I love this park I've been here with my family and it's amazing we did bike ride walking looking…read moredown at the river I really really love it and it's so beautiful the view is amazing this is one of the best parks I've been in thank you so much have a wonderful day.

This is technically a Mercer County Park. It is cleaned and maintained by the county. However, this…read moreis a park in the heart of the South Ward of Trenton. It is a great place to bring small children to play on the playground or for a quiet walk along the promanade overlooking the Delaware River. You can jog or bike this 61/2acre park but no motorized vehicles are permitted. This is a wonderful respite in a lovely historic neighborhood. Be warned! The residents in this area a extremely active and vigilant. There is no parking unless you have a resident sticker on your car You will be ticketed or towed. There is parking upriver in the lots by the Trenton Thunder baseball stadium. Also, the park closes at dusk. You may get a warning or you may be fined, or...

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.

The Trenton Thunder used to be the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Then the Yankees…read moreabandoned them like cowards and slunk off to Somerset, which is a sentence you do not recover from easily. People thought baseball might die in Trenton. Baseball is stubborn though. It does not die. It mutates. Now the Thunder play in the MLB Draft League. This is not the big leagues. It is not even close. It is a proving ground for college kids and hopefuls trying to get noticed by scouts. The level of play is lower. Sometimes much lower. But baseball is still baseball, even when it is imperfect. Maybe especially then. The ballpark itself is still beautiful. You could sit anywhere and feel like royalty. The worst seat here would cost you a hundred dollars in a Major League park. In Trenton it costs less than a family trip to Burger King. Parking is five dollars. Cash only. I paid my five dollars and felt like I had tricked the universe. The concessions are better than they have to be. Case's Pork Roll. Colbie's Southern Kissed Chicken. Raccoon Saloon. Killarney's. Rita's Italian Ice. The names sound like a carnival, and in a way they are. The food is affordable, too, which feels like a misprint in America these days. Promotions are plentiful. Fireworks. Thirsty Thursdays with two-dollar drafts and three-dollar aluminum bottles. This is a land where inflation forgot to look. The bat dogs are still here. Dogs that run out and fetch bats. It feels like cheating at joy, like the universe is handing you a gift and refusing to charge extra for it. The truth is the product on the field is not what it used to be. You will not see future Yankees here anymore. But you will still see baseball, and you will see it for cheap, with fireworks and pork roll and dogs who think bat retrieval is their divine mission. Four stars. Because this is still a great night out for families who even casually enjoy the game. Baseball lives in Trenton, just in a different costume.

Such a fun night at the Thunder game! We got great seats at an extremely affordable price! Parking…read morewas also affordable and easy. The food inside was good. And the entertainment before, during, and after the game was so fun! Boomer the mascot, games between innings, the bat retrieval dog, games, the jumbo from, the dance group, and fireworks! They also went out of their way to honor community members. Outstanding!

While the City of Trenton has fallen on hard times over the past 50 years, it must be remembered…read morethat in the 1950s and 60s it was considered an " All American City." A tour of the old neighborhoods reflects its faded glory, from the sweeping stone mansions in Hiltonia, to the riverside peacefulness of The Island, and the professional enclaves of Berkeley Square and Glen Afton. But, the beautiful heart of this capital city has been Cadwalader Park since the turn of the Twentieth Century. It was in the last years of the 19th that the city fathers decided the historic and economic importance of town required a public space equal to its greatness. New York City was creating Central Park with the help of the geniuses Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, so why not , "the City that built the Brooklyn Bridge?" They began by purchasing 90 acres of forested and meadowed land from George Farlee for $50,000 in 1887, and sculpted a park dedicated to the well being of its residents beginning the next year. Olmsted accepted the commission and spent the next decade coming to Trenton to design the park and oversee its development. The immense landscaping project was named after Thomas Cadwalader, a doctor and chief burger (mayor) of the city before the Revolutionary War (1746), and a founder of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia along with Benjamin Franklin. During its heyday the park held a zoo, Ellarslie Mansion, the original home of the McCall family who owned most of the land used as their summer home to escape the heat and disease of Philly summers, before it was sold to the Farlees. They planted many specimen trees and shrubs that were brought from around the world. As with any public works there were government administrations that did not agree with spending taxpayer money for "amenities", and economic hard times that led to benign neglect of the park over many years. The park fell into disrepair and became a dangerous place (just like Central Park). Yet, for those of us who lived nearby it was always a wonderful site to walk, jog, bike along its trails and play softball in its open fields. Today it is a bit disheveled, with an overhead canal running through it, and an interesting city oriented museum operating in the mansion (Olmsted visioned it as a restaurant). It is worth your time when visiting Trenton to drive over and do a walkabout. The trees are now huge and the paths and trails uncrowded. In fall it is awash with color. In winter the view extends down slope to the mighty Delaware River. In spring and summer the sounds of baseball, dogs barking and children on wheels echo throughout. It is my favorite place in this "Trenton Makes, The World Takes" city; struggling, but sprouting new roots and branches for the next century. In many important ways how Cadwalader Park engages with its residents going forward will determine the direction of this city, much more than its main business of state government. It deserves our love and protection. P.S. The Five Stars reflect not just the current status of the park, but its history and future potential. I know that if I were to move back to Trenton, I would want to live in Hiltonia overlooking Cadwalader Park, and have its 109 acres as my front yard.

