The New Jersey State Museum was a pleasant surprise. First of all, I had no idea we had a State…read moreMuseum. I only happen to find out, because I had tickets to an event in the State Museum Auditorium. The museum is free and on weekends parking is easy in the free adjacent lot. There is also a Planetarium, which has a $10 admission. The museum is housed on three floors with exhibits illustrating some of New Jersey's history. There is a section with artwork, some Native American history, a natural history area with dinosaurs, history of Trenton, and much more.

Took the Riverline up from Camden on a Tuesday morning in April to visit for the first time…read more Brought my girlfriend and ten-year-old son with me. We stayed for about two hours and all enjoyed our time. Can't beat the price: completely free. Three floors with a hodge podge of New Jersey-related exhibits, including information about indigenous peoples, natural history such as dinosaurs and other fossils, fine art through the centuries, a planetarium, and a room with the simple theme of big items like a pair of phonographs and a wooden sculpture of Abraham Lincoln who once addressed the assembly at the State House Next door. It truly is an eclectic collection. All well labeled and informational. Not a bad place to kill a few hours and force my son to learn about his home state.

The food was amazing. I had the pasta special, which was a creamy pesto pasta with chicken, and it…read moredefinitely did not disappoint.

The Old Barracks was built in 1758 to house British soldiers during the French and Indian…read moreWar--picture redcoats grumbling about colonial weather and terrible coffee. Later it became one of Washington's military hospitals during the Revolution, and parts of it are still original. They're doing some renovations now, but any history buff will find this place fascinating. Inside you've got galleries, a gift shop, meeting spaces, and staff who are genuinely passionate about keeping history alive. Go, learn something, enjoy the energy of the fun tour guides. It's under construction right now, but I've been coming here for years when I visit family in Jersey, and it's always worth the stop. Trenton may be scrappy, but the Old Barracks is one of its gems.

This museum is a treasure in Mercer County. Nestled in the middle of beautiful Cadwalader Park,…read morethe musuem has beautiful exhibits and a fantastic gift shop. A great afternoon out for the family or when you just need a little quiet time for yourself. Enjoy the musuem. Museum entrance is still free of charge.

Can you tell which are statues?…read more Years ago I went to Grounds For Sculpture, a 42 acre outdoor and indoor art exhibit with gorgeous gardens and every type of art you can learn and imagine. My boys were too young to appreciate it back then. This time we did it differently. Prior to going, we did a lesson on different types of art. We created slides to help teach us different types of art. I have included the slides so you can share these to your kids as an art lesson. While we were at the Grounds For Sculpture, I have to tell you... the way the Realism Art, Pop Art, and Abstract Impression Art Blended with its natural surroundings, my eyes began to play tricks on me! For a split second, regular people sitting on a bench looked like statues too! It's very well done! This place creates a dream like state. Go to the Meadow section first! It's a lot of walking so don't go on a hot day. #groundsforsculpture #nj #art

This may sound overly exuberant, but I love this place!…read more Founded in 1992 by J. Seward Johnson (a Johnson & Johnson heir) his goal was to build a contemporary sculpture garden for the public to enjoy. The property was initially the site of the Jersey fairgrounds and later the Trenton Speedway. (It's so peaceful and lovely here, it's hard to imagine the raucous noise of racecars.) We signed up for a walking tour -- free with the price of admission -- which runs for about an hour. In addition, friendly docents walking around the grounds stopped to chat offering great information -- even some juicy gossip! Be sure to pull up the app on your phone which we found helpful. The garden is closed Tuesday. One of the sites said admission is timed, but mid-week we were able to simply show up. Note that veterans and seniors pay reduced admission. Parking is free and there's a restaurant/coffee shop in the welcome center that's an inviting place to refuel. The photos I snapped are the garden's realistic representations, but there's a whole host of contemporary sculpture, all very different with their own stories.

Parking was a breeze. It was such a wonderful stroll up to…read morethe front door because of the cherry blossom blooming right out front!! The staff is so welcoming! I was here to see a program where the three artists shared their history and the story behind their pieces. It really was so charming and precious. And I enjoyed seeing their works. There were also some instruments there so when the conversations ended, you could still just look at the art and there was somebody on the piano and there was a gentleman also on the drums and it was so wonderful to be in that space and to enjoy it this way. I look forward to coming back again!! I'm very grateful to the staff for caring for us all & the artist were very fun, inspiring, wonderfully interesting and engaging. It seems that they also found this day very special too. Lots of laughter.

