Visits to Historic Speedwell are free, maybe start with the eight-minute video in the visitor…read morecenter. $5 buys you a guided tour of the large Vail house (guided tours only) and the small factory with the wheel house (also self-guided tours). The factory explains how Alfred Vail prototyped the telegraph for Samuel Morse. The Ironworks exhibit in the large carriage house has detailed pictures and explanations along with artifacts like molds and patterns made by Stephen Vail and his men. Only the red buildings and the white mansion are original, others like the Estes House (under renovation in 2018) were moved in much later. Unfortunately the cast-iron water wheel wasn't running when I visited the factory, awaiting repairs and money in the Park Commission budget. Don't miss the bone grinder in the shed with the big water wheel! You do not exit through the gift shop here LOL.

Beautiful grounds, with a great little shop for visitors…read more We come here often as they offer historical and art lessons. The teacher is wonderful and it's a very unique experience. Recently we did one of the longer homeschooling lessons- it was calling "Open Heart Cooking" and all the students worked together to cook an entire multi course meal in the fireplace like olden times. They had a great time and what a lesson in teamwork and patience. I would call them to ask about upcoming programs and classes. Or even just visit as a tourist one day- they have two small museums and guided tours.

Came to Fosterfields on a Saturday early afternoon around 5pm for a day event. Amazing. I had an…read morewonderful time and the service was outstanding. The space of the park and the parking lot area was just perfect. A lot of restroom was available and it was clean. It was a huge turn out but the staff maintain a clean field throughout the entire event.

What an incredible morning. My all-time BFF Reddit alerted me to an amazing event at Fosterfields…read moreheld over the course of a few spring weeks every year: the Lamb Frolic. There wasn't really THAT much frolicking, per se - our lamb settled down pretty quickly per the attached pictures - but it was a delightful hour spent in a barn stall cuddling a very sweet wooly baby, and I'd basically recommend this to anyone with a soul. According to the event page, little lambs need cuddles/interaction to prepare for the big farm world, hence the need for the Frolic. We were happy to oblige. The sign-up process was a little old school, which isn't too surprising given that this is an historic farm. You had to call Fosterfields and leave a voicemail with your name/contact info and preferred time slot to cuddle the lamb. The Millennial Chum readily agreed to partake in this adventure and was blown away that there wasn't an online reservation portal of some kind, though she seems to be confusing a farm with a suburban restaurant, which is probably not the most realistic of expectations. Regardless, someone from the farm called me back within the hour and we were set up with the final slot this past Saturday at 10:30am. The price per lamb cuddle was $50 for a max of two people, so we split the cost. A magnificent deal in my estimation. The instructions provided via email indicated we should get there at least 10 minutes beforehand, and we were both promptly there at 10:15am. I've driven past the turnoff for the farm many times on my way to hikes over by Chester, so it was easy to find once you bypassed the atrocious traffic situation by the Morristown Green (not for the faint of heart at any time of day - no one ever knows what lane they're supposed to be in). The staff was very friendly and professional. Since we got there early, they also let us start hanging out with our lamb about 10 minutes early, which was pretty classy. They carried in a gangly lamb from the main stall across the way (there looked to be about six or seven mama sheep over there with their pups), and after a few seconds of nervous baahing, he was right at home. The lamb was born the prior Monday, so this is about as fresh as it gets. He didn't even have a name yet. His mother's name was Guinevere, so I thought Sir Lambsalot was an excellent new name with the added advantage of being on theme, but the Millennial Chum overruled me and named him Cornelius for the duration of our stay. We shared our stall with a mom and daughter (probably 10ish, which is very much the target demo of this adventure, not that we let that stop us), who got to cuddle our lamb's sister, temporarily named Marigold. Also a delightful creature. The Millennial Chum is on the verge of becoming a giant TikTok star, so a significant portion of our visit was dedicated to pictures, videos and more pictures and videos. I can't speak for all lambs, but Cornelius was very photogenic and made for social media. We figured out through trial and mostly error how to hold him so he'd settle down and fall asleep (like kittens and puppies, lambs seem to be either running around manically or snoozing). Keeping him in a firm grip and letting him nuzzle his head under the chin was our primo strategy. The staff stopped by every 15 minutes or so to make sure everything was going okay and that the lambs were relatively calm (our superstar obviously was). At one point, the mom sharing our stall told the staffer that her husband was going to switch with her (citing that two people max rule) and was told that as long as the lamb was chill, he could come in too and there was no need for her to leave. Very cool. I spent the remainder of the weekend recommending this event to everyone I know, especially my friends with young daughters. If you start your mornings off like I do reading the NY Post, the world really seems like a giant dumpster fire - the Fosterfields Lamb Frolic was about as pure and innocent as it gets. So refreshing.

