JONES BEACH STATE PARK
Directions: Jones Beach State Park is located in southern Nassau County, in the hamlet of Wantagh, Long island, New York. It is 33 miles from Manhattan via Meadowbrook Parkway South and Wantagh Parkway south to the Park. Contact Information: Jones Beach State Park Phone: (516) 785-1600 Via Public Transportation: From Manhattan: LIRR to Freeport, then buses to Jones Beach. Call 718-217-5477 Bus from Freeport: The information # for patrons is 516-228-4000 and its option #2. The bus will start on May 24th. The bus route/# is JB62 out of Freeport. From Queens and Nassau: MTA Long Island Bus. Call 516-228-4000 Via Auto: From Westchester, Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens: LIE East or Grand Central Parkway East to Northern State Parkway East to Wantagh Parkway South to Jones Beach State Park or Belt/Southern State Parkway East to Wantagh Parkway South to State Park. From Eastern Long Island: Northern State Parkway West or Southern State Parkway West to Wantagh Parkway South to State Park. Overview: Everyone can enjoy the 2,413 acres park which comprises of 6.5 miles of ocean beach frontage and a half mile of bay frontage developed for still water bathing. It is popular for its excellent beaches with 10 km in length facing to the Atlantic Ocean and furnishes one of the most popular summer recreational locations in the New York City area. Jones Beach State Park is also the most popular and heavily visited beach on the East Coast with an estimation of over eight million people visiting the beach each year. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, an outdoor arena in the park, is a famous musical concert venue. The park also has a 2 mi (3.2 km) long boardwalk. It once featured dining and catering facilities that are popular sites for private parties and weddings; these have been shut down. History: On August 4, 1929, Jones Beach State Park was first opened to the public. On that day Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor Alfred E. Smith, and Commission President Robert Moses were the principal speakers. Its success and popularity were immediately discernible. In 1930, the first full year of operation, a million and a half people visited the park. In July, 1931, the West Bathhouse with swimming and diving pools opened. The Wantagh Causeway soon became overcrowded and serious traffic delays occurred every Sunday. On November 3, 1931, the Town of Hempstead voted to suggest to the State of New York that all of Short Beach, the area between the Park and Jones Inlet, together with a right of way for an additional causeway from the mainland, near Freeport, to the Park. In 1933 Commissioners served on the board of the Jones Beach State Park Authority that built, maintained and operated the causeways to Jones Beach, some park facilities that includes the Jones Beach Theater and the Southern State Parkway in Nassau County. Facilities: The Park has multiple concession stands along the boardwalk in season. A few of the larger concessions stay open past the main summer season. Beach dining and catering facilities no longer exist at Jones Beach. There are also two swimming pools available for public use at Jones Beach; the West Bath House pool is traditionally open all week long, while the East Bath House pool is for weekends only. The 2 mile boardwalk is often busy with runners, joggers, and those just looking for a day away from inner city/suburban life. Music along the boardwalk is common, and shows, ice cream, concession stands, ocean and fresh air make it a busy place for New York City and Long Island residents to gather. Recent Construction: Since 2006 millionaire real estate investor Donald Trump has been planning to build a luxurious restaurant and catering facility, to be named "Trump on the Ocean", along the boardwalk at Jones Beach State Park. It has been met with much political turmoil and has not yet been completed. For more information visit: www.trumpontheocean.com Seasons/Hours: Open year round. Pets: Strictly, no pets allowed. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Website: Attractions:
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