The Ellerslie Museum of the City of Trenton is truly a gem. It is set in the beautiful and bucolic…read moreCadwalder Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame). So when you approach the stately mansion that houses the museum, you get to experience the lovely park as well. Once inside there is so much to see. Upstairs is the permanent exhibit of Trenton pottery. The other exhibits throughout the building vary from mixed media, photography, illustration, paintings, textiles...it is always something interesting. Molly's Museum Store is also chock full of handmade items that make wonderful gifts. The Ellerslie is also host to many different events for example poetry slams, chocolate and wine evenings, concerts, Sunday socials and much more. It is a wonderful spot and a perfect way to spend the day.

In the heart of Abington, and about a hundred yards away from the Roslyn train station, you can…read morefind Briar Bush, a hidden nature preserve tucked away on Edge Hill road. With scenic walking trails, an outdoor classroom, day camps and a small indoor animal habitat, Briar Bush is a great spot for small children, couples on a date, or anyone looking for a brief respite from the urgency of the modern world. With free admission for locals and a small fee for out-of-towners, the preserve is accessible to all patrons provided that they are able to walk down some wooded trails that circle through the admittedly short walking routes. The centerpiece of the trails is a picturesque, secluded pond with benches for sitting and an interactive sign with information on the local fauna and flora. The indoor animal habitat has a small gift shop, pamphlets on upcoming events and information on other parks in the area, and several interesting animals such as a blind possum named Odin, a bearded lizard named Karl, and several other unique turtles and reptiles. All of Briar Bush can be walked through in an hour or so, but the low admission, interactive nature events and scenic walking trails will have you wanting to return again soon.

I take my 2 y. o. granddaughter nearly every week. There are so many wonderful things to explore…read moreand learn from. They have a walking path through the woods with a natural playground and sandbox, a bird house building to watch and interactive displays, a mini zoo inside a house with small animals and activities including a treehouse. They also have weekly activities and seasonal events for elementary school kids. My granddaughter calls Briar Bush "The Animal House" and loves to put a donation in the collection box before we leave.

I checked hours on website, called and the site had same hours, but when I arrived they were not…read moreopen and neither phone nor socials listed anytime different. It's frustrating when a site doesn't do any minimum to answer their phone nor update website or socials. There are so many easy ways to be helpful, but alas I was not able to visit and would be unable to return if unsure if/when they are open.

I can't believe I have lived in Trenton NJ for 15 years and never visited this little gem!…read moreI came in early December for their fantastic holiday greens sale. The place was popping! I nabbed some cool and unique gifts and beautiful fresh wreaths. We came back later in December for the annual Hogmanay celebration. Complete with bonfire, lectures and tour of the Trent House. We will definitely be back in the spring when the authentic 1700s gardens start to bloom. Especially the heritage apple orchard. Apples grown through out the 13 colonies as old as 1600s!!

This place was amazing. Nice size, free, staff are officers and they're friendly. Everything is…read moredisplayed in an organized way and descriptive. They even have a crime scene simulator

When I was a child I went to the New Jersey State Police Museum, and a recent Monday I decided to…read morecheck it out again. The museum is located on the NJ State Police Headquarters campus (base?) so to get to the museum you need to stop at the guard house, show your ID and get a visitor's pass. Then it is just a short ride up the road and a right and you are looking at the parking lot. There is ton of parking (for buses too). Walk directly across the lot and there is the museum. There is no cost for the museum. When I arrived around 11 I was the first visitor of the day, so the Trooper in the museum chatted with me a bit and turned on some of the videos for me. They do require you to sign into their guest book that you came. I spent about 2 hours walking around the museum reading all the exhibits. I didn't watch all the videos and I didn't play with some of the interactive ones. And that was just me alone. If you are a history buff, love NJ or law enforcement, or like the off-the-beaten path places you should check this place out. There are two parts of the museum there is the new part which has most of the exhibits. But the older museum is a replicate of the log cabins that were used by the NJSP for many years. I believe they do lectures in there for groups, but they also have a number of vehicles that have been used over the years. I did spend a lot of time reading about the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and paying my respects at the memorial garden right outside the museum. While there is no gift shop inside the museum, in the parking lot there is a trailer with a shop in it. There was a LOT of NJSP sweatshirts, t-shirts, and other apparel. They accept credit card. Proceeds go to the Former Troopers Family Foundation.