The Asbury Park Historical Society has added the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel to its line of holiday ornaments. The new piece, which the society lists as a special edition, is on sale now through the society's online shop for $25 and shows as in stock.

The hotel at 1401 Ocean Avenue joins a series that the society has built one landmark at a time. It is one of two new designs for 2026: the society is also offering a special edition ornament for Asbury Park High School, marking the school's 100 years from 1926 to 2026, at the same $25 price.

A series built around city landmarks

The society's ornaments started with the Carousel House, followed by Convention Hall as the second design and the Stone Pony as the third, according to the society's own product listings. Asbury Lanes and the Wonder Bar have since joined the set. With the Berkeley and the high school, the collection now covers seven buildings that residents pass every week, most of them on or near the oceanfront.

Earlier designs are still listed in the shop at $25 each, so anyone filling in a set can order several at once. Stock varies by design: the Convention Hall ornament has appeared as out of stock on the society's site, so check the individual listing before planning a gift around it. The shop also carries a four-pack of coasters marking the SS Morro Castle, the ocean liner whose wreck is part of the city's waterfront history, also priced at $25.

Why the Berkeley

The Berkeley has long anchored the north end of the Ocean Avenue hotel strip, across from the beach and a short walk from Convention Hall. The hotel describes itself today as one of the Jersey Shore's most recognized landmarks, with a historic lobby and the Palm Court, a ballroom space with chandeliers and a checkered floor that is booked for weddings and events. Inside, the hotel runs Berkeley Backyard, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, and the Shoreline Social Club and Grille.

The hotel and the society already share a connection. The society installed an exhibit in the Berkeley's lobby called More Than a Beach Town: The Commercial Rise of Asbury Park, which looks at the city's business history beyond the boardwalk. Anyone stopping by the hotel can see the society's work on the walls before taking a version of the building home for the tree.

The society's minutes from its March 2026 meeting name the high school and the Berkeley as the 2026 selections, so the choice was settled early in the year, well ahead of the holiday shopping season.

What the society does with the proceeds

The Asbury Park Historical Society's stated mission is to advance the understanding, appreciation, preservation and restoration of anything with historical value to Asbury Park. Its home base is the Stephen Crane House at 508 Fourth Avenue, the boyhood home of the author of The Red Badge of Courage. The house is open for tours on Sundays from noon to 2 p.m., and visits at other times can be arranged by calling 732-359-5355.

The society holds monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month at the Crane House, with the public portion starting at 7 p.m. It also keeps a historic home registry for the city and runs trips, including an annual holiday trip to New York City. Membership sign-ups are open on its website.

How to get one

The Berkeley ornament is sold through the shop on the society's website, aphistoricalsociety.org, under Collectable Memorabilia. The society does not list shipping or pickup details on the product page, so questions about delivery, bulk orders for gifts, or picking an ornament up in person can go to info@aphistoricalsociety.org or 732-359-5355.

If you want to see the building itself, the Berkeley is at 1401 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, in Monmouth County. NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line stops at Asbury Park station on Main Street, under a mile west of the hotel. Drivers can follow the hotel's directions from Garden State Parkway Exit 105 and follow signs to Asbury Park, and the hotel is on the left side of Ocean Avenue as you head north.

Ornament: APHS Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel Holiday Ornament, $25, available now at the Asbury Park Historical Society's online shop. Crane House tours: Sundays, noon to 2 p.m., 508 Fourth Avenue.

Sources