What do kids love?

• Music

• Flashing lights

• Vibrant Colors

• Really Neat Special Effects

• Fast Action

The “Duality” 3D light show by Moment Factory coming to Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall offers all that and more!

Take a look

Now doesn’t that look cool? It’s enough to get mom and dad excited to.

Ready to come see the show?

Here’s what you need to know about Duality

• The sound and light show will premiere Wednesday, July 4, shortly after the fireworks show around 9:30 p.m.

• The FREE show will run twice per hour, and lasts for about 8 ½ minutes. It is best seen from Kennedy Plaza on the boardwalk.

• The light show will give your kids a little lesson in history and architecture as the show takes advantage of Boardwalk Hall’s architecture to create a visually stunning performance that uses the history of Atlantic City to pay tribute to the city.

• Duality will be a permanent show but music, theme, and lightning colors will change throughout the year. I am already excited thinking about what it will look and sound like during the holidays.

• Fun Facts for the kids about the Duality Show
  • Twelve  20,000 lumen video projectors are installed on the façade of Boardwalk Hall.
  • Installation took two weeks and 14 specialized technicians to put in place.
  • The creation of the show took three months and over 35 team members.

A little background information

About Boardwalk Hall

• Used to be known as the Atlantic City Convention Hall
• Hosts great family friendly events like the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association Rodeo and the Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus
• Longtime home of the Miss America Pageant
• Home to the world’s largest musical instrument — a pipe organ consisting of over 33,000 pipes. While the organ is no longer fully functional, it remains listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

About the Atlantic City Alliance

• The Atlantic City Alliance (ACA) is a New Jersey not-for-profit corporation, brought into existence by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The ACA’s primary mission is to revitalize and rebuild Atlantic City’s reputation as a tourist destination.
• Are responsible for the “Do Anything, Do Everything,” marketing campaign that wants to motivate more visitors to come to Atlantic City.

About the Moment Factory

• Moment Factory is a Montreal-based new media and entertainment studio which specializes in groundbreaking shows that combine video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects to create remarkable — and often interactive — experiences.
• They have produced over 300 shows for clients such as Cirque du Soleil, Disney, Jay-Z, Celine Dion, M.I.A., Microsoft, and the NFL Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show featuring Madonna. Moment Factory is also working on Madonna’s new MDNA world tour.
• The company’s signature style combines light, technology and imagination often in “walkable,” open-air settings to create gathering spaces out of otherwise ordinary public areas.

This post is brought to you with the support of the Atlantic City Alliance. Find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Is it possible for Atlantic City, a city known for it’s casinos and nightlife, to have a family-friendly hotel?

Why…yes it is. It’s at Harrah’s Resort and Casino.

To prepare for our first family blogging event, Bloggers at the Beach in Atlantic City, Karen and I set out to find a family-friendly hotel in Atlantic City. We discovered Harrah’s Resort and Casino. Yes, it is a very beautiful hotel and casino for adults, but it also has a very family-friendly side that you probably didn’t know about before today.

First, let me tell you about the Harrah’s hotel rooms.

• Spacious rooms to spread out and share comfortably with your family – Each room has two king size beds. Mom and dad have one and 2 or 3 kids can share the other.  A small table with two chairs makes a nice area for snack time or coloring between activities. Rooms with 2 double beds start at $129 per night.

• The bathroom were designed with privacy in mind.- The shower is large enough to accommodate several kids. The vanity is large enough for all your’s and the kid’s gear. Plus, the toilet has its own door ensuring privacy for whoever needs to go potty.

• Pack ‘N’ Plays, portable cribs, etc are available from the front desk.

To see more pictures of the Harrah’s Resort Hotel Room visit our Facebook Album.

Then there’s the rest of the Harrah’s Resort Property.

• Family-friendly meals and snacks on a budget – The main floor of Harrah’s Resort and Casino has a pizzeria, sub shop, pretzel shop, ice cream store and other family-friendly eateries with affordable pricing options.

