Doctors once prescribed cold sea plunges as medicine, and National Beach Day, Monday, August 30, 2027, celebrates the shore that people slowly learned to love. That affection is newer than it seems.
A Late-Summer Holiday
August 30. Its creator hasn’t been identified.
How the Beach Became a Getaway
For much of history, the shore meant danger. People linked it with shipwrecks, pirates and the biblical flood, Daniela Blei wrote in Smithsonian magazine.
Historian Alain Corbin of the Sorbonne found that the classical world “knew nothing of the attraction of seaside beaches,” with few exceptions.
That changed in the mid-18th century. European elites began promoting sea bathing as a cure, and doctors prescribed plunges into cold water for ills ranging from melancholy to gout.
Scarborough, a small town near York on England’s east coast, had the first seaside resort. Margate and Brighton were other early resorts.
The British gave modern tourism to the world, “for better and worse,” historian John Walton told Smithsonian. During the 1800s, the resort idea spread to Normandy, Italy and northern Germany.
By 1840, in Corbin’s account, the beach had become a place to consume and escape city life. Trains made the trip cheap and easy. Even the word “seascape” wasn’t in use until 1804.
America’s boardwalks
On June 26, 1870, the first section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk opened in New Jersey. Railroad conductor Alexander Boardman proposed it to keep sand out of rail cars and hotels.
It began as an 8-foot-wide temporary wooden walkway. Taffy was sold there by the early 1880s, and rolling chairs arrived in 1884.
New York followed with Coney Island’s Riegelmann Boardwalk, which formally opened on May 15, 1923. It runs 2.7 miles to Brighton Beach and became a city Scenic Landmark in 2018. The name honors Brooklyn Borough President Edward Riegelmann.
Why Beaches Deserve a Day
Shoreline isn’t in short supply. NOAA’s official figure for total U.S. shoreline is 95,471 miles, counting the Great Lakes and territories.
Coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, has rated beaches for more than three decades. His 2026 list put Poipu Beach on Kauai, Hawaii, in first place.
St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, Florida, came second. Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod closed out the top 10.
Beaches are also shrinking. In 2014, historian John Gillis wrote that 75 to 90 percent of the world’s natural sand beaches are disappearing.
Safety matters too. Rip currents can move at up to 8 feet per second, and NOAA estimates they kill about 100 people a year.
If one catches you, NOAA advises, don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore, then angle back to land.
Beach Day Ideas for August 30
- Walk the Atlantic City Boardwalk, where the story of America’s boardwalks began.
- Stroll the Riegelmann Boardwalk from Coney Island to Brighton Beach.
- Plan a trip to one of Dr. Beach’s 2026 picks, such as Lanikai Beach on Oahu.
- Read Corbin’s The Lure of the Sea for the full story of how Europe fell for the shore.
- Ask lifeguards about rip currents before you swim, and stay near a staffed stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Coney Island boardwalk?
Engineer Philip Farley. Crews built it in three phases between 1922 and 1941.
What did “on the beach” first mean?
For sailors, it once meant poverty and being stranded. Only later did it suggest health and pleasure.
How many people live near an ocean?
About half the world’s population lives within 37 miles of one, Gillis noted.
When did bloomer suits appear in Atlantic City?
In 1907, according to Atlantic County’s history pages.
Sources
- Smithsonian Magazine – Inventing the Beach: The Unnatural History of a Natural Place (2016)
- Atlantic County, New Jersey – History of the Atlantic City Boardwalk
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission – Riegelmann Boardwalk designated a Scenic Landmark (2018)
- Dr. Beach – America’s Top 10 Beaches
- NOAA Ocean Service – How long is the U.S. shoreline?
- NOAA Ocean Service – What is a rip current?