With careful observation, the Garden State can transform into a realm where fairy tales come to…read morelife. Between the highways, farmlands, and beaches lies a series of historic mansions and modern palaces for guests to explore. Wealthy owners constructed many of NJ's castles during the Gilded Age. The late 19th century was a boom time for industrialists and capitalists, and it became fashionable to showcase one's wealth. Located on Garret Mountain overlooking the City of Paterson, this well-known landmark was once a private residence fashioned after an English castle, where my partner and I returned after undergoing 6 years of significant restoration work. Their website made it easy to book a reservation, ensuring reduced wait times, comfortable capacity management, and a smooth, welcoming visit for everyone. Built in 1892 and originally called Belle Vista, Lambert Castle was the domain of silk moguls Catholina and Isabella Lambert. It was constructed in the Medievel Revival architectural style out of local sandstone and granite. Lambert's fortune rose and fell with the silk industry, and he later auctioned off most of the works to pay his debts. Upon arrival at the visitor center, formerly the carriage house, we were greeted by the staff, where all guided tours begin, lasting 1 1/2 hours. Our guide was Mary Beth. She provided us wonderful information, pointed out small details like the door hinges or artwork, and answered our questions as a group of 19 patrons looked at each room much brighter. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside to preserve the interior for future visitors and make patrons appreciate what they were looking at. Lambert Castle serves as a physical time capsule that reflects the shifting fortunes, societal values, and architectural ambitions of the eras in which it was built and would be great for a visit.

4/10/26 (Update) After many years, I was so excited to see…read morethe reopening of the refurbished Lambert Castle. You can purchase your tickets online or at the new visitors center. The admission tickets are $10. Zak was a wonderful tour guide. He gave us the history of the castle owners. In 1892, the castle was built by Catholina Lambert (the owner of the Paterson Silk Mills for his wife). Please see my original review for the history. We were informed "Not to photograph any of the interior in order to preserve the interior for future visitors". Upon entering the castle, you will be required to put booties on over your shoes. This is in order to preserve the floors. The castle does have 3 levels along with an elevator. In the foyer overhead, you'll see a magnificent colorful rectangle shaped Tiffany light fixture. It extends approximately 2' Wide and 6' in length. The furnishings were very elegant, yet very homey. All the rooms are filled with stunning sculptures and artwork. Some of items were on loan from different places. For example: The beautiful Grandfather clocks really caught my eye. They were on loan from the Ringwood Manor. (The Ringwood Manor is presently being refurbished and will be reopening soon). Hope everyone gets a chance to see this beautifully refurbished castle. Lambert Castle has two levels of parking.

It's an awesome place to see things invented in Paterson! They have a steam engine outside that…read morewas used to build The Panama Canal!

On 7/18/23, we visited the Paterson Museum for the 2nd time…read more This museum is truly a hidden gem filled with so much history. Outside the museum, you'll see a train at least a century old. In addition, some interesting modern sculptures surround the building. Inside the museum, you'll see the history of the Leni Lenape Indians. The museum has a wonderful display of minerals from NJ. Over a century ago, Paterson was known as t "Silk City of the World". You'l see the old loom machines from yesteryear. One very large display case has many of the old "Colt" revolvers manufactured in the city Paterson. The museum has a section dedicated to John P. Holland. Mr. Holland designed and built the first underwater vessel accepted by the U.S. Navy. On a lighter note, you'll see many pictures of Paterson's own beloved comedian, Lou Costello ("Hey Abbott!" ) of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Admission is free. The museum does welcome donations.

Great time spent today at Billy's Midway! $15 pp per hour. Think it's $10/half hour. They take…read morecredit cards. We enjoyed air hockey, pinball and loads of retro video games. I think I did a phenomenal job at Tetris and Dr Mario. We had such a good time and want to make it a Black Friday tradition. As we were leaving my daughter spent $2 on a play to win plushy claw machine. She was able to grab the stuffed grape boba so her day was made. Street parking was ample and easy.

Billy's Midway is a fantastic spot if you wish to relive your childhood…read more This single room arcade is lined with over 50 video games. Please see excerpt below.

Interesting history lesson in the shadows of the Manhattan skyscrapers…read more Excellent presentation by the docent. Both park employees were quite knowledgeable about various topics. The tour covered many different topics of that era. You could see yourself imagining what life was like at that time. Don't miss the portrait painting on the 2nd floor.

Soooo if you happen to live in Northern NJ and happen to have family visiting, and that family…read morehappens to be huuuuge history buffs -- then y'all should probably visit the Dey Mansion, aka George Washington's Headquarters way back in the late 1700's. Full disclosure: it was my mother who looked up the Dey Mansion and requested to go there on a recent-ish visit. It wouldn't have been my first choice of things to do on a sunny Saturday but she's the guest and a total history nerd and it was something to check out. I can't say I didn't enjoy it at least a little bit... while my mom is a history nerd, I'm a design nerd and the house itself, built by the Dey Family, is beauuuuuufitul. The brick, the wide plank wood floors inside, the gorgeous [paint] colors used throughout were just striking on every level. Then the layout and design and function of the house back in the 1700's is so different then how we live in our homes now -- so interesting. The gardens surrounding the property are also so lovely. Here's my one issue with the historical site and tour -- when we inquired we were told it was 'less than an hour for sure' depending on how many people/questions. While the tour guide was nice enough, he was verrrrrrry long winded. There were 6 of us.. and that tour was most definitely longer than an hour. Not sure if that's the case every time but just something to be prepared for should you decide to visit. Cost for the tours was supposed to be $5 but during out visit they had just begun some restorations and certain spaces were closed off... so they didn't insist on guest paying. They still accepted donations though. Parking is also free, fyi. And the mansion is easy to get to from routes 23, 46 and 80.

