The Jersey Shore Arts Center

Mission

To ensure that the arts flourish within the community by providing a venue for artistic expression as well as opportunities for participation in theater, music, art, dance, and activities for all individual ages.

History

The restoration of the "old" Neptune High School, and its subsequent transformation into the Jersey Shore Arts Center, is a remarkable story that began with the shared vision of Herbert Herbst and some very determined and far-sighted individuals.

The over 111-year-old building, celebrated at the 1906 World's Fair as an " Architectural Splendor, " had fallen into ruin in the 1980s and 1990s after weather and neglect came close to destroying it entirely. In 1997, the Ocean Grove Historic Preservation Society led by Herbert Herbst stepped in, took title to the building and began the quest to not only save the badly damaged historic building, but to realize a dream: turning it into what it is today, a beautiful Historic building and a home for the cultural arts at the New Jersey shore.