfront Restaurant for a romantic night out. They’ve been serving up seafood and steaks since 1956, and the menu still includes time capsule favorites like a wedge salad, sirloin and lobster tail, local Middle Neck Clams served casino, and breaded Jersey flounder.
Wildwood, New Jersey, is a rare time capsule where the Camelot era is still alive and well. But the doo wop architecture that makes Wildwood so special is still under threat. The iconic Chateau Bleu was demolished just last year to make way for new development. Still, it’s encouraging that major chains like Wawa and McDonald's are investing in the doo wop district’s signature style.
So is the way that new generations continue to resonate with the art and architecture of the 1950s and ‘60s, from Gen X’s rock-a-billy and ska scenes to the influence of television shows like Mad Menand The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Millennials’ taste for mid-century modern. In a cultural moment when nostalgia for all things analogue is inspiring Gen Alpha to look decades past, Wildwood, New Jersey remains a travel destination with a little something for everyone, from those who lived it to those who want to travel through time.
