At 7pm on a weeknight, the museum was closed but I still had the opportunity to enjoy the outside…read moreand appreciate it for what was written on the historical marker posted in front. "Dutch Colonial farmhouse built in the early 1700's. Both carved date of 1747 found on an old barn beam and the rubble stone construction of the house place it in this early period. Minutes of the East New Jersey Board of Proprietors and existing public records lead to the belief [that the] house was built by a Westervelt, early owners of the land (a part of the much disputed Ramapough tract). According to recently discovered records, the house served as a tavern during the 18th century. Thus came the persistent legend that Aaron Burr stopped here for liquid refreshment en route to the Hermirage. This house is on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places." I'd love to stop by when it's open. [Review 11521 overall, 1301 of 2019.]

A bit of a local treasure, this 1700's farm house was saved from demolition in the 1950's and…read moreturned into a local museum full of antiques. The main floor is furnished with period furniture, the upstairs houses a children's museum full of toys (temporarily closed) as well as a library. They stage events like cider making and St. Nick's Day in December, it's worth stopping by one of the open houses.

5/15/26 (Update) Laurelwood Arboretum is even more beautiful than ever…read more The Sensory Garden has been added. A definite "must see and feel" garden! Beautiful fuchsia colored Rhododendron grow throughout the gardens. Have noticed that there's a lot of fencing around the newer flora and plants. Most likely to keep the deer away from the plants. Many new benches have been added throughout the Arboretum. They're beautifully crafted from trees. Inside the welcome center there was nature photography on sale. Best to wear comfortable shoes. The walking area is somewhat hilly. The Arboretum is free. Donations are always welcome. The Arboretum does have two parking areas.

Great arboretum, it's has beautiful pathways, plants, animals, and just a nice patch of nature in…read moreJersey. I've taken photos here several times and have been to numerous galleries, and even participated in some community events, and everyone is always kind and the staff are great. The only issue is that parking is extremely limited, which makes sense 9 out of 10 times because not that many people come here at once, but whenever there's an event, you have to park outside of the parking lot on the side of the road.

Coming to Mountsier Garden, again, was a pleasure. I'll always appreciate the owners opening up…read moretheir property, so many can experience the beauty, elegance, charm, and peacefulness of their creation. During this visit, we were able to enjoy the foliage of early Spring, combined with the many statues, tasteful decorations, lavish landscapes, and mesmerizing water features. I will, most definitely, return for a few of the other three days that the garden will be open and hope that everyone will make time for the wonders of Mountsier Garden.

This is a nice little conservatory but there isn't much going on or much to do. You can park right…read moreby the entrance to the trail. The trail is nice but it's not enough if you're trying to get some exercise. They have a few plaques to help you identify some of the trees. There's a stream, a pavilion and a fenced in area for preservation.

idyllic little spot in the midst of suburbia for quiet contemplation or perhaps when flowers are in…read morebloom some beauty shot photos / wedding pictures / etc. there is a rose garden, a couple short trails through some woods with labeled trees, and a small pond.

A relic from old upper saddle river, this little gem has plenty going on during the year. Some of…read moreour favorite events are Santa in the Barn when our kids were little. It's an unbeatable photo op with a vintage sleigh, a real looking Santa, staged inside of a beautiful kept barn. They also have a bake sale along with demonstrations on spinning wool, and cooking in their outside kitchen. This has been a part of our family tradition, so fortunate to have this in our community!

We went here for Mother's Day, so it was exceptionally crowded as expected. It is a lovely smaller…read moresized garden. There aren't many walking trails available, but nice flowers, trees, and open areas to roam around for a bit. It's a nice spot to go and enjoy some outdoor time. It isn't someplace that you could really get some farther walking in. But nice mini escape.

10/2/25 (Update): Van Vleck House & Gardens is a hidden gem!…read more It's like a beautiful mini get away. Even at this time of the year, you'll see beautiful flowers, plants and trees! Benches are throughout the gardens. Admission is free. Donations are always welcome. A visitors center is available along with restrooms.

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.

Little Dutch brown stone house containing a museum about history of Fair Lawn, built in 1815…read more Interior open on occasional Sunday afternoons and a couple other days a year (see photo) Right next to Fair Lawn's Radburn NJ Transit railway station.. walking distance from downtown Fair Lawn.?