I decided to drag my girlfriend and ten-year-old son to Trenton for the day to investigate New…read moreJersey history and culture. After visiting the State Museum right next door, we wandered over to the capitol building. I had called the day before to make a reservation for a tour at 2pm. They had just changed over to a brand new system of entry and everyone in the building seemed to be confused about where to send us. Entered through the annex, asked if we were in the right spot, were told yes and sent through security. We spent the next twenty minutes being shuttled around the building from one perplexed security guard to another, each one insisting we had come in the wrong door. Finally made it to the tour welcome center where we waited with a few others. Our tour guide was Pam and was excellent. Very apologetic for the odyssey we'd been through, and very friendly and knowledgeable. We got to see both the general assembly and the senate rooms, as well as the governor's inner office (though not his actual personal office). Photos were not allowed in this area and we were accompanied by a NJ State Trooper from the governor's protection detail. The whole thing was free, and we really enjoyed learning about the history of our state's capital. Would definitely recommend to others who enjoy history and politics.

I don't know why there are two listings for the state house/Capitol but here is my review…read more "Trent Town" New Jersey! Yeah!! "Trent town"was recognized as the state capital in 1790. Quakers first founded the settlement in the region that later became Trenton in 1679. The Quaker settlement adopted the title "Trent-towne" by 1719 in honor of William Trent who was among its leading landholders. "The Battle of Trenton" took place in the city of "Trent town" where George Washington achieved his first military victory in the course of the American Revolutionary War. In December of 1784, the Confederation congress briefly convened in Trenton. Most famously, Trenton's Capitol briefly acted as the capital of the US. Yep. It was the capital of the United States of America from November 1 to December 24, 1784 Just for that one reason alone it's worth a visit. A lot of great American history took place in this old capitol building. And it is old, it's the 6th oldest in the US. I used to live in New Jersey. I loved living in Jersey. I traveled all over Jersey, Jersey is amazing! Amazing Italian food and awesome diners. Kinda industrial but urban also. A lively lovely little mini metropolis. The US Census Bureau groups Trenton's large, central Jersey, metropolitan area with that of New York while it also borders the large Philly Metropolitan area. Today, Trenton is a super manufacturing hub/industrial area, with a bunch of bridges that cross the Delaware river. It has its own unique beauty. I loved it there. A lot of American History/Historical significance in this Capitol as "Trent town" is among the seven state capitals situated in the Piedmont Plateau. Making the Capitol building in Trenton New Jersey, def one of the 7 you want to see. Recommend.

Wonderful site educating and celebrating NJ history. Handicap friendly. Tour guide was…read moreincredible 5/31 @ 1300. I don't recall his name but he was awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating to those with special needs. I will definitely visit again to learn more.

Atsion Village and Mansion is one of the best kept secrets in South Jersey. The mansion itself is…read morevery well preserved, and you can take tours of it on the weekend in the summer. Many people do not know about the furnace/iron industry in South Jersey that thrived in the early 19th Century, and you can come here to learn all about it. Our tour guide was 80 years old and lived in the area her whole life. She knew EVERYTHING about the history of Atsion, and we both loved listening to her talk. The park service officer who greeted us in the historic general store also filled us in about the history of the village. The cemetery and church are really cool, too. You can combine your visit with lying on the beach on the lake, too.

Another hidden garden in a part of the city with a bunch of cute gardens. It's enclosed with a…read morewell-maintained patch of grass, some (uncomfortable) metal benches, and a fountain in one corner. It's quiet, cozy, serene, and I love coming here with the dog for a quick time-out when I work from home. The few downsides are that it only has one entrance, and it locks up at night. :(

Beautiful nature area. Not sure what else i can say about this landmark bridge…read more Definitely worth taking notice if you're in the area.

First time coming here, just looking for a place to come by and take in a great view. There's…read moreplenty of recreational things for kids to do like play at the park or family fun like going fishing by the lake. Well maintained place that's great for a little walk or to check out events.

