New Jersey’s Weird Beach Bunker Explained

The bunker on Cape May Beach is a fascinating relic from the past, nestled among the dunes and sands of this picturesque New Jersey shoreline. Originally constructed during World War II, this concrete structure served as a vital part of the coastal defense system, guarding against potential enemy attacks. Today, the bunker stands as a hauntingly beautiful reminder of history, its weathered facade a testament to the passage of time. Visitors can explore its interior, imagining the lives of the soldiers who once manned its walls and the tense atmosphere of wartime America. Surrounded by the serene beauty of Cape May Beach, the bunker offers a unique blend of historical intrigue and natural splendor, making it a must-see attraction for history enthusiasts and beachgoers alike.

IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

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Scriptwriter - Gregory Back
Editor - Karolina Szwata,
Host - Ryan Socash
Music/Sound Design: Dave Daddario

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Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[johngray]

I was stationed at Cape May Coast Guard in the 80s. I remember that bunker. You offered a lot more info than I had then.
Thank you.

[jimjohnstonreviewstheworld]

Man this channel finds the coolest obscure historical stuff. Well done

[TommyTheCat]

We have abandoned bunkers like this all over Rhode Island. They were awesome to run around these bunkers as a child with underground tunnels that seemed endless. Nowadays they closed up any openings and put railings up everywhere which is understandable due to how dangerous it was!

[mizu_the_floatzel]

As somebody who lives in New Jersey, I remember seeing the bunkers in person and well as soon as you talking about the bunkers, well, I'm happy to hear some New Jersey facts

[formwiz]

My mom had a friend who owned a house at the Jersey shore. In the spring and summer of '42, when she'd walk on the beach at night, she'd occasionally see a flash and then hear a rumble in the disatance. Turned out it was the U-boats blowing up the oil tankers coming out of Marcus Hook.

[subparnaturedocumentary]

there's also a wrecked concrete ship the s.s. atlantus off the coast of sunset beach on cape may and the ww2 lookout tower

[sailingspark]

On the Delaware side, is a matching bunker. It is harder to find as it is still deeply embedded into the dunes at what used to be Fort Miles. While the Nj bunker shows off everything due to erosion, the Delaware one shows you how hard they were to see and hit.

[ramonarettzo]

We used to be able to walk around the top of the bunker in the 60s and 70s. There was a ramp and there was a fence around the top with those coin operated telescopes. They eventually closed it off. It's all in the ocean now. Thanks for the history lesson!

[whyjnot]

In a similar spirit to this, I would like to recommend Fort Wetherill in Jamestown, Rhode Island.

As of today it sits a set of abandoned costal defense batteries on the cliffs, facing to the south. Last I knew, you could still get inside a good portion of the fort. Given that there are basically always at least 2 ways to get around in any given area. The main area of the fort, and corridors around 2 feet wide that run around all the bunkers. There are also air gaps of maybe 18" above some of the rooms in the fort.

afaik the last time it was used was immediately following WW2. Where it was used to house German POWs. The guns were long gone by then. After that, the Army (I think) pushed a bunch of soil up against the inside walls of the batteries. Blocking off the main ways to get into a bunch of it, but still accessible with a little exploration (and some wellingtons, it gets wet in some of those side corridors).

[nycashone]

There's also abandoned bunkers in Queens, NY. Fort Tilden, there are two.

[henryparsons]

So fun finding stuff like this, i remember this from our family trips to my aunts. We always went to cape may to see this and the lighthouse, as well as sunset beach to see the concrete ship

[mellowyellow]

I live in South Jersey. As a child my friends and I used to ride bikes down to Sunset Beach on vacation and explore this thing. It was creepy! There’s also an abandoned World War 1 watch tower right inland. Also you should note that they’ve since repaired the beach around the bunker so that the pilings are no longer visible (you can actually see this in Tom Scott’s video about beach repair), and they’ve sealed the bunker up with concrete to stop people like me from exploring it.

[williamthawley]

you used to be able to stand on top of this, and the view were really nice. in 1972 and 73, the gun emplacements were still there. also where the parking lot is now, used to be the old foundations of the buildings that were there. used to store ammunition for gun emplacements.

[charlesjohnson]

There r spotter towers just up the road that have been restored. U should do a show on the Cape May canal.

[irobot_]

I've been there! Such a cool location to explore and you can get an amazing view from the lighthouse!

[Warblaster]

I love walking by there almost every day. :)

[johntreat]

I live next to an old army hanger from the 20s, loved breaking into it as a kid. Its in miller feild in staten island.

[FixIt]

Ryan, I really appreciate this video. I know I'd asked about this a while ago, like the Tuckerton Wireless. You do a great job with these. I just tuned 49, I've lived in south Jersey almost my whole life. I know plenty of weird and obscure places. Have you done a video on Batsto Village yet? They made munitions for the Revolutionary war, and Joseph Wharton had a mansion there. Wharton State Forest bears his name. Another thing a lot of us especially from Ocean County have had questions about is the Pinewald Hotel in Bayville. Al Capone supposedly had ties to it but I've never been able to find evidence supporting or refuting that claim. There are allegedly underwater tunnels on the property. My dad was born there in 1947 when it was Pinewald Hospital. I love the Jersey history videos!

[mellowyellow]

There’s also an abandoned World War 1 bunker in the woods right by Exit 0 in Cape May if you know where to look, and an abandoned World War 1 watch tower right near this bunker!

[MillerMeteor]

I've known about that bunker since the 80s, and visited 3 years ago. It's pretty cool to see in person.