• Harrah’s Family Fun Center – There is so many activities for families staying at Harrah’s Resort to enjoy. The Family Fun Center hours vary with the season but it usually closes by 7 or 8 pm. The game room maybe open later.
  • Pool – This is the perfect family-friendly pool. There was an umbrella-mushroom like structure in the middle that showers down water.  The pool itself was a large rectangle plenty large enough for all our guest families and others stopping by for a swim. The pool goes from 3 feet deep to 3.5 feet. Harrah’s keeps the pool area well-stocked with towels and a hamper to gather them when you are done.  The pool is available for hotel guests at no extra charge.
  • For an additional charge, that you can pay there or charge back to your room, your family can play these games at the Harrah’s Family Fun Center:
    • Water Wars
    • Basketball
    • Shuffleboard
    • Miniature Golf
    • Arcade games that earn you tickets toward prizes
    • and more.

To see more pictures of the Harrah’s  Family Fun Center visit our other  Facebook Album.

In full disclosure, Harrah’s Resort and Hotel in Atlantic City, provided Family Friendly AC and our Bloggers at the Beach guests with hotel accommodations that did include the Harrah’s Family Fun Center so that we could experience the family-friendly aspects of the hotel. Our opinions are our own and are based on our experience at the Harrah’s Resort Casino and Family Fun Center.

Ok, I get all the hub bub and hoopla about the Dave Matthews Band being in Atlantic City this weekend but come on folks, there’s more to do in Atlantic City than just check out a band.

8 Things You Can do in

Atlantic City this weekend

that don’t involve the

Dave Matthews Band

1. Soak up the sun on our beaches! No beach tags required.

2. Climb to the top of the Absecon Lighthouse.

3. Go on a Coral Reef Adventure or visit the Pirates of the Caribbean at the Tropicana IMAX Theatre.

4. Feed a stingray at the Ocean Life Center in Gardener’s Basin.

5. Take an Atlantic City Cruise to check in with the dolphins swimming off our shores.

6. Shop till you drop at the A.C. Outlets or the Pier.

7. View the city and the beach from a top a six-story elephant named Lucy.

8. Grab lunch from a boardwalk vendor and have a picnic on the beach or go upscale and have lunch at one of our many restaurants with outside seating.

Should our list be longer? What would you add?

@Family Friendly AC

Wanna take your kids to see something like this without lugging a bunch of heavy scuba equipment?

You can!

I did on my visit to the IMAX Theatre at Tropicana Casino and Resort when we were invited, as part of our Bloggers at the Beach, family blogging event to view Coral Reef Adventure.

“Pollution, overfishing, and overuse have put many of our unique reefs at risk. Their disappearance would destroy the habitat of countless species…” — Bill Clinton, former United States of America President, August 1996

That is a serious message. Coral Reef Adventure is a serious movie, but not too serious that the kids can’t enjoy. Rated G, Coral Reef Adventure is appropriate for all audiences. The message of the movie is easy enough for a school-age child to understand. And for your preschoolers:  the pictures, the marine life, the deep sea divers, and of course, the music will keep them glued to their seats and smiling till the end.

Coral Reef Adventure tells the story of an explorer’s discovery of the damage the coral reefs have experienced and the peril most of them are still in. During the 45-minute documentary we learn how one explorer teams up with underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall to capture on film the endangered coral reefs of the South Pacific and the worldwide team effort to save them, even at times putting their own lives in danger. 

As moms and dads with our children viewing this, the images were so clear and vivid, we felt we were swimming with the explorers. We all wanted to be right there swimming with the explorers and filmmakers, doing our part to reverse the damage that has been done. It was a cool experience to have with our kids, especially considering most of us aren’t going scuba diving anytime soon. (Although we would love to.)

The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and features songs written and recorded by Crosby, Stills & Nash.  Coral Reef Adventure plays most mornings at the Tropicana IMAX Theatre. You can buy tickets at their box office or online at Ticketmaster. Tickets generally start at $12 each. We encourage you to take your family to see it. The producers of Coral Reef Adventure have also created a Fun Zone for kids at their site. To check out the games and activities they have click here. To visit the rest of our photos from the movie, visit our Facebook Gallery.

In full disclosure, Family Friendly Atlantic City received free tickets to view the Coral Reef Adventure. However, no additional compensation was provided to write this post. Our opinions are honest and our own. Major funding for Coral Reef Adventure was provided by the National Science Foundation. Produced in association with the Museum of Science, Boston, and the National Wildlife Federation.

Thar is treasure for thar families in Atlantic City. @Family Friendly Atlantic City

Did you know there is treasure to be found in Atlantic City?

