Ocean City, Maryland is an extremely popular Summer tourist destination, with every Summer bringing in millions of tourists. While many tourists only think of Ocean City as a summer destination, Fall in Ocean City is a wonderful time to visit as the temperatures become mild and the summer crowds fade away. Whether you’re drawn to the local fall festivals, spooky ghost tours, peaceful walks along the beach, or incredible wildlife viewing in nearby Assateague, Ocean City in the fall offers a relaxed experience with plenty to do for everyone!

Here is everything you need to know about visiting Ocean City in the fall, including things to do, where to eat & stay, and what to expect when visiting Ocean City in Autumn.

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on purchases made through these links. All opinions are my own.

Is Fall a Good Time to Visit Ocean City?

Once Fall has arrived in Ocean City, peak season has ended and the destination becomes a hidden gem until the next Summer. The crowds have significantly dwindled, creating a much more relaxed atmosphere. The days are still warm enough for coastal activities, while the crisp fall air makes walking, biking, and sightseeing even more enjoyable. Autumn in Ocean City also hosts lots of fun seasonal events and festivals unique to the Fall season, including the famous “Bike Week”, “Sunfest”, and “O.C.toberfest”.

By visiting Ocean City in the fall, you can experience all the charm of the beach town with the added bonuses of quieter surroundings, seasonal fall flavors, and vibrant foliage that makes the coastal landscape even more picturesque. Accommodation prices will also drop significantly from the Summer months, making fall a more affordable time of year to visit!

Where to Stay in Ocean City in the Fall

• Hyatt Place Ocean City Maryland – This oceanfront hotel offers a perfect balance of convenience and comfort, located right by the boardwalk. I personally stayed here, and I loved waking up to the sunrise view over the ocean from our spacious room! Hyatt Place has a laid-back yet stylish ambiance and plenty of amenities, including a breakfast buffet, and an indoor and outdoor pool, making it ideal for families, couples, and solo travelers.
• Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront – If you’re looking for luxury, the Hilton offers lovely suites with ocean views, private balconies, and upscale amenities. Their fine dining restaurant, 32 Palm, serves fresh and seasonal dishes, and the hotel’s indoor pool offers a relaxing space to unwind when the fall breeze gets cooler.
• Cambria Hotel – This newer property in Ocean City combines modern design with easy access to local attractions. Its rooftop bar, Spain Wine Bar, is an absolute must-visit, offering panoramic views of the bay that are stunning in the fall, with some of the most incredible sunsets in Ocean City. It’s a great choice for travelers who enjoy a chic and stylish stay.
• Aloft Ocean City – Aloft Ocean City features trendy and colorful decor, a beautiful outdoor pool area, and a vibrant lounge that’s a great spot for an evening drink. The hotel is just a short walk from the beach, and its bayside location offers some of the best sunset views in town. It’s perfect for younger travelers and couples seeking a lively, social atmosphere.

Things to do in Ocean City in the Fall Season

Though some attractions have closed for the season, there is still plenty to do in Ocean City during the fall season. Here are some of the best things to do in Ocean City during the Fall months:

Enjoy the Ocean City Boardwalk Without the Crowds

The famous Ocean City Boardwalk is notoriously bustling in the summer with crowds dotted throughout, but fall is the perfect time to enjoy the boardwalk without the crowds. Unfortunately, some of the beloved attractions like the Jolly Roger at the Pier Adventure Park and various food options will be closed for the season, however, there are still lots of hotspots that will remain open throughout the fall.

Here are some fun places and activities you can do on the Ocean City Boardwalk during the fall season:

Load up on boardwalk snacks

Ocean City Boardwalk has several famous candy shops and boardwalk snacks that will satisfy both your sweet and salty tooth. Treat yourself to ice cream at Dumser’s Dairyland, which offers delicious pumpkin ice cream in autumn, stock up on popcorn at Fisher’s Popcorn, which offers seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice caramel, and Get candy at Dolle’s Candyland, which has lots of yummy fall-themed candies like pumpkin marshmallows, spooky-themed homemade peeps, and various other seasonal flavors you won’t find any other time of year.

