About us

Our Mission
To acquire, preserve, display, celebrate, and promote archives and artifacts relevant to the development of our unique cultural heritage and to delight, inspire, and educate present and future generations about the story of Sea Isle City, New Jersey. The Sea Isle City Historical Society and Museum is a certified 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Our Vision
To be an inviting, informative, educational, and innovative community resource that is recognized and respected as the place for exploring and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Sea Isle City and the surrounding area in New Jersey.

Our Organization

Officers:
President – Joyce Molter
Vice President – Ron Kovatis
Curator – Abby Powell
Treasurer – Gary Kriss
Secretary – Marietta Hassett
Trustees:
Marie Peltier
Mike McHale
Ron Kovatis
Bob Thibault
Abby Powell

Our History

In 1982, Sea Isle City celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding, an occasion which led to the creation of the Sea Isle City Historical Society and Museum. The museum formally opened on January 26, 1983 in a temporary space in the city public school, and moved 17 months later to a building behind the former City Hall. Harriett Reardon Bailey was elected first president and also served as its Curator for thirty years.

In 1990, Michael Stafford was elected president. Mike guided the museum through its next 25 years of growth and recognition in the community, resulting in the many displays and programs described throughout this website. The museum moved to larger quarters at 4208 Landis Avenue (shown above) in 1995, and subsequently in 2011 to its present modern facility as part of the Sea Isle City Library building. Since his retirement in 2014, Mike Stafford has been succeeded by Mike McHale, and Abby Powell and now  by our current president, Ron Kovatis.

Our Facility
The museum is designed with an open floor plan to allow easy access as you move from exhibit to exhibit. We also provide an area to sit and conduct research, take notes, or simply browse through our many articles, books, and thousands of photographs. The museum features a unique bridal gown display, more than 200 family albums generated by the families themselves, as well as an abundance of artifacts related to Sea Isle and the surrounding area.

We are handicap accessible and child friendly, with a scavenger hunt during the summer and a “Touch ‘N Try” area where military and other uniforms are available to try on for a photo op. The museum is open year round. Admission is free. Our volunteer staff looks forward to walking you through 130+ years of Sea Isle City history.

Our Gift Shop
The museum Gift Shop has a variety of reasonably priced Sea Isle City themed items for sale. Selections range from shirts and hats to children’s coloring books and books about Sea Isle, and from handmade Afghans to vintage postcards. So when you visit the museum, don`t forget to drop by the Gift Shop and take home a little bit of Sea Isle history. Members will receive a 10% discount on Gift Store merchandise.

We welcome your donations which are tax deductible.