International Lifeguard Museum Taking Shape at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall

ATLANTIC CITY — A planned International Lifeguard Museum at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is moving closer to reality, with organizers envisioning an immersive attraction that will celebrate lifeguard history while making water safety and education a central part of its mission.

Retired physician Dr. Rusty Silverman, a founding board member of the International Lifeguard Museum, discussed plans for the project during an interview on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND, ahead of an inaugural benefit celebration scheduled for Aug. 19 at Boardwalk Hall.

Silverman said approximately 4,000 square feet on the first floor of Boardwalk Hall, directly behind the elevators, has been identified for the museum.

"We are going to be building it in phases," Silverman said. "The original project was meant to be $4 million."

Silverman said the first phase is expected to represent roughly one-third of the overall project and will establish what he considers the most important elements of the museum.

More Than a Traditional Museum

Rather than simply displaying photographs, artifacts and memorabilia behind glass, Silverman said organizers envision an immersive audiovisual experience that places visitors inside the world of lifeguarding.

He said inspiration for the concept came partly from the popular Beyond Van Gogh immersive art exhibition, which uses large-scale projections across walls, floors and other surfaces.

"It is really going to be an audiovisual experience," Silverman said. "When you walk into this museum, you're going to be actually able to put your own footprints in the sand and the water."

Silverman said he's eager to see that vision become reality.

"I can't wait to see that as a finality," he said. "I think it's going to be just very special."

The exhibits are also expected to tell the stories of the people and traditions that have made lifeguarding an important part of South Jersey Shore culture.

Silverman has spent decades documenting that culture himself.

His introduction to lifeguarding came while he was still in medical school, when he worked as what was then known as a "beach doctor" at States Avenue in Atlantic City.

Silverman said the job allowed him to watch the beach and ocean and see firsthand the work lifeguards performed.

"I was able to watch the currents, I was able to see the lifesaving that these excellent athletes and first responders and lifesavers really did," Silverman said. "And they were always heroes to me, even as a child."

That experience helped launch a passion for photographing lifeguards, their competitions and traditions that Silverman said has lasted approximately 45 years.

Jim Whelan's Words Could Become Part of Museum

Silverman eventually produced a book, Lifeguard Art, combining his photography with written contributions from people closely connected to lifeguarding.

Among them was the late Jim Whelan, the former Atlantic City mayor and state senator for whom Boardwalk Hall is now named.

Silverman said Whelan, himself a champion swimmer and longtime lifeguard, contributed writing about the lifeguard swim race.

Other contributors wrote about subjects including the Van Duyne lifeguard boat family and the fraternity that exists among lifeguards.

Silverman said he can envision some of those writings becoming part of the museum experience, potentially displayed in illuminated exhibits similar to those he saw at Beyond Van Gogh.

Having the museum inside the building bearing Whelan's name would provide another connection between the project and Atlantic City's lifeguarding history.

Water Safety at Center of Mission

Preserving history, however, is only part of what organizers hope to accomplish.

Silverman said water safety education has been a central mission of the museum since its inception, with board members setting an ambitious goal involving young people and swimming.

"From the very, very beginning, the original mission was safety," Silverman said. "Everybody on the board agreed that we would make it our mission to make sure that every school kid was able to swim by the time that they graduated."

Silverman also emphasized the training required of beach patrol members and the lifesaving role they perform.

He said he regularly sees lifeguards practicing on the beach — running, swimming, working with rescue boards and training in lifeguard boats.

"They are prepared," Silverman said. "Once they get into competition, it's a different level of athleticism and being prepared. And when there is trouble, they are the best people that can respond to it."

"They save lives every single day."

National Lifeguard Organization Backs Project

The museum has also picked up support beyond South Jersey.

Silverman said the United States Lifesaving Association recently endorsed the International Lifeguard Museum project.

"We have just gotten a major endorsement," Silverman said. "Everybody is aware of this International Lifeguard Museum. They are willing to help. They are all on board with our project."

Silverman recently attended the organization's national competition in Fort Lauderdale, where he said more than 1,100 athletes competed. He photographed approximately 6,000 images during the event, continuing the work that has documented much of his lifelong connection to lifeguarding.

Aug. 19 Benefit Will Give Public First Look

The next major step comes Wednesday, Aug. 19, when the International Lifeguard Museum holds its inaugural benefit celebration at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

The event is scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Silverman described it as both a fundraiser and an opportunity to introduce the public to what organizers are trying to create.

"Basically, it's going to be a party," Silverman said. "It's going to be an opportunity to make people aware of what the possibilities are going to be."

The evening is expected to include videos, speakers, retired lifeguards, local dignitaries, food and refreshments. Attendees will also have an opportunity to see the area of Boardwalk Hall where the museum is planned.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 for first responders, with sponsorship opportunities also available.

For Silverman, the museum represents an opportunity to preserve a culture he first encountered as a young medical student on the Atlantic City beach — while teaching future generations about the men and women responsible for keeping millions of Shore visitors safe.

And after more than four decades photographing and documenting lifeguards, he's ready to see those stories find a permanent home.