Fort Mifflin or originally Fort Island Battery or Mud Island Fort was commissioned in 1771 but did…read morenot actually get completed until 1775(6). The fort eventually was named for General Thomas Mifflin, who later became governor of Pennsylvania and was known for standing up against Virginia slave catchers even though he was quite squirrly while Governor. From the website: "The Americans had secured a British built fortification, sitting on Mud Island, just below the city and across the river from New Jersey's Fort Mercer in 1775. By the fall of 1777 approximately 200 men were garrisoned at this fort, now known as Fort Mifflin, charged with the duty of holding the British off "to the last extremity" so that Washington and his exhausted army could successfully move into winter quarters. It was here, on the frozen, marshy ground within the walls of a stone and wood fort, the American Revolution produced a shining moment. Cold, ill and starving, the young garrison of (now) 400 men at Fort Mifflin refused to give up. The valiant efforts of the men at Fort Mifflin held the mighty British Navy at bay providing Washington and his troops time to arrive safely at Valley Forge where they shaped a strong and confident army. This battle escalated into the greatest bombardment of the American Revolution and one that many say changed the course of American history. For nearly six weeks in the fall of 1777, American troops in Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer frustrated British naval attempts to re-supply their occupying forces in Philadelphia. Early in the morning on November 10, 1777, the British took definitive action to reach Philadelphia via the Delaware. Daybreak brought a rain of cannon fire upon Fort Mifflin beginning the largest bombardment of the Revolutionary War. Under the direction of French Major Francois de Fleury, an engineer and tireless worker, the Americans worked each night to repair the damage of the day. On November 15th, finally clear after days of rain and high tides, the British sailed the Vigilant and the Fury, with nineteen cannon up the back channel to the west of Fort Mifflin. In the main channel of the Delaware three ships armed with 158 cannon anchored directly offshore of the fort, while to the east three additional ships armed with 51 cannon completed the naval assault. Against this show of force, Fort Mifflin could respond with only ten cannon. It was reported that during one hour, 1000 cannon balls were fired at the fort. As the battle progressed, British Marines climbed to the crow's nest of the Vigilant and threw hand grenades at the soldiers in the fort. Exhausted, cold and out of ammunition, Major Simeon Thayer evacuated Fort Mifflin's garrison to Fort Mercer with muffled oars after nightfall on November 15. Forty men remained at the fort and set fire to what was left before making their way across the Delaware to join their comrades. They crossed to New Jersey around midnight leaving Fort Mifflin ablaze, but the flag still flying." Summary of importance: During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777. The United States Army began to rebuild the fort in 1794 and continued to garrison and build on the site through the 19th century. It housed prisoners during the Civil War. If you go: Finding the fort itself isn't terribly difficult. It's very close to 95 and then you just snake along the outer perimeter of PHL airport. It will almost feel like you're about to enter into some kind of secure area where you'll be met by police, keep going, it's worth it. Eventually you make a left turn at an almost unmarked road which takes you to the fort. Parking is on a small stone/gravel lot that has room for twenty or so cars. We went in September on the Smithsonian Free Museum Day. Sign up on their site, pick a museum and you're good for free access for two people. I had three with me and I was expecting to have to a pay for my third except the dude behind the register just waived me on and said don't worry about it. Pretty much if you had the paper for the free day, everyone was free regardless of group size. Note that if you have time, Bartram's Gardens and Heinz Wildlife Refuge are both only a few minutes away. Each place is an excellent B-List stop that is worth a visit. The fort is open to the public from March through Mid-December, Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm. General Admission Fees: Adults - $8 Seniors - $6 Children (6 to 12) and Veterans - $4 Children 5 years and younger - Free Special Event Admission - Living History Events Adults - $10 Seniors - $8 Children (6 to 12) and Veterans - $6 Children 5 years and younger - Free Cash is preferred but credit/debit is accepted. www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Mifflin/@39.8753727,-75.2134089,187m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x691c8731535a4633!8m2!3d39.8751747!4d-75.2131962?hl=en

Couldn't pass on this historical Fort tour while visiting PA. The staff were very friendly, very…read moreknowledgeable and even told us stories of apparitions and spirits walking the grounds. The gates of the fort are original from the late 1700's as well as a bunch of restored artifacts like the original cannon balls in the office

I would definitely recommend to anyone passing through off the highway to stop in this little…read moreborough for breakfast or coffee. There's even an antique shop and a couple of other stores and restaurants. The scenery is beautiful and the town itself is very quaint with much to offer, including local's recommended bike shops and a spa!

There are very few places in life that you really fall in love with…read more This town is one of them. This is the ideal place to raise a family, work, live and grow old in. It is quaint, idyllic and down right beautiful. The people are also really nice. If i could move here, I would

This is a rather special Yelp. Its not for a restaurant or hotel or cafe or salon. Its for a ghost…read moretown. Yep. In New Jersey. In the Pine Barrens. Scared? No need to be. Its a superb day trip--a place unlike any other. You wont find tourists here; or probably any other living soul for miles around. Its just not that well-known enough. Its not an excursion accompanied by a lot of tourist-board support, advertising, or fanfare. There are no audioguides, no pamphlets, no maps. There's also no fees, gates, ticket-stands, trinkets, permits, or clerks. You can just park on the shoulder of the expressway, and mosey right in off the roadside. Its just a tract of deserted woodland. Its a part of New Jersey only a few people ever have reason to explore; its for the imaginative and intrepid. In the course of a year, the site probably only gets a couple photographers, an artist or two, or perhaps an author once in a while. Some 4WD-nuts pass by occasionally. [And this Yelp won't change that--even if I told you about great dining here, this place will always be forlorn and neglected.] Its the location of a vanished Piney town which sprang up in the 1800s around an iron-smelting furnace; and which has now almost completely disappeared from above-ground. Iron? There were iron mines in New Jersey? Not exactly. Its a strange chemical process, organically-occurring, whereby it forms in the swamps and bogs around here. You'll notice all the water is naturally 'tea'-colored. But all the left-behind equipment and abandoned buildings are now, just as if they never were. You might only notice some strange shapes --hummocks, berms--in the terrain and that's about it. This is where your imagination comes to the fore. You're strolling around on top of a village. Chalk one up for NATURE! If it doesn't grab your fancy, then..no matter--just wandering around in the Pine Barrens is in itself, ethereal and stupefying. Take care not to get lost; because the trees have an eerie manner of all looking exactly the same. A few unmindful steps can get you turned around. The Pine Barrens are just a fabulous and unique environment. People love to discredit the Garden State without ever having heard of forests like this. To try to explain: the soil is flat, level, and sandy and without underbrush--covered only with a carpet of pine needles. Thus, with the trees racing up so tall and straight--like columns in a church--and also branching so high; the effect is quite cathedral-like. Sun slants through as if coming through high windows. And its uncannily quiet. Like a big empty room. Just the coolest. Bring boots (its occasionally muddy) and a survival knife *just in case* of feral dogs. I recommend this excursion to all the Yelpers who like to make a fuss over their daring and adventurous, active lifestyles. You're not impressing me with your tour-guide led whitewater rafting adventures. Try exploring the Pine Barrens. .