Things to do
30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Things to do in New Jersey, region by region: sculpture parks, wolf tours, lighthouses, Pine Barrens villages, food halls and river towns worth the drive.
By Tessa Moretti, our virtual host
Researched and edited by the Chefbouyon team
Updated · 14 min read
Quick picks
- For a rainy dayPrinceton University Art MuseumA free museum with a new 146,000-square-foot building that opened in October 2025.Directions
- For animal loversLakota Wolf PreserveGuided tours to see wolves, bobcats, foxes and lynx in the Water Gap hills.Directions
- For history buffsBatsto VillageA 1766 iron and glass village with a mansion, sawmill and a post office that still works.Directions
- For art in the open airGrounds For Sculpture42 acres and more than 300 sculptures, with timed tickets booked ahead.Directions
- For a skyline viewLiberty State ParkA waterfront park that faces the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan.Directions
New Jersey has a reputation it didn't quite earn. People picture the Turnpike. Then they find the Delaware Water Gap, or a Victorian porch in Ocean Grove, or a cranberry bog going red in the Pine Barrens. After that they stop apologizing for the state.
This guide gathers 30 things to do in New Jersey, sorted by region so you can build a day around one corner of the map. It leans cozy: small towns, history you can walk through, gardens, lighthouses, good food markets and a few happily odd things, like a six-story elephant and a mine that glows. Most of these make a calm day trip from New York or Philadelphia. Many also make the anchor for a slow weekend.
Think of it as a starting place. Each section links to deeper guides where we have them, from Princeton to Cape May.
How I picked these
Every pick is open as of fall 2026, confirmed on its own website or an official park or tourism page. I chose a mix of free and ticketed stops, indoor and outdoor, and spread them across the state so no region gets left out. Hours and tour rules change by season, so check each place's link before you go.
North Jersey: skylines, inventors and mountain gardens
The north packs a surprising amount into a short drive: Hudson views, two national historical parks, Japanese food and a botanical garden around a Tudor manor.
Liberty State Park
Known for An urban waterfront state park facing the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline.
200 Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Liberty State Park opened its first section on June 14, 1976, as New Jersey's bicentennial gift to the nation, and it turned 50 in 2026. Its 2-mile Liberty Walk promenade links the picnic area, the interpretive center and the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal. Immigrants who passed through Ellis Island once boarded trains in that terminal. Today it is where you can buy ferry tickets to the islands. The park faces the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, and Caven Point holds the last remaining beach on the Hudson in Hudson County. Some interior areas are being restored into wetland and forest, so expect construction in places.
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Known for The 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic and the mill city built around them.
72 McBride Avenue Extension, Paterson, NJ 07501
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Great Falls of the Passaic drop 77 feet into a rocky chasm, and the city of Paterson grew up around them as what the National Park Service calls America's first planned industrial city. Its mills turned out silk, locomotives, paper and aircraft engines. A new pedestrian bridge over the chasm opened in February 2026, and a self-guided walking tour app tells the mill story. There is no visitor center yet, and the park notes there are no restrooms until new construction is done, so plan around that. Pair it with a walk past nearby Hinchliffe Stadium.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Known for Thomas Edison's laboratory complex and his Glenmont home.
211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ 07052
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
This is where Edison actually worked. The lab complex includes his Main Laboratory, with its library, machine shops and music room, plus a full-scale replica of the Black Maria, his film studio. Up the hill is Glenmont, the house he bought in 1886 as a wedding gift for Mina. Glenmont tours are seasonal and booked on Recreation.gov. Everyone checks in first at the lab's visitor center. Glenmont has many stairs and no elevator. It is a fine rainy-day pick for anyone who likes old tools, old books or the moment an idea turns into a machine.
Mitsuwa Marketplace
Known for A Japanese grocery store with a food court, bakery and shops, open every day of the year.
595 River Rd, Edgewater, NJ 07020
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Mitsuwa is a Japanese grocery and food court on the Hudson in Edgewater. The food hall runs from Santouka ramen and Tendon Hannosuke to Omusubi Gonbei rice balls, Pullman Bakery and Royce' chocolate. There's also a Books Kinokuniya, a Daiso and a gashapon shop for capsule toys, which makes it a good stop for a cold afternoon. It hosts seasonal fairs through the year and takes New Year osechi preorders in late fall. If you're building a Hudson day, pair it with Liberty State Park to the south or a Hoboken evening.
