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Bader Field - Atlantic City, NJ




Bader Field



Bader Field is an airport owned by the city of Atlantic City that was closed in 2006. The 142 acre site is surrounded on three sides by water and is considered one of the most valuable pieces of open land on the East Coast. Bader Field is included in the state run Tourism District recently established by NJ law.

Spirit of St. Louis

Charles Lindbergh's airplane
The Spirit of St. Louis at
Bader Field.
Photo from the Alfred M. Heston
Collection, Atlantic City Free
Public Library

Bader Field opened in 1910 and was authorized for passenger service in 1911. Bader Field was also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport. The first attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air was made from Bader Field, by a dirigible. It flew into Atlantic City, landing at Bader Field.

The first known useage of the term "air-port" appeared in a newspaper article in 1919 by Robert Woodhouse in reference to Bader Field.

Charles Lindbergh made his historic flight crossing the Atlantic on May 20, 1927. Three months later he made a three month tour covering all 48 states of the union. He stopped in NJ at Bader Field. While in Atlantic City Lindbergh stayed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Every U.S. President from Theodore Roosevelt through Gerald Ford flew into Atlantic City, landing at Bader Field.

Bader Field was the founding location of the Civil air Patrol in 1941.



You can find Bader Field using this map.

Click on image to enlarge.

Atlantic City Map

Bader Field From Space

Bader Field

Image by Google Earth.


Cessna Citation Jet Crash at Bader Field


In 2005, a Cessna Citation Jet overran the runway on landing, ending up in the adjoining Intracoastal Waterway. This accident location is marked on the above photo. Bader Field was an active airport up through the 1980's, however because it is surrounded by water on three sides it was not considered feasible to lengthen the runways to accommodate jet aircraft. By the 1990's activity at Bader Field declined significantly in favor of the Atlantic City International Airport, as that airport had longer runways. Bader Field was closed in 2006.




Dave Matthews Band Caravan


In June, of 2011, Bader Field was the site of a Dave Matthew Band Caravan concert. This was a three day event covering the 24th, 25th and 26th of June. The event included numerous additional bands and performers. Around 25,000 visitors attended each day. See photo below.


Dave Matthew's Band Concert at Bader Field

Dave Matthew's Band Caravan at Bader Field, Atlantic City.
Photo by Atlantic City Press.



2012 Music Festivals


Phish at Bader Field

Phish at Bader Field.

Two multi-day music festivals took place at Bader field in 2012. The dates for these festivals were June 15-17 and June 23-24. Headline performers were Phish and Metallica. There was to be a third music festival in the fall, however this was cancelled.

Phish was the host and headline act in the June 15-17 concerts. Phish is led by vocalist and guitarist Trey Anastasio.


The June 23-24 Music Festival was called The Orion Music + More festival and it was hosted and headlined by Metallica.

Besides Metallica, there were numerous additional acts including: Artic Monkeys, A Place to Buy, Avenged Sevenfold, Best Coast, Cage The Elephant, F---Up, Hot Sauces, Gary Clark Jr., Liturgy, Lucero, Modest Mouse, Roky Ericson, The Black Angels, The Gaslight Anthem, The Sword, Titus Andronicus and Strangers.


Metallicac at Bader Field

Metallica + Orion music festival at Bader Field.