Historic Places To Visit In New Jersey
Looking for a few fun family day trips in New Jersey? Check out these Historic Places To Visit In New Jersey
Having lived in Jersey my whole life, I often overlook all the history that has happened here over the years. Being a farmer’s wife and working in our family business doesn’t leave much time for traveling, so I have been looking at destinations close by home. There is so much I can experience here in Jersey, and I wanted to make sure you knew about these Historic Places To Visit In New Jersey, too!
1719 William Trent House Museum
15 Market St.
Trenton, NJ 08611
(609) 989-3027
1719 William Trent House Museum is a working homestead and museum was first built in 1719 by William Trent. If his name sounds familiar, that would be because Trenton, NJ is named after him. The brick home on the property has been home to at least two of New Jersey’s Governors. The gardens and grounds have been restored to their original 1800’s charm, and are worth a tour any time you are in the area!
Updike Farmstead
354 Quaker Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-921-6748
Updike Farmstead, owned by the Historical Society of Princeton, traces its roots back to 1696, when it was part of a 1200 acre parcel. The farmstead is part of the route Continental Soldiers took to get to Princeton Battlefield. The main building houses a museum with rotating exhibits. The one I am really excited about is the Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery – which stays year-round. Enjoy a tour of this historic, six-acre property outside along the farmstead history trail, or head inside the museum to see more of Princeton’s history soon!
Historic Cold Spring Village
720 US 9
Cape May, NJ 08204
609-898-2300
Historic Cold Spring Village – With over 30 acres and 27 different buildings, this open-air village is meant to give visitors a glimpse of southern Jersey at the turn of the 19th century. There truly seems to be something for everyone here with a village, brewery, restaurant, ice cream shop, and miniatures collection to name a few. If southern Jersey history is what you’re looking for, this living history village has you covered!
Battleship New Jersey
62 Battleship Place,
Camden, NJ 08103
(856) 966-1652
The USS New Jersey is America’s most decorated battleship. Commonly referred to as the “Big J”, the Battleship New Jersey was used from 1943 for World War II all the way to 1999 when it was commissioned and restored as a museum. Tours occur daily, year-round, rain or shine! For a seriously interesting experience, wait in line for a turn to climb into the gun turret. This is a tour you won’t forget!
Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
609-396-1776
I may have saved the best for last – if you like REALLY COOL historical sites, the Old Barracks Museum is for you! The barracks building at the Old Barrack Museum, which now houses most of the museum artifacts, was originally built in 1758 for the French and Indian War. It is believed to be the only original site left from the Colonial Wars. Having won many tourism and historical awards, this is THE place to go for history in New Jersey. If you visit nowhere else, visit the Old Barracks Museum!
While I know this is not an exhaustive list, these historic locations offer a wonderful opportunity for us here in Jersey. How many other people can say that they live where their country began and won its freedom? My hope for recommending these sites is that you can spend more than just an hour – in fact, you may want to plan a day or more at some of them! I know I will be reacquainting myself with most of these historic tours in New Jersey as soon as possible – let’s just get apple and pumpkin season over with first!