One of Long Island's most iconic beach destinations has reclaimed a piece of its history, as state officials cut the ribbon on the newly restored East Bathhouse at Jones Beach. The unveiling marked the completion of a massive makeover that brings the beloved landmark back to the public after it had sat closed to beachgoers for years.
The East Bathhouse first opened in 1930, part of the grand original vision for Jones Beach that has drawn generations of families to the Long Island shore. The building had been closed since 2009, leaving one of the park's signature structures shuttered and off-limits to the public for well over a decade before this summer's reopening.
Bringing the historic building back was no small undertaking. The restoration carried a price tag of 100 million dollars, a substantial investment aimed at reviving the aging bathhouse while modernizing it for a new era of visitors who flock to Jones Beach throughout the summer season along the state park's stretch of oceanfront.
Along with the restoration of the historic structure, the reopened bathhouse is now ADA accessible, opening it up to far more visitors than before. The site also features a set of new family-friendly amenities, including splash pads, a learn-to-swim pool, and a playground designed to give children a place to cool off and play during a day at the beach.
State officials marked the occasion with a formal ribbon-cutting, counting down together before officially unveiling the renovated Jones Beach East Bathhouse. Officials framed the moment as the return of a place where new memories can be made, telling the crowd that this is where the memories begin for this generation, just as they had for so many people in the past.
For a landmark that had been closed since 2009, the reopening restores a fixture of the Jones Beach experience to families, including a younger generation that had only heard about it or remembered it from years earlier. With the summer season in full swing, the restored bathhouse and its new pool, splash pads, and playground are set to welcome a fresh wave of visitors to the shore.