Morristown National Historical Park
Known for Washington's headquarters and the Jockey Hollow encampment from the hard winter of 1779–80.
30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ 07960
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Checked against official sources Nov 2026
George Washington spent the hard winter of 1779–80 here, and the park tells that story in two places. In town, the Ford Mansion served as his headquarters. Its guided tours run Thursday through Monday with free tickets from the museum desk. A few miles south, Jockey Hollow has replica soldier huts, the Wick House and its garden, and wooded trails for walking and birding. The park charges no entrance fee. Make it a full day with lunch and coffee on the Morristown Green; our Morristown coffee shops guide has ideas.
New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands
Known for A 96-acre state botanical garden around a Tudor manor in the Ramapo Mountains.
5 Morris Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Skylands is the official State Botanical Garden: 96 acres of plantings around a Tudor manor in the Ramapo Mountains. On weekends and holidays, use the Morris Road entrance; the Skylands Road gate is closed. Clarence McKenzie Lewis built the current mansion after buying the estate in 1922 and spent about 30 years collecting plants there. In 1966 the state bought 1,117 acres as the first purchase under its Green Acres program. Docents lead manor tours one Sunday a month from January to November. Come in spring bloom, or in late fall when the Ramapo hills turn copper.
Sterling Hill Mining Museum
Known for Guided tours of an underground zinc mine, including its fluorescent Rainbow Tunnel.
30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Sterling Hill mine produced zinc until 1986 and reopened as a museum in 1990. Guided tours go underground, through two museums and a drilling-and-blasting demonstration, and end in the fluorescent Rainbow Tunnel, where the rock glows under ultraviolet light. Kids can try sluicing, and the Mine Run Dump allows mineral collecting. From September 2026 to June 2027, mine tours run on weekends only, while the gift shop and collecting stay open daily.
The Delaware River and Skylands: wolves, the Water Gap and canal towns
The western edge of the state follows the Delaware, from the mountain gap in the north to the quiet canal towns of Hunterdon and Mercer. For a full guide to the most popular river town, see things to do in Lambertville.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Known for Forty miles of the free-flowing Delaware River and the gap it cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge.
Kittatinny Point, Columbia, NJ 07832
Also in Best States to Visit
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The National Park Service manages about 40 miles of the Delaware here, which it calls the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi, and the gap the river cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge. Mount Tammany's Red Dot Trail is a steep climb of about 1.2 miles one way to an overlook above the gap, and many hikers come down on the Blue Trail. Several New Jersey-side roads and bridges were closed for repairs in 2026, including parts of Old Mine Road, so check the park's conditions page before you go. For more trails, see our New Jersey hikes guide.
Lakota Wolf Preserve
Known for A preserve in the Delaware Water Gap hills caring for wolves, bobcats, foxes and lynx, seen on guided tours.
89 Mount Pleasant Road, Columbia, NJ 07832
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
James Stein and Becky Mace founded this preserve in 1998 in the hills near the Water Gap. It cares for packs of wolves along with bobcats, foxes and lynx. The only way to see the animals is a guided tour; tours run twice a day and must be reserved ahead. The preserve sits on the grounds of Camp Taylor Campground, a separate business that can't take your booking. It also offers photography sessions. This is a memorable pick for kids, and for anyone who has always wanted to hear a wolf pack up close.
Prallsville Mills
Known for A ten-building historic mill complex between the Delaware River and the D&R Canal.
33 Risler St, Stockton, NJ 08559
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Stockton is one of the smallest towns on the river, and Prallsville Mills is its heart: ten historic buildings between the Delaware and the D&R Canal, including a grist mill, a linseed oil mill, a sawmill and a granary. The complex is on the National Register. The Delaware River Mill Society has run it since 1976 and hosts concerts, art shows and antique fairs there. The canal towpath runs right past it, so you can walk or bike along the water toward Frenchtown or Lambertville. Weekends here pair well with the Stockton Inn.