The Muth Museum is located in the historic district of Paterson, New Jersey adjacent to the Great…read moreFalls. The museum is on the second floor of Hinchliffe Stadium on the southeast corner. It is a National Historic Landmark since 2013.. Admission is free. The museum showcases Negro baseball, Paterson's elite athletes and the history of Hinchliffe Stadium. The stadium opened in 1932 and became the homefield for the the New York Black Yankees. Legendry players who played at Hinchliffe Stadium included Larry Doby (a Paterson High School standout, first Black player to enter the American League (Cleveland Indians, July 5, 1947), Hall of Famers (Josh Gibson, Monte Irwin and Jackie Robinson) also played in Hinchcliffe Stadium. Probably the best shortstop ever the play the game, Honus Wagner (1933) played for the Paterson Silk Sox. Twenty "Hall of Fame players" played at one time or another in Hinchcliffe Stadium. Aside from baseball, Hinchcliffe Stadium was also the home of midget car racing and Paterson High Schools major sporting events. The museum has historic photographs, baseball memorabilia, and many other interesting displays. As a baseball fan, I was very excited to see the museum.

I needed to have our family's art collection appraised and Victoria Shaw was fabulous! She is…read moreextremely knowledgeable and professional. Victoria was able to expedite the appraisal and her responses were always very prompt. I would highly recommend her for your art appraisals and advisory. I will absolutely use her in the future for any of my art needs.

I highly recommend Victoria. She's very knowledgeable, professional and customer service oriented…read more She helped me a great deal navigating the auction process to get top dollar. Very prompt with communication and honest with her advice. Highly recommended!

Absolutely phenomenal! I have never been to a medium before and only had my tarot cards read twice,…read morefor fun, at parties. So, this is not something I do often, but I recently lost someone very close to me and wanted to make sure they were in a better place. Drew communicated with this person so well that I literally felt like I was having a conversation with them, through him. When he relayed the person's answers, it was with the same expressions they used, and the same topics we discussed when they were alive. The level of accuracy was astounding, and the whole experience was very cathartic for me. It was the closure I was seeking, and I couldn't wait to jump on Yelp and recommend him to others!

This guy is a fraud! Despite my friend having had a negative experience during her reading, I was…read morecurious to give him a shot but when I emailed him with questions he got "turned off" and got snippy with me. lol. The other 1 star reviews are very accurate, when a so-called "psychic" doesn't want to be questioned and gets defensive, RED FLAGS ***FRAUD!***. if this guy had a gift, he'd welcome ALL the questions and take it as a challenge! I'm glad he got snippy with me because I saved myself over $500 & time. I dodged a bullet! I'm sure this guy is going to give me a pissy response, but I couldn't care less I rather warn people, Avoid at all costs!

TEP deserves more than 5 stars for the amazing start to finish service we experienced on our 7 day…read moreadventure to Peru to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. From the time we signed up, to the time we boarded the plane to return home, TEP took care of every detail. We commented amongst ourselves that we felt like kids on vacation with our parents, as we didn't have to worry about any of the details - just show up and follow Neptali (our guide). From airport pickup in Cusco in luxury Mercedes vans where we were promptly served Coca tea to help with the altitude acclimation, to group dinners at amazing Peruvian restaurants, to historical tours and education on the history of the Inca - everything was covered and taken care of for us. And that was all before the amazing trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu! Of course the trek itself was the highlight of the trip, and although it was extremely challenging for us, TEP's unbelievable attention to detail did not fail us on the trail. With nearly a 2:1 porter to trekker ration, our every need was met on the trail. We dined like kings every meal, and were consistently amazed with the quality (and nutritional appropriateness) of the food our chef and sous chef were able to put out with minimal kitchen conveniences. The thing I felt was most special about TEP's approach to this trip was the focus on gaining a cultural and historical appreciation for what we were experiencing. Every step along the way, we learned about the native people of Peru, the Inca civilization, the many ruins we came across, the vegetation we saw and how it was and is used, and the history of modern Peru. It was the trip of a lifetime, and have the help of The Explorer's Passage made it so much more enjoyable, and so much more memorable. The value of what they provide is amazing for the cost....rather, for the investment. I highly recommend them!

What a fabulous tour! I did the "Washington in NYC" tour in June 2017 and it was such a wonderful…read moreexperience! So much fascinating historical information that I can't wait to share with all my friends now; such a great group of fellow explorers; and all so perfectly run - well planned, perfectly on time, with a great variety of sights and insights for all types of travelers. I recommend this tour highly - and will be on the lookout for future adventures from The Explorer's Passage! :)

This place really does have an extensive array of rich educational information of the Partition and…read moreits participants, victims, refugees, etc. In my opinion, they have accumulated primary resources to aid in their collection and that is what is most unique about their mission.

One of a kind ! The initiative of documenting the ordeals…read moreof migrating population is a much needed one in the South Asian community. Thank you.