Have fun at the arcades

The Ocean City Boardwalk has a few arcades that remain open during the fall season, offering nostalgic fun for all ages well past peak season. Check out Trimper’s Rides and Amusements, Marty’s Playland, and Fun City Arcade on the boardwalk!

Rent a bike from Bike World

Fall in Ocean City is perfect for a boardwalk bike ride, as the cooler weather makes cycling extra comfortable. I suggest renting a bike from Bike World and enjoying a peaceful ride along a less crowded boardwalk. We rented a 2-person Surrey bike, and had a blast! You can also choose to rent 3-wheel “fun cycles”, “chopper” bikes, tandem bikes, and regular bikes, each varying in rental price.

Take a Day Trip to Assateague National Seashore

Assateague Island is just a 15-20 minute drive from Ocean City and offers a completely different experience, perfect for nature and wildlife lovers. The fall season brings migratory birds, vibrant foliage, and cooler weather, making it one of the best times of year to explore the island (the dreaded horse flies also start to disappear in the fall, making for a much more pleasant experience)!

Go Wildlife Watching

The island is known for its wild horses, and you’ll often find them grazing along the beaches or near the trails. Fall is also a great time to spot migratory birds and other wildlife unique to the island. We saw lots of wild horses, blue herons, a bald eagle, wild turkeys, deer, and beautiful monarch butterflies when we were there! Remember to be respectful and keep your distance from the wildlife. The horses are wild horses and have been known to kick and bite!

Take a Bike Ride

Assateague is a wonderful place to go on a bike ride, especially in the cooler fall months when the coastal breezes and beautiful autumn scenery create the perfect outdoor atmosphere. The island offers a few scenic bike-friendly trails, such as the 4-mile round-trip Wildlife Loop, which is an easy ride through marshlands and open fields where you might catch sight of wild ponies, herons, and other local wildlife.

Tour the Ratcliff House

The Ratcliff House is a historical plantation-turned-museum, dating back to the 18th century. Entrance tickets include a 45-minute guided tour, where local historians will teach you about the house’s history and what daily life looked like centuries ago. We found the tour very interesting and appreciated that they taught us about the realities of the slavery that occurred on the plantation, with an entire room dedicated to the people who were enslaved there, highlighting each of their names.

Walk the nature trails

Assateague offers three scenic nature trails of varying lengths, each showcasing different aspects of the island’s ecosystems. The trails are pretty short and we did all three trails in under 2 hours, so I highly suggest walking all of them to see the variety in the island’s ecosystems. Walk on a boardwalk overtop of a marsh at the Life of the Marsh Trail (we saw the most wildlife here and literally stood right over 2 beautiful wild ponies!), Stroll through a forest of Loblollies pines at the Life of the Forest Trail, and walk on top of sand dunes and discover an abandoned 1950’s highway (Baltimore Boulevard) at the Life of The Dunes Trail.

Relax with a picnic on the beach

Assateague is famous for having some of the best beaches on the East Coast, and the slower fall season makes it a nice, peaceful spot for a picnic. You might even get lucky and spot some wild ponies roaming the beach while you enjoy your lunch!

Go Wine Tasting at Windmill Creek Vineyard and Winery

Windmill Creek Vineyard offers a charming location for wine tasting in the countryside just outside Ocean City. Their wine selection features locally grown grapes, offering reds, whites, and seasonal blends that are perfect for fall. The tasting room provides a cozy atmosphere, where you can relax and enjoy a glass (or two) of wine while soaking in the scenery. There are also lots of outdoor seating areas available, which are tastefully decorated with fall-themed decorations this time of year.

We stopped by Windmill Creek Vineyard on our way into Ocean City, and we enjoyed a glass of wine with some delicious bites from The Garden Grill, which serves quality casual meals with a Maryland flare, including crab cakes, crab fries, brisket mac and cheese, and more!!

Go on a Guided Ghost Tour of Ocean City with Chesapeake Ghosts

Ocean City is rich with history, and its plentiful historic buildings and long-standing tales make it a fascinating place for ghost stories. The Ocean City Ghost Tour by Chesapeake Ghosts dives into the spookier side of Ocean City, with stories of hauntings and local legends, making it the perfect activity for spooky season. We had a great experience and our guide Glenn was a wonderful storyteller! Aside from learning about local hauntings, Glenn also shared a lot of interesting history about Ocean City so it almost felt like a two-in-one guided history tour and ghost tour. There was definitely something eerie about walking along the boardwalk at night when there were hardly any people out.

