"Doo Wop Experience" Finally Opens Its Doors

After years of planning, months of anticipation and a “soft opening” earlier in the year, the Doo Wop Experience finally opened its doors on a regular schedule in June 2007 as a new cultural landmark that will tell the story of the Wildwoods’ Doo Wop- era heyday and celebrate the culture, architecture and music that have made the Wildwoods By-the-Sea a unique place in America.

The Doo Wop Experience was known for half a century as the Surfside Restaurant in Wildwood Crest. Generations of American families enjoyed seashore dinners and the restaurant’s famous desserts while the Surfside was operated by the John family from 1962 to 2001. In 2002, the restaurant was scheduled for demolition until the community stepped forward with a strong show of support to save the unique, space-age-styled building - with its large glass-pane walls and unusual, circular saw-tooth roof - for future generations to enjoy.

Donations from residents and business owners paid to disassemble and store the Surfside until it could be reassembled as the “Doo Wop Experience.” The rebuilt Experience now sits in Fox Park where it will add to the entertainment district that includes the Wildwoods’ beautiful beachfront convention center and a new outdoor concert bandshell.

Much more than just a museum, “The Experience” includes a ‘50s style malt shop - the “Jitterbug Cafe”, a showcase of mid-century furnishings, and a neon garden where some of the best examples of the Wildwoods’ famous neon signs of the past have found a new life - resurrected and lighting up the evening sky once again.

The interior design is complete. Plans include a music center celebrating the Wildwoods as birthplace of rock and roll and center for the twist, doo wop, and other favorite music styles, an interactive Doo Wop resort map, a “build a motel” exhibit, and an I-board that uses interactive touch screens and hundreds of digital photos to tell the story of the Doo Wop buildings and the Wildwood’s role as a repository of memories for millions of Americans. The displays create an opportunity for local and national businesses to identify with all that is best about America. The DWPL is now meeting with potential sponsors for the various exhibits and interactive electronics that will be the centerpiece of this unique display of mid-century memorabilia and Wildwoods history.

Jay Ford, president of Crest Savings Bank, is

chairing the Sponsorship Committee to publicize the opportunities presented by the program for companies with current or past connections with the resort. The scope of the exhibits creates a wide range of sponsorship opportunities.

We hope you will contact either Jay Ford at Crest Bank or the DWPL (609.729.9000) if your company or organization is interested in becoming a sponsor.