Washington Crossing State Park
Known for The New Jersey landing site of Washington's 1776 Delaware River crossing, with the historic Johnson Ferry House.
Titusville, NJ 08560
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
On Christmas night in 1776, Washington's army crossed the icy Delaware and landed here before marching on Trenton. The state park protects the landing site and the Johnson Ferry House, which offers guided tours and 18th-century gardens. A new museum and visitor center of about 11,500 square feet, with a restored 1921 mural of the crossing, was built to replace the 1976 building. Check the park's page for its opening status before you go. The trails and river views are worth a stop on their own.
Howell Living History Farm
Known for A working Mercer County farm run as it would have been between 1890 and 1910.
70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Mercer County runs this working farm on a calendar set between 1890 and 1910: plowing with horses, planting, harvest and, in cold winters, an ice harvest. Visitors watch farm work up close, talk with the farmers and sometimes help. Admission and parking are free, though the corn maze costs extra. Pets other than service animals aren't allowed, and programs shift with weather and animal needs, so check the calendar. It's a gentle, low-key outing for families.
Central Jersey: art, estates and a very large train set
Central Jersey is where the state's college towns, horse country and old estates meet. If Princeton is your base, our things to do in Princeton and Princeton coffee shops guides go deeper, and our coffee shops in New Brunswick guide covers the Rutgers side of the region.
Princeton University Art Museum
Known for Free-to-all university art museum; new Adjaye Associates building opened October 31, 2025.
Princeton University campus, Princeton, NJ 08544
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Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The museum opened its new building on October 31, 2025. It covers 146,000 square feet, effectively doubling its gallery and teaching space, and was designed by Adjaye Associates. The collection runs to more than 117,000 objects. Admission is free to everyone, and Mosaic, a restaurant on the third floor, has terrace seating when the weather allows. It sits in the middle of the historic campus with entrances on every side, so it's easy to fold into a walk from Nassau Street. The museum also runs Art@Bainbridge at 158 Nassau Street.
Grounds For Sculpture
Known for A 42-acre sculpture park, arboretum and museum with more than 300 works, founded by Seward Johnson.
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Seward Johnson opened Grounds For Sculpture in 1992 on the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Today it spans 42 acres with more than 300 sculptures by about 150 artists, set among gardens and an arboretum. It is open year-round, so you can see it under spring blossom or bare winter branches. Entry is by advance timed ticket only, members included, so book before you drive. It pairs naturally with an afternoon in Princeton.
Duke Farms
Known for Doris Duke's 2,700-acre former estate, now an environmental center with about 20 miles of trails.
1112 Dukes Parkway West, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Doris Duke's former estate is now a 2,700-acre environmental center with about 20 miles of trails for walking and biking. Start at the historic Farm Barn, which holds the orientation center and a café, then make your way to the Orchid Range, the Meditation Garden or the Great Falls. The Eagle Cam streams a bald eagle nest around the clock. A few rules matter here. It is closed Sundays and Mondays, no pets are allowed, and on Saturdays from April to October you need a free parking pass, released each Monday.
Northlandz
Known for A sprawling indoor model railroad that bills itself as the world's largest miniature wonderland.
495 US-202, Flemington, NJ 08822
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Bruce Zaccagnino started building a model railroad in his basement in 1972, and it eventually outgrew the house. Northlandz bills itself as the world's largest miniature wonderland, with miles of track, more than 100 trains, hundreds of bridges and tunnels, and a 2,000-pipe organ. It is wonderfully over the top, and kids tend to love it. Its website lists it as open seven days a week, but it's worth calling before a long drive.
Bell Works
Known for The Eero Saarinen–designed former Bell Labs, reborn with shops, restaurants and a weekly market under a long atrium.
101 Crawfords Corner Rd, Holmdel, NJ 07733
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Eero Saarinen designed this mirrored building, and from 1962 to 2007 it was the research headquarters of Bell Labs, where several Nobel winners worked. Today its quarter-mile atrium holds shops and restaurants, offices, a theater, a Wednesday fresh market and a fitness space on the rooftop deck. The building is on the National Register. It's a fascinating place to walk on a wet day. Private events sometimes close the atrium, so check the calendar.
Delicious Orchards
Known for A family-run country market known for its bakery, pies and apple cider donuts.