Visit the Life-Saving Station Museum

The Life-Saving Station Museum in Ocean City is located by the pier, showcasing the town’s maritime history, and highlighting the brave efforts of crews who rescued shipwrecked sailors along the coast. The museum’s exhibits showcase early rescue equipment, vintage photos, and memorabilia from the town’s past, including boardwalk prizes dating back from the 30’s and bathing suits from the 20’s! The Life-Saving Station museum is also rumored to be haunted, which isn’t hard to believe after encountering the “Laughing Sal ” display upstairs, a spooky animated figure from an old fun house that lets out the creepiest laugh at the push of a button (and, allegedly, sometimes laughing on its own)!

Attend a Fall Weekend Event or Festival

Autumn in Ocean City brings a lineup of annual festivals and events celebrating the season, including new unique events every year. I suggest checking out Visit Ocean City’s event calendar if you want to plan your trip around some of the festivities that happen during the fall season. Below are some of the most popular annual events hosted every fall in Ocean City:

Bike Week

Every September, Ocean City hosts the annual Bike Week, one of the East Coast’s largest motorcycle events. Riders from all over come together to enjoy scenic coastal routes, live music, custom bike shows, and vendor exhibits. If you are not interested in motorcycles, I suggest avoiding Ocean City during bike week as the entire week is super crowded with lots of traffic.

Sunfest

Kicking off the fall season in late September or early October, Sunfest is a local favorite that features live music, arts and crafts, delicious food, and activities for all ages.

O.C.toberfest

This Halloween-themed festival offers pumpkin decorating, a beach maze, and even a Halloween parade, making it a great family-friendly fall celebration in Ocean City!

Wine on the Beach

A yearly beachfront wine-tasting festival with a variety of regional wines, live music, and artisan vendors, Wine on the Beach is a must-visit event for wine lovers who want to relax by the shore while sipping on local wines.

Where to Eat & Drink in Ocean City in the Fall

Ocean City’s dining scene offers cozy restaurants that stay open into the fall, making it easy to enjoy local flavors and seasonal dishes:

• Spain Wine Bar – Voted Maryand’s best rooftop restaurant, Spain Wine Bar features Spanish-inspired tapas and dishes like paella, alongside an extensive wine and drink list, offering a romantic atmosphere for a fall evening. We absolutely loved the food here and it definitely brought back memories of our time in Spain!
• Blue Fish – Blue Fish is arguably the best Asian restaurant in town, with an expansive menu of sushi and Japanese, Thai, and fusion dishes. Blue Fish also offers a seasonal menu, including delicious pumpkin-themed appetizers and desserts (I’m still drooling thinking about the pumpkin crème brûlée I had there)! 
• Coastal Salt – Situated right along the boardwalk next to Hyatt Place, Coastal Salt is a popular local spot offering beach views and a large menu filled with fresh seafood specialties and coastal cocktails. We had a delicious breakfast here and it was the perfect place to fuel ourselves for our day of exploring! I highly recommend the Potato Pancakes Benedict!
• 45th Street Taphouse – This casual pub serves local beers on tap and American bites, making it a great casual spot to enjoy a tasty meal and some drinks.
• Saltwater 75 – Located on the bayside, Saltwater 75 is perfect for seafood lovers, as its menu primarily features seafood dishes using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. 
• Sinepuxent Brewing Company – Located just outside Ocean City, this local brewery has a variety of craft beers on tap, from IPAs to porters, making it a great place to stop by for beer enthusiasts.

Conclusion

Fall is a highly underrated time of year to visit Ocean City, when it is a perfect coastal getaway with fewer crowds and beautiful weather. With a nostalgic boardwalk, beautiful scenery, delicious local food, and a range of seasonal activities, autumn in Ocean City is the perfect place and time for a relaxing East Coast getaway.

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This trip was in partnership with Visit Ocean City Maryland. All opinions are my own.