Patch's Guide To Beating The Heat In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Maybe you don't have air conditioning. Maybe you need a break from work. Maybe you're going a little stir crazy staying inside and scrolling through Patch.

Here are some ways you and/or the kids can beat the heat either today and throughout the summer:

Indoor Activities

Ocean City Free Public Library

If you're looking for air conditioning in a space where nobody forces you to buy anything, libraries reign supreme. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Here's their calendar of events.

Movie theaters

Escape the heat for a couple hours (or maybe three hours, since you can still see "Avengers: Endgame"). Here are movie times for theaters near Ocean City.

Other activities

Ocean City features several activities that will keep you out of the heat: JiLLy's Arcade, Haunted Golf, the Ocean City Historical Museum and more.

The Great Outdoors

Beaches and bays

It's the obvious summer activity, because it's a timeless way to beat the heat. Ocean City features 8 miles of beaches. Click here for more information on guarded beaches and beach tags.

Ocean City Waterpark

Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sept. 2, weather permitting. The waterpark includes a lazy river, sky pond journey, serpentine body slide and more. Click here for prices.

Ice Cream/Frozen Treats

In 1984, former President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. This year, the day falls on July 21. But Reagan never said you couldn't celebrate ice cream outside of these days.

Here are some options in Ocean City (there are a lot to list):

• The Hobby Horse Ice Cream Parlor & Cafe
• Aunt Betty's Ice Cream Shack
• Johnny B Goode Ice Cream Parlor
• A La Mode Ice Cream Parlor
• TJ's Ice Cream Plus
• Sweet Charlie's
• JiLLy's Ice Cream Factory
• Drip N Scoop
• Shriver's Gelato
• TLC Polish Water Ice
• Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard
• Chill Hand Rolled Ice Cream
• Aloha Soft Serve
• Kessel's Korner

Stay Safe

Ideally, we'd all spend blistering days cooling off inside. But that's not always an option.

If you or your employees are working outside, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides these tips:

• Provide workers with water, rest and shade.
• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
• Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.
• Monitor workers for signs of illness.

And don't forget about your pets. Bring them inside your home during extreme heat.

Before walking your dog, place your hand or bare foot on the pavement for 10 seconds, according to Banfield Pet Hospital. If it's too hot for you to keep your hand or foot there, it's too hot for your dog. Stay on grassy surfaces if they need to go out. Banfield Pet Hospital says to consider investing in a pair of booties.

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