Kennedy Plaza sits at the geographic and cultural center of the Atlantic City Boardwalk — a 1929 outdoor amphitheater directly across from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, between Mississippi and Georgia Avenues, with the Atlantic Ocean behind it and a century of American history in front of it. It was built as an architectural complement to Convention Hall (now Boardwalk Hall), renamed in 1964 when the Democratic National Convention — held at the hall just months after President Kennedy’s assassination — honored him with a bronze bust by sculptor Evangelos Frudakis. That bust remains today, bearing the inscription: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
During summer, Kennedy Plaza is the social and entertainment center of the boardwalk — two nights per week of free, CRDA-funded concerts draw locals and visitors to the open-air amphitheater for performances ranging from Grammy-nominated blues headliners to world jazz acts to New Orleans funk. Bring a lawn chair, bring a cooler (use a solo cup for any alcohol), and settle in. After dark, the Boardwalk Hall facade hosts a light show approximately every 20 minutes. It’s one of the most consistently pleasurable free evenings the Jersey Shore offers.
Beyond the concerts, Kennedy Plaza is one of the most historically layered spots on the entire boardwalk — a confluence of JFK memorialization, the Miss America Pageant’s century-long relationship with Atlantic City, and the deeply important story of Chicken Bone Beach, which unfolded on the beach directly behind the plaza during the Jim Crow era.
Free Summer Concerts — Two Series, All Season
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Mardi Gras AC
⏰ WEDNESDAYS · 7pm · Late June–Early September · 11 concerts
Produced by Tony Mart Presents with CRDA funding — the marquee summer concert series at Kennedy Plaza. Headliners and award-winning international artists spanning blues, rock, funk, Americana, jazz, R&B, and New Orleans groove. Past performers include Grammy-nominated artists, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tributes, and legendary soul acts. This is a genuine concert experience, free on the boardwalk. Rain venue: Claridge Hotel or Resorts Casino Hotel. Check visitatlanticcity.com for the current season lineup.
🎷
Chicken Bone Beach Jazz Series
⏰ THURSDAYS · 7pm · Late June–Early September
Named for the historic Chicken Bone Beach — the stretch of boardwalk beach where Black visitors gathered during Atlantic City’s segregation era. The series celebrates Atlantic City’s deep jazz heritage and African American cultural legacy with world-class jazz performers. Past headliners include internationally recognized jazz artists across multiple styles. Free, culturally significant, and rooted in a history that matters. Rain venue: The Claridge Hotel.
💡 Bring a lawn chair — bench seating at the plaza is limited. Coolers welcome. Alcohol must be in a closed cup. Concerts are free and open to all.
🏖️ Chicken Bone Beach — A Civil Rights History You’re Standing On
During the era of segregation, Atlantic City’s beaches were racially divided. Black visitors — including many prominent African American musicians, entertainers, and professionals — were restricted to a stretch of beach between Missouri and Mississippi Avenues, directly behind what is now Kennedy Plaza. The beach became known as “Chicken Bone Beach,” a name derived from the chicken bones that Black beachgoers left behind — chicken being one of the few foods they could bring from home, as many boardwalk restaurants refused them service. Despite the injustice of its origins, Chicken Bone Beach became a vibrant cultural gathering place. Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., and other major African American performers of the era spent time here between their appearances at Atlantic City’s segregated venues. Today, the Chicken Bone Beach Jazz Concert Series at Kennedy Plaza honors this history directly. For World Cup visitors from around the world, it’s one of the most powerful and least-told American civil rights stories sitting right on the boardwalk, named and acknowledged, free to learn about.
Monuments & Landmarks at Kennedy Plaza
🕊️ John F. Kennedy Bust — by Evangelos Frudakis, 1964
Unveiled at the Democratic National Convention of 1964 — held at Boardwalk Hall just months after Kennedy’s assassination. The plaza was formally renamed at that convention. The bronze bust by sculptor Evangelos Frudakis bears the inscription: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” For international visitors who know the Kennedy legacy, this is a genuinely moving stop.
👑 Miss America Crowning Statue — by Brian Hanlon, 2013
A 6,000-pound, 7.5-foot bronze statue by sculptor Brian Hanlon of Toms River, unveiled in 2013 when the Miss America Pageant returned to Atlantic City. Depicts a reigning Miss America holding her crown aloft, ready to crown her successor — the crown suspended at a height that invites visitors to stand beneath it for photographs. Proposed by local radio personality Pinky Kravitz. Miss America pageant contestants still celebrate their arrival in Atlantic City with ceremonies here.
⚒️ Workers’ Monument
A monument honoring the working people of Atlantic City, also located at Kennedy Plaza — one of several memorials that give the plaza its role as the historical anchor of the boardwalk.
✨ Boardwalk Hall Night Light Show: After dark, the Boardwalk Hall facade — one of the most architecturally impressive buildings on the Eastern Seaboard — hosts a projected light show approximately every 20 minutes starting around 9pm. The show plays on the massive exterior wall of the hall, visible from the seating area at Kennedy Plaza. Check before attending as the show is sometimes down for maintenance. When it’s running, it’s one of the most photogenic free spectacles on the AC boardwalk.
📍 World Cup Context: Kennedy Plaza is on the boardwalk itself — there’s no reason not to walk through it. For World Cup visitors, the combination of the free Wednesday or Thursday night concert, the Miss America photo moment, the JFK bust, and the Chicken Bone Beach story makes this a 2-hour boardwalk stop with genuine historical and cultural depth. The concerts run throughout the entire World Cup window (June–July). Check visitatlanticcity.com for the current summer 2026 concert schedule.
💚 Free Admission
🎵 Free Wednesday Concerts — Mardi Gras AC
🎷 Free Thursday Concerts — Chicken Bone Jazz
👑 Miss America Statue
🕊️ JFK Memorial Bust
✨ Night Light Show
🏖️ Chicken Bone Beach History
⛳ Boardwalk Mini Golf
📍 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City
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