Intro to Rock Climbing with Valley to Summit on September 18, 2022…read more This was my second trip to Chickies Rock with VTS and it was wonderful! There were only 5 of us, so plenty of time to climb. Our Guide, Bob, was so patient, engaged and informative. I learned a lot of great things that I had not known before about clothing, ropes and technique. Bob was so patient with me and was there with his " green pointer" to help me over the tough spots. You should know that I am 74 years old and tho I have climbed indoors for a few years, my stamina was not that of the youngsters who were there! Nonetheless, it was a great time! I highly recommend Valley to Summit, this being my 3 rd trip with them. They Rock!

Absolutely amazing professional guides!!…read more I hired this company to guide me through the winters treacherous water fall trails of Ricketts Glen that is normally closed off for hikers that don't have the explicitly specific required safety gear for winter hikes which this company provides. The guides were patient and helpful with the small group in getting gear on and going over all the safety equipment. They were never impatient with anyone and insanely kind. You could tell the guides truly enjoyed bringing everyone out to this amazing trail at Ricketts Glen State Park. I wasn't sure what to expect but OMG it was worth the money spent to have these guys/gals guide me through the trails. I took tons of pictures and was never rushed at all while taking in the views and photos. This company comes highly recommended amongst the hiking community even out of state.

The Trenton Thunder ballpark is proof that smaller is often better. The park is compact, which…read moremeans every seat feels close to the action. You never need binoculars. You can hear the crack of the bat and the chatter from the dugout without straining. Baseball as it should be seen. The Delaware River runs right behind the outfield. On hot nights the breeze rolls in off the water. It cools the air, turns the place into something comfortable when the rest of New Jersey is sweating. That is not something you can engineer. That is geography being kind. Parking is easy. Five dollars. Cash only. Plentiful and close. In a world where stadium parking often feels like extortion, this is practically charity. The food is not just food. It is a catalog of local pride. Case's Pork Roll. Killarney's. Rita's Italian Water Ice. Raccoon Saloon. Alongside these sit Colbie's Southern Fried Chicken and Boomer's BBQ. If none of that calls to you there are still the old standards. Hot dogs. Pretzels. Popcorn. Nachos. The ballpark classics are covered. There is even a picnic area down the left field line for groups who want baseball and burgers in equal measure. The ballpark is easy to get to. Right on Route 29 by the riverfront. Quick access to 29, 129, I-195, and I-295. No mazes. No confusion. A night here is affordable, easy, and close to the event in every sense. Five stars.

Really fund place easy entrance and some great food. Even the baseball was fun. Was here for a…read moreFaith and Family night, and it was a really fun experience.

Downside: tours only on weekdays and currently by appointment, which has limited me being able to…read morevisit before. Also the parking info on the website was confusing, but we parked new the Barracks Museum but not in any nearby reserved spot. It was also a little confusing where the entrance was, but if you pick the wrong door, someone will point you in the right direction to the entrance of the annex. We were the only people on the tour, which is free, so we got to have a lot of great insight. We also got to shoot a ton of questions at the tour guide and he knowingly answered all of them and one he didn't know he radioed in to his team to find out. We started off looking at a stained glass ceiling with NJ sites depicted, looked in the Senate Room, the Representatives Room, the individual parties room, judiciary rooms, and meeting rooms while looking at different art in the hallway and inside rooms symbolizing NJ iconography/historic figures. It was delightful for both the artist and the historian in me. If this place gave tours on weekends, I think it would be more popular. Maybe there's a staffing shortage, and that would be a shame. Weekdays are hard for people to visit, but it is definitely worth it to visit if this sounds like something that would interest you. Note: between the 2 I've seen, PA still has better architecture (and Saturday tours) but that was still nice and more people should see it.

"Trent Town" New Jersey! Yeah!! "Trent town" was recognized as the state capital in 1790…read more 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.