320 Route 34 South, Colts Neck, NJ 07722
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
This Colts Neck country market dates its roots to 1911, and the McDonald family has run it for about 50 years. It's known for its bakery, pies and apple cider donuts, along with produce, a Cider Café and a juice bar. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is its busiest day, so plan around it if you dislike crowds. Grab a pie on the way to or from the shore.
The Jersey Shore: lighthouses, boardwalks and barrier islands
The shore runs about 130 miles, and each town has its own personality. Our Jersey Shore towns guide walks it north to south. These are the stops worth a detour even off-season.
Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)
Known for Beaches, Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, first lit in 1764 and the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation.
128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
Also in Jersey Shore Towns, North to South
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Sandy Hook is a thin peninsula of beaches, dunes and history at the top of the shore. Its lighthouse was first lit in 1764 and is the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation. Rangers lead seasonal tours, and you sign up in person at the visitor center on the day. Fort Hancock guarded New York Harbor from 1895 to 1974, and its Officers' Row of 1890s homes still lines the bay. There's also a 64-acre holly forest. Dogs are welcome on the bay beaches year-round, but on the ocean beaches only from September 15 to March 15, to protect nesting plovers.
Asbury Park Boardwalk
Known for A restored boardwalk running between Convention Hall and the Casino, lined with restaurants, shops and music venues.
1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Also in Day Trips from NYC, Jersey Shore Towns, North to South
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
James Bradley founded Asbury Park in 1871, and its boardwalk has come back to life since restoration began in 2007. The walk runs past Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre, both built in the 1920s, and near the Stone Pony, the music club that opened in 1974. Today it's lined with restaurants, shops and the Silverball Retro Arcade, with more than 150 pinball and classic games. Come in the shoulder season for a calmer walk with live music still on the calendar.
Great Auditorium (Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association)
Known for An 1894 wooden auditorium with a historic pipe organ, surrounded by a Victorian summer tent colony.
Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Also in Day Trips from NYC, Jersey Shore Towns, North to South
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Methodist ministers founded Ocean Grove as a camp meeting in 1869, and its 1894 Great Auditorium is still the center of town. This wooden hall on iron trusses holds a Hope-Jones organ, dedicated in 1908, that now has more than 13,000 pipes. About 114 canvas tents ring the auditorium each summer, many held by the same families for generations, each with a small cottage behind it. Guided weekday tours leave from The HUB at 27 Pilgrim Pathway, and you can take a self-guided audio tour anytime. Afterward, wander the gingerbread porches toward the ocean.
Island Beach State Park
Known for Ten miles of nearly untouched barrier island between the ocean and Barnegat Bay.
2401 Central Ave, Seaside Park, NJ 08752
- Dog-friendly
Also in Jersey Shore Towns, North to South
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Island Beach is ten miles of barrier island between the Atlantic and Barnegat Bay, with more than 3,000 acres left nearly as Henry Hudson's crew saw it in 1609. It has the state's largest osprey colony and more than 400 kinds of plants. Guided summer kayak tours explore the Sedge Islands, and horseback riding is allowed from October through April by reservation. On busy summer weekends the park closes to new cars once it fills, so go early. Leashed pets are allowed.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Known for Home of 'Old Barney,' a 172-foot lighthouse with 217 steps commissioned in 1859.
Broadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
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Checked against official sources Nov 2026
"Old Barney" was first lit in 1859 at the north tip of Long Beach Island and relit with a new lens on January 1, 2009. Climbing its 217 steps is a seasonal treat. For those who'd rather stay on the ground, rooftop cameras stream the view to the interpretive center. A short maritime forest trail and a jetty walkway round out the visit, and in winter the jetty is known for eiders and harlequin ducks. For more on the island, see things to do on Long Beach Island.
Lucy the Elephant
Known for A six-story elephant-shaped building from 1881, now a National Historic Landmark you can tour inside.
9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402
Also in Jersey Shore Towns, North to South
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
James V. Lafferty built Lucy in 1881 as the "Elephant Bazaar," one of three elephant buildings he designed. She is the only one still standing. She is six stories tall, was saved and moved in 1970 by local volunteers, and became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The grounds and gift shop are free, and you need the guided tour to go inside. Hours can change without notice, so call or check her website before you drive down.
