If you’ve ever wandered the Wildwood Boardwalk in the early hours of the morning after a night out, that’s about to become a thing of the past.

Wildwood commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to close the boardwalk from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily, year-round, beginning May 13. The ordinance applies to visitors and residents of all ages.

The move comes after years of late-night chaos on the 2.5-mile stretch. During Memorial Day Weekend 2024, Wildwood declared a state of emergency after a massive group of teens and young adults took over the boardwalk, forcing a temporary shutdown and overwhelming local police.

“We are more convinced that this closing time is needed to help mitigate these late-night crowd issues,” Police Chief Joe Murphy told commissioners. “I believe these closures will not only reduce our early morning offenses but will also help with the resilience of our officers.”

Town leaders say increased police presence alone hasn’t been enough to curb calamity. The department is understaffed, and officials argue the overnight closure is the most effective tool available to fix the ongoing issues. The city already has a 10 p.m. curfew in place for anyone under 17, as well as a ban on backpacks.

The Loophole

There’s a catch, though. The closure only applies to the portion of the boardwalk within Wildwood—roughly three-quarters of the full stretch. The remaining sections in neighboring North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest will remain open 24 hours a day. No barriers will be put up at the municipal borders. Instead, signs will mark the closure zones.

Boardwalk business owners have pushed back, calling for more policing rather than reduced hours. Officials say the curfew is not intended to limit business activity, only to curb the late-night behavior that has made headlines in recent summers.

The Wildwood Boardwalk opens for the summer season in weeks. With a bedtime.