At the southern end of the boardwalk, this small museum occupies the 1891 Life-Saving Station that once housed the crews who launched surfboats into winter storms to rescue shipwrecked sailors. It traces Ocean City's history from a fishing village and the dangerous days of the U.S. Life-Saving Service through the development of the resort town.
The exhibits include old rescue equipment — surfboats, breeches buoys, the Lyle gun used to shoot a line to stranded vessels — along with photographs and artifacts from the town's early decades. Admission is modest and the museum is compact enough to be done in an hour. It's particularly good for children old enough to appreciate the drama of the rescue stories.