We went here for a kid fall festival. Everything is spread…read moreout and if you use a stroller and elderly family members (which I have both) this is a bit of task on their uneven, rocky walking paths. No fault of theirs as it is a huge farm but just a note for people who would like to venture here. The area is otherwise beautiful. They have lots of farm animals to view and a blacksmith on site (maybe just for the festival) which was a disorganized mess but cool to see. They charged $8 to get in. Keep in mind there is a lot to do on the site, check out their website before going.

Great day for wine tasting!! This was easy to find and plenty of parking. They even allow you to…read morebring a cooler which served us perfectly. I was able to bring cheeses, olives, crackers, salami, pear jam, olive oil dip, crusty bread, hummus, roasted red peppers dip, and eggplant and artichoke dip. Also a birthday cake for my daughter. The lines weren't long since there were several wineries there. I don't remember the pouts being so small. It was literally just a swallow. You couldn't share it with another person. But it's all in good fun, meeting people and mingling while waiting. The live music was extraordinary, played most popular music. Plenty of portable potties. Several vendors with their amazing products. I would do it again,until next year!! I would do it again.

A treasure in our history of the American Revolution. My aunt lived nearby where a tree fell…read moreduring a storm and a 4 pound cannonball was found lodged in the trunk! I wish it was open more though.

The Cannon Ball House is the home of the Springfield Historical Society. The home dates to circa…read more1741 and is listed on the National Historic Registry. The Cannon Ball House can be visited by appointment or on a few select dates. Typically those dates include: the Sunday of President's weekend, 2-4 pm, the Sunday closest to the anniversary date of the Battle of Springfield on June 23, 1780, 2-4 pm, the 3rd weekend in October, Sunday 12-4 pm and the first Sunday in December, 2-4 pm. The historical significance of the Cannon Ball House is that in June 1780 the British burned Springfield to the ground. The Cannon Ball House was just one of four homes that were not destroyed. During the course of the Battle of Springfield a Cannon hit the house and was lodged in the wall until it fell out in the 1920's. The home was originally an ochre color w/cream & dark green trim. There are no original pieces in the home but rooms have antiques and museum quality items that date to the Revolutionary War. Some Civil War items, early tools, battle dioramas, and a Colonial garden can be seen I would suggest this for those who have an interest in local history or the history of the American Revolution and/or the Civil War.

I will say I didn't come for the general intent of book borrowing, but I did come from the art and…read morearchitecture, so I had a good time. The building, described as a "collegiate Gothic style" makes the library feel significant. The librarian gave us a brochure with the notable works through the museum, which was handy. We came for the Thomas Nast painting, but we wanted around to the giant eagle sculpture from a WWI armory and the stained glass with initials from famous authors. It was like a scavenger hunt. The space is nice if one needs to get out the house to read or use a computer, and obviously they have the standard books, CDs, and DVDs. But as a space, it's very nice.

This library offers broad fiction and nonfiction collections, a huge sunlit children's section,…read moremovies on DVD, music on CD and a big reference room. It's housed in a gorgeous old stone building with a large, bright new addition. I strongly prefer a book with real paper pages over a device. My bookshelves were full years ago so I finally decided to borrow and return instead of stuffing my place further. This means I'm in the Morristown library almost every week, usually for books but occasionally for movies and music. This library's a member of the Morris County library network so it's easy to borrow from any library's holdings, which means you can get quite a lot. Not everything under the sun, but a large variety for sure. Yes there's free wi-fi and free power. If you don't have a laptop, they also have networked computers which are also free. You must have a library card to use the computers, which you can get at no cost by showing ID that proves you are a local resident. The library offers meeting rooms for community organizations, not sure of the cost. Homeless people definitely can be seen here. They've never bothered me, for what that's worth. I wonder if modern library school teaches how to handle this challenge, it must be difficult. @Benjamin M - the library reopened early 2012 after repairs from the 2010 explosion were finally complete, and the scaffolding that's up in Jan 2013 is for new stone rehab work. Yelps page needs to mention that Summer hours are abbreviated - short hours on Saturday and closed on Sundays.

