New Jersey Historic Sites

Although its light no longer functions, the tower of this second-tallest US lighthouse is floodlit at night and attracts thousands of visitors every summer. After building the tower in 1857, Gen. George G. Meade later led Union forces in the Battle of Gettysburg.

This 35-acre museum inventively incorporates historical structures from the site’s past as the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Gardens provide a backdrop for modern works in media such as bronze, wood, stone and steel.

This wooded, 22-acre re-created village portrays the trades, crafts and architecture of the 19th century. You’ll see potters, printers, bookbinders and blacksmiths in action.

The site of what’s called the “longest battle of the American Revolution” preserves a rural 18th-century landscape of fields, orchards, woods and wetlands. In addition to visiting a restored Revolutionary War farmhouse, you can hike or ride horseback on miles of trails.

One of the first state museums with an educational mission, this one has collections focusing on archaeology and ethnology, cultural history, fine art and natural history.

See the only surviving British Colonial barracks, built in 1758 during the French and Indian War. At various times during the Revolution, it served as quarters and a military hospital for British, Hessian and American troops.

Visit the birthplace of recorded sound at this museum on the site of Edison’s laboratory. An Art Deco-style memorial tower incorporates representations of devices the nation’s foremost 19th-century inventor pioneered.

This indoor and outdoor education center highlights the coastal ecosystem vital to the livelihood and economy of your ancestors’ state. The saltwater marshes are stopping points for scads of migratory birds and full-time home to many species.

Trace the history of America’s favorite pastime, especially as it relates to Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, originator of many a malapropism.

Visitor Information

From the November 2008 Family Tree Magazine