South Jersey: glass, a battleship and a migratory flyway
South Jersey is farm stands, marshes and old industry, with Philadelphia just across the river. If you love the Victorian shore, Cape May is the crown here; see our Cape May guide. For an easy small-town afternoon, ride PATCO to Haddonfield. Its downtown station sits near the King's Highway shops, and the town is where Hadrosaurus foulkii, one of the first nearly complete dinosaur skeletons ever found, was dug up in 1858.
Battleship New Jersey
Known for An Iowa-class battleship launched in 1942 and billed as the most decorated battleship in American history.
100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ 08103
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Launched on December 7, 1942, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, the USS New Jersey earned 19 battle and campaign stars. The museum calls it the most decorated battleship in American history. It's now a museum ship on the Camden waterfront with guided and self-guided tours. Tours involve steep ladders and backpacks aren't allowed, so pack light. Overnight stays are offered too. A major visitor center project is planned to begin in spring 2027.
WheatonArts and Cultural Center
Known for Home of the Museum of American Glass and working glass, pottery and flameworking studios.
1000 Village Drive, Millville, NJ 08332
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Founded in 1968 as Wheaton Village, WheatonArts is home to the Museum of American Glass, which it describes as the most comprehensive collection of American-made glass, including the world's largest hand-blown glass bottle. Artists give demonstrations in the glass, pottery and flameworking studios, and the Down Jersey Folklife Center shows the region's traditional arts. It closes January through March each year, so this is a spring-to-fall stop.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Known for More than 48,000 acres of coastal marsh on the Atlantic Flyway, with an 8-mile Wildlife Drive.
800 Great Creek Road, Oceanville, NJ 08231
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Forsythe protects more than 48,000 acres, most of it salt marsh, on one of the busiest stretches of the Atlantic Flyway. The 8-mile Wildlife Drive is a slow, self-guided drive with observation towers at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove. Spring and fall migration are the classic seasons. Bring binoculars and a thermos, and check the refuge's updates for seasonal closures.
The Pinelands: cranberry bogs and ghost villages
The Pine Barrens cover more than a million acres of sandy forest and tea-colored rivers in the middle of the most crowded state in the country. These three historic villages are the gentlest way in.
Batsto Village
Known for A 1766 iron and glassmaking village in Wharton State Forest, with a mansion, sawmill and working post office.
31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Charles Read founded Batsto in 1766. Its iron works supplied cannons and cannonballs to the Continental Army, and later the village switched to making window glass. Today you can see an 1852 post office that still operates, a water-powered sawmill from 1882 and a 36-room mansion, which you can tour Wednesday through Sunday with tickets from the visitor center. It sits in Wharton State Forest, so you can follow the village with a walk on the trails. Pets aren't allowed inside the buildings.
Whitesbog Village
Known for A historic cranberry village that calls itself the birthplace of the cultivated blueberry.
120 W Whites Bog Road, Browns Mills, NJ 08015
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Whitesbog was New Jersey's largest cranberry farm in the early 1900s and calls itself the birthplace of the cultivated blueberry. Elizabeth Coleman White began working there in 1893, and her home, Suningive, still stands. The village sits inside Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. Its summer Blueberry Festival and fall cranberry tours are the big events. At the festival, entry closes when the lots fill.
Double Trouble State Park
Known for A Pine Barrens park built around a historic cranberry and lumber village on tea-colored Cedar Creek.
581 Pinewald Keswick Road, Bayville, NJ 08721
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Double Trouble is a Pine Barrens "ghost town" inside more than 8,000 acres of forest. Its historic district has a restored sawmill and a cranberry packing house, which guided village tours use, and more than 8 miles of blazed trails. Cedar Creek runs tea-colored from the tannins in the cedars. Leashed pets are welcome, but there are no picnic tables and no swimming. Paddlers should check the park's notes on storm debris on the Cedar Creek Water Trail.