You don’t need a shovel. You don’t need to look for X-marks the spot. You may need a map but you won’t have to share. There is plenty for everyone.

Why tucked away between the casinos and bright lights of Atlantic City are some gems that local families have come to discover. Karen and I are set to explore them with you. It’s why we created Family Friendly AC in the first place. We are the ONLY online publication whose sole purpose is to promote what is Family Friendly about Atlantic City. And we hope to inspire and be part of newer family friendly promotions for the Atlantic City.

This weekend, Karen and I  hosted the first overnight family blogging event Atlantic City has ever seen, called Bloggers at the Beach. (We know there will be many more.) It was a whirlwind weekend. We will be telling you all about in upcoming posts. From Friday night to Saturday afternoon, bloggers saw Atlantic City in a whole new light. Old ideas and notions of what Atlantic City could and couldn’t be washed out to sea. They were replaced with new memories of all their children had explored and ideas for future family vacations to the area. Over two days they experienced the following with their families:

• Lunch at the Harrah’s Steakhouse
• Playtime and hotel accommodations at the Harrah’s Resort and Family Fun Center
• Viewing of the Coral Reef Adventures with their families at the Tropicana Casino IMAX Theatre
• Watching dolphins from aboard the Atlantic City Cruises boat
• Lunch at Scales in Gardner’s Basin
• Petting sharks at the Ocean Life Center Aquarium
• Climbing up Lucy the Elephant

Below our guests are linking up their stories from their weekend. Take a look and enjoy reading why Atlantic City can be a great place for your family to visit. You will need to click on the blue face to be taken to the list of stories or to add one.

To follow the conversation on Twitter search the hashtag #FamFriendlyAC

To follow it on Facebook, visit our Facebook page here.

Want to see pictures from the weekend, visit our photo gallery here.

Our Family Friendly Atlantic City Link-Up button is available for sharing, see the code below.

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One of the best views of Atlantic City can not be found in a posh casino hotel room.  It is found, rather in New Jersey’s tallest Lighthouse. The Absecon Lighthouse is 150 years old, and one of Atlantic City’s Historical Family Attractions.

You and your family can take a journey up the 228 steps of one of the countries oldest lighthouses.  Stop on each landing and peer out the windows as you make your way to the top.  Atop the lighthouse you’ll see the original first- order Fresnel Lens, first lit in 1857.

2 year old making his way up

Step out side on the landing for breathtaking views of Atlantic City and the Atlantic Ocean.  Parents there’s no need to fret as the top open landing is encased in bars, and the bars are to close for little heads to fit.  You children will OOOO and AAAAHHH with excitement and all there is to see.

Hours of Operation:

Fall/Winter hours:

Open Thursdays through Mondays  11am- 4pm

Last Climb is at 3:30pm

September – June
Thursdays through Mondays, 11am to 4pm
Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
July & August
Open daily 10am to 5pm
Closed on major holidays

Cost to Climb the Lighthouse:

Adults $7
Children 4-12  $4
3 & under Free
Active military FREE
Dogs are welcome

The Local Lowdown:

The Lighthouse is a great place for you and your family to stop and check out.   My kids had fun climbing to the top and beating Mom and Dad.  The 228 steps are not too bad to scale.  However, it can be quite a bit for some.  There are ladings all the way up for resting. The steps are large and easy to manage.

My two year old did climb all the way up, however I had to carry him all the way down.  My 6 and 8 year old went up twice!

When you get to the top a lighthouse attendant will hand you a small card.  The card states that you made it!   Save this card.  When you visit Lucy the Elephant flash your accomplishment, and you’ll get a discount on admission.

They Made It!

There is a small gift shop and museum.  Very small.  My little ones were not at all interested in anything in the museum.  There are bathrooms located in a small building behind the Lighthouse.  There is also free parking in the small lot behind the lighthouse. Everytime we’ve visited the staff has always been delightful.

Your Lighthouse visit will not be an all day event. Climbing to the top and seeing all there is to see will probably take you any where from 30 mins to an hour tops.

On the lighthouse grounds there’s a life guard row boat.  This is a great spot for family pics. If everyone looks, oh well, better luck next time!

The Absecon Lighthouse does host some fun family events.  Check out their calendar to see whats going on during your visit to AC.