Ocean City Free Public Library
🏢 Ocean City Community Center · Ocean City, New Jersey
Ocean City Free Public Library
An independent municipal library on Ocean City's barrier island, the Ocean City Free Public Library anchors the city's Community Center at 18th Street and Simpson Avenue, sharing the building with the aquatic center, arts center, historical museum and senior center. Its two floors hold more than 110,000 books alongside a full slate of digital collections, technology, and year-round programs.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–9pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 11am–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1735 Simpson Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Phone: (609) 399-2434
Website: oceancitylibrary.org
Plus Code: 87F77CC5+GV (Ocean City, NJ)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ 08226. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.7 / 5 from 125 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 11 am.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Ocean City Free Public Library
The Ocean City Free Public Library is one of only a handful of independent public libraries in Cape May County, operating on its own rather than through the Cape May County Library system. It occupies a modern, two-story home inside the Ocean City Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue — the result of a roughly $18 million renovation and expansion that gathered the library, the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center, the Ocean City Arts Center, the Ocean City Historical Museum and the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center under one roof around a shared, Wi-Fi–enabled common lobby. The library's first floor holds the children's collection, new arrivals, and DVD and video-game lending, while the second floor is given over to young-adult fiction, research materials, and a quiet study room. Beyond the building, the library extends its reach with a bookmobile and a StoryWalk® installation at Lake Memorial Park, and it curates a local-history subject guide documenting the story of "America's Greatest Family Resort."
⭐ What makes this library special
- Independent municipal library — one of the few in Cape May County that operates outside the Cape May County Library system
- Housed in the Ocean City Community Center (18th & Simpson), shared with the Aquatic & Fitness Center, Arts Center, Historical Museum and Senior Center after a ~$18M renovation & expansion
- Collection of more than 110,000 books across two floors, plus audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVDs
- Bookmobile service and a StoryWalk® trail at Lake Memorial Park bring the library beyond its walls
- Museum passes, 3D printing, technology lending, and meeting rooms available to cardholders
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Ocean City cardholders can stream, download, and research free with these verified digital services:
📚 Services
- Lending of 110,000+ books plus audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVDs
- Museum passes for free or discounted admission to area cultural institutions
- 3D printing and technology / device lending
- Bookmobile service across Ocean City
- Public computers, Wi-Fi, and wireless printing (Computer Center)
- Quiet study room and meeting rooms for community use
- StoryWalk® at Lake Memorial Park
- Local-history subject guide and reference research assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and puppet shows
- Book clubs for adults and younger readers
- Author lectures, seminars and special events
- Computer and technology workshops
- Seasonal and holiday programming for a year-round and summer-resort community
📍 Nearby Public Libraries in South Jersey
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Ocean City · Browse all New Jersey libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can visitors and non-residents get an Ocean City Free Public Library card?
Yes. Ocean City residents join free with proof of residency, and non-residents can buy a card for $25 for a full year or $15 for ninety days. An internet-only card is also available for $10 for a ninety-day membership, handy for seasonal visitors to this shore town.
Which museums can I visit with an Ocean City library museum pass?
Cardholders in good standing can borrow a museum pass (one per household, one-week loan) for area attractions including the Battleship New Jersey, the National Constitution Center, the Wetlands Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Mütter Museum, Grounds For Sculpture and WheatonArts. Learn more at museum passes at the library.
Where is the Ocean City Free Public Library located, and what else is in the building?
The library is at 1735 Simpson Avenue (18th Street and Simpson Avenue) inside the Ocean City Community Center. The same building houses the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center, the Ocean City Arts Center, the Ocean City Historical Museum, and the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center, all connected by a shared lobby with free Wi-Fi. The library itself occupies two floors.
What are the Ocean City Free Public Library's hours?
The library is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. The Computer Center closes about a half hour earlier each day. Hours are reduced on holidays — check the library's Hours & Holidays page before a holiday visit.
Is the Ocean City library part of the Cape May County Library system?
No. Ocean City runs its own independent municipal library and is one of only a few libraries in Cape May County that operate outside the Cape May County Library system. You can still borrow eBooks and audiobooks digitally through Libby/OverDrive, hoopla and Freegal, and research through NewsBank and the statewide JerseyClicks databases.
What can families and visitors do at the library beyond borrowing books?
Alongside its collection of more than 110,000 books, the library offers museum passes, 3D printing, technology lending, public computers, a quiet study room and meeting rooms. It also runs a bookmobile and maintains a StoryWalk® at Lake Memorial Park, plus year-round programs such as storytimes, puppet shows, book clubs, author lectures and technology workshops.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.