When to go
Fall is the sweet spot for most of this list. Think foliage in the Skylands and along the Delaware, cranberry season in the Pinelands, and quiet shore towns with the summer crowds gone. Spring brings the gardens at Skylands and Duke Farms into bloom and migrating birds to Forsythe. In summer, start shore trips early, since Island Beach and Sandy Hook can fill up. Winter is for museums, Edison's lab, the battleship and coast walks, plus Christmas lights and Christmas markets around the state.
Getting around
A car makes most of this easy. NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line reaches Asbury Park and other shore towns, PATCO runs from Philadelphia to Haddonfield, and Princeton is a short ride on the Dinky from Princeton Junction. For two-day plans with inns, see our New Jersey weekend getaways guide, and for something slower and sweeter, our romantic getaways.
Every place in this guide, on the map
- Liberty State Park200 Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305
- Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park72 McBride Avenue Extension, Paterson, NJ 07501
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ 07052
- Mitsuwa Marketplace595 River Rd, Edgewater, NJ 07020
- Morristown National Historical Park30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ 07960
- New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands5 Morris Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456
- Sterling Hill Mining Museum30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaKittatinny Point, Columbia, NJ 07832
- Lakota Wolf Preserve89 Mount Pleasant Road, Columbia, NJ 07832
- Prallsville Mills33 Risler St, Stockton, NJ 08559
- Washington Crossing State ParkTitusville, NJ 08560
- Howell Living History Farm70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530
- Princeton University Art MuseumPrinceton University campus, Princeton, NJ 08544
- Grounds For Sculpture80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
- Duke Farms1112 Dukes Parkway West, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
- Northlandz495 US-202, Flemington, NJ 08822
- Bell Works101 Crawfords Corner Rd, Holmdel, NJ 07733
- Delicious Orchards320 Route 34 South, Colts Neck, NJ 07722
- Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
- Asbury Park Boardwalk1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
- Great Auditorium (Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association)Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
- Island Beach State Park2401 Central Ave, Seaside Park, NJ 08752
- Barnegat Lighthouse State ParkBroadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
- Lucy the Elephant9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402
- Battleship New Jersey100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ 08103
- WheatonArts and Cultural Center1000 Village Drive, Millville, NJ 08332
- Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge800 Great Creek Road, Oceanville, NJ 08231
- Batsto Village31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037
- Whitesbog Village120 W Whites Bog Road, Browns Mills, NJ 08015
- Double Trouble State Park581 Pinewald Keswick Road, Bayville, NJ 08721
Questions people ask
What is New Jersey best known for as a destination?
Most people think of the Jersey Shore first: 130 miles of beach towns, boardwalks and lighthouses. But the state also has the Delaware Water Gap, the Pine Barrens, Revolutionary War sites like Morristown and Washington Crossing, Thomas Edison's laboratory, and small river towns like Lambertville and Frenchtown. It's easy to pair a city morning with a forest afternoon.
What are some free things to do in New Jersey?
Plenty of the best picks cost nothing to enter. The Princeton University Art Museum is free to everyone, Morristown National Historical Park charges no entrance fee, and Howell Living History Farm has free admission and parking. The grounds at Lucy the Elephant are free to wander (the inside tour is paid). Most town strolls, from Ocean Grove to Haddonfield, are free too.
What is there to do in New Jersey in the winter?
Winter is good for indoor history and quiet coast walks. Try Thomas Edison's lab in West Orange, the new Princeton art museum, Battleship New Jersey in Camden, or the Sterling Hill mine tour (weekends only through June 2027). Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is known for winter waterfowl such as eiders and harlequin ducks. Note that WheatonArts closes January through March.
What is a unique thing to do in New Jersey?
For something you won't find in most states, take a guided tour at the Lakota Wolf Preserve near the Delaware Water Gap, climb inside Lucy the Elephant, a six-story building from 1881, or walk the fluorescent Rainbow Tunnel at Sterling Hill Mining Museum. Whitesbog Village, where the cultivated blueberry got its start, is another one-of-a-kind stop.
Is New Jersey good for a weekend trip?
Very. Distances are short, so you can base yourself in one town and still reach a lot. Cape May, Lambertville, Princeton, Ocean Grove and Spring Lake all have historic inns and walkable centers. Our weekend getaways guide has two-day plans for a dozen towns, with an inn suggestion for each.
Spot something out of date, or know a place we should add? Tell us. Corrections are read first.
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