One of my most recent Yelp Friends beat me to reviewing our largest library here in…read moreParsippany...Thanks Pallabi... I read a lot and a few years ago my wife dropped the hammer on my book buying because my bookshelves were ridiculous...and since then, when I buy a book, it really has to be something I want because it has to fit on the bookshelf to buy it...or a book has to get donated to make room (full disclosure, we donate a LOT of books each year). Thus my new-found love for the library. Not like I didn't know it was there, duh, I had just drifted from its wonders. Growing up, I used to bring home piles of books from our public libraries in Piscataway and the public libraries here in Parsippany have become a similar sanctum for the kids, at least my son who reads as much as I do. I was really glad when they moved to this new location. When they moved they modernized everything and they have great spaces, study rooms, an awesome kids area, lots of public access computers, and a great selection of books...and the best thing about the Morris County Library system is that if your local library doesn't have a book you want, and another library does, they'll get it for you. Thanks for helping to instill a love of reading to my kids...

Ok, full disclosure. I Love libraries. LOVE them. The first thing I do when I move to a new place…read moreis to get a library card. And the Parsippany Public library is my favorite. I can definitely say that this place had an significant hand in shaping the person I am today. Not only did I read like a fiend when I was younger (31 Babysitter's Club in 30 days), I participated in all the summer reading clubs, I volunteered with them the day I was old enough, my first job was here and I was one of the original members of the Teen Advisory Board, which has sadly dissipated. In short, LOTS of opportunities to get your kids involved at an early age. When they made the shift to the new location, I was like a kid in a candy store. The old location was cozy, but new location is SO spacious. Especially the children's section (though I heard it suffered some water damage). The librarians were kooky, but awesome. Really helpful and knowledgeable. The selection is great. I really like their travel section. The study spaces are awesome, though I wouldn't mind some more cubicle spaces. There's little nooks and crannies to sit down and enjoy a good book all around. The programming here is some of the best I've seen anywhere. I hope this place stays just as awesome so I can bring my kids here someday.

I've been inside 24 Commerce a few times to get blood work done at Quest Diagnostics. Like the…read morenearby Eleven80 and Newark National buildings, 24 Commerce is one of the many historical buildings in the city. The inside has been renovated with lots of marble and gold plated fixtures. In the lobby, there is always a security guard on post, who can direct you to where you need to go. It's in a good location in the city, right in the center of downtown. It's easy to travel there by car or public transportation. There are a bunch of paid, parking lots in the area. Also, it's within walking distance of Newark Penn and nearby light rail and bus stops.

Lovely historic building that's starting to get some of the attention it apparently had needed…read more Elevators have been modernized. Clean updated restrooms. Impressive lobby. Folks at the front desk and cleaning staff are all friendly. Would love to see some of the historic flourishes such as the mail drop, clock over elevator, and interior kiosk counter at the back revitalized too. Good location; easy (mostly indoor) walk from Newark Penn. Street parking and plenty of lots near by. A range of food options within walking distance.

I had my wedding here. The catering and everybody we hired to put together the event did a great…read morejob. We wanted to have an outdoor party. I assume this mansion is owned by somebody who rents it out. There was an older lady hanging out in the background at the venue. Because of the creepy photos, I thought she may have been a ghost but my wife saw her too, so I'm pretty sure she's real. Anyway, I was able to go out through the kitchen to sneak a smoke while our guests were enjoying cocktail hour before our entrance for the ceremony. Anyway, I go to sneak back through the kitchen, and the owner refused to let me in though the back door. Our wedding was the only thing going on there that night and I tried to convince her to let me in and pointed out that I was the only person wearing a tux. Anyway, I had to go through the main entrance and everybody knew I had been smoking. I wasn't ready to make my "entrance", and instead of "congratulations".... it was "Brian were you smoking? " Now when I look back at my wedding, all I remember is the embarrassment I felt after I was allowed out the back door and this mean old lady would not let me back the way I came. if you are considering this for your venue, yes it's a nice place, but consider how uncomfortable a mean old lady hanging around in the background watching your party because it is her property may make you and your guests feel. She was totally real.

The Oakeside Mansion in Bloomfield is a stunning venue if you love dramatic backdrops, victorian…read moreaesthetics, and dream of living in the past. It was the perfect location for my 1920s speakeasy wedding. Pricing was very affordable, especially compared to what a typical North Jersey wedding would cost. With that said, you have to be mindful and vigilant of timelines and plans. Be prepared to stay on top of them in regards to communication, it was a hassle to get answers or finalize things. (It was honestly the most stressful part of planning my wedding - just the lack of timely communication and confirmation) Be sure to keep documentation/copies of everything. Despite the communication hiccups though, it all worked out beautifully in the end. Remember that It's an old mansion, with lots of history and character. Play those details up!