Not sure what to do on your next vacation? Check out this list of the top 15 activities in New Jersey, USA that you won’t want to miss! From strolling around and exploring parks, all the way up through sightseeing tours and historical landmarks – we’ve got something for everyone. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
The Best Thing To Do in New Jersey

Liberty State Park
- Address: 1 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07305, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (25639)
- Phone: +1 201-915-3403
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
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Top 15 Things To Do New Jersey, USA

Adventure Aquarium
- Address: 1 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ 08103, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (14484)
- Phone: +1 844-474-3474
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMSaturday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Reviews:
Really enjoyed my time here. Would love to come back again with my nieces.
Bought tickets online, selected time and had them on my phone quickly. Parking wasn’t bad for a Saturday afternoon. It was busy but the line to get in moved quickly.
Aquarium wasn’t as big as I thought but it was still very enjoyable. We went through it in about 2 and a half hours at a nice easy pace.
Aquarium was clean, exhibits were nice and they had cool things to see.
It was cool touching the stingrays, sharks, starfish, horseshoe crabs and other things. Nice exhibits for the kids.
Did not try to food but they had 2-3 places to eat and plenty of room to sit at. Either outside or inside.
Gift shop was nice as well that leads to the exit.
Pay for parking machine gives out token that you give on your way out. It costs $10 for parking.By Miguel Silva (6 months ago)We love this place. The staff are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The animals are so fun to see. The play area is a perfect halfway spot for my kids to burn off some energy. We love the different touch tanks, especially the sting rays and anemones. The shows are interesting and fun for a variety of ages. We usually bring our own food, so I can’t speak to that. We enjoyed it so much, we even got an annual membership. It’s not really an all day thing, but it’s a good couple of hours.By Stacy Evans (11 months ago)Amazing!!!! I had the time of my life! No matter your age, this place will leave you feeling like magic. Easy to get to. Lots of ground level parking. $10 at the kiosk when you leave. May I suggest you buy your tickets/reservation online to avoid the box office. There are lockers available for $8, the kiosk takes cards. There are elevators available that make it wheelchair accessible. You can bring strollers. Masks were not required to enter or visit. It can get a little warm inside at some of the exhibits so dress for comfort. There’s a cafe for eating, snack shops,too. The gift shop is awesome. Super habitats and exhibits. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. Food and snacks are a little pricey, think movie theater but so good. The exhibits we’re orderly and well managed. Cash and cards are accepted. May I suggest seeing The Mermaids when they return. Pure magic!!!! Enjoy!!!!By Jay Farmer (10 months ago)My family and I had so much fun here. There’s so many things to do and look at. I love that you’re able to touch the sharks and sting rays. That was my favorite part. There’s also this cool shark tunnel that you walk through and you can see sharks and all kinds of fish swimming all around you. The hippos were really cool also. I will definitely be making another trip back to this aquarium again in the future.By Andrea Huckel (a year ago)This is an excellent aquarium. We spent the day exploring there 2 levels. The shark tunnel is amazing!! The food is great but the price of admission is on the expensive side ($36.99) but they keep the facility up to date, the enclosures are high-end so we felt it was worth it. Lots for kids and adults to do. Loved petting the sting rays and small sharks.By Rosemary (10 months ago)
Cape May County Park & Zoo
- Address: 707 US-9 North, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (12251)
- Phone: +1 609-465-5271
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
- Reviews:
Overall it was great day. Fun, day trip with the kids. We had beautiful weather today, early Spring. The park was full but not over crowded witch I am sure could cause a different experience. If the park were any fuller I don’t think it would have been as enjoyable. So my advice is try to visit when it’s not overwhelmingly crowded.
The zoo is clean and being updated in some areas that look really nice. Good idea to bring lunch. Very big picnicking area and playground for kids. Smaller children have a separate playground close by witch is convenient. I would either go earlier to the zoo then plan lunch after and playground, or go around lunch time, eat in the picnic area and let your kids play then hit the zoo till closing.
Leave yourself 2-3 hours for the zoo part and another 1-2 hours for lunch and playground. Parking is a little tricky especially if it’s busy. So be patient while finding a parking spot.
The zoo has a few nice little places to stop for Concession food. And several machines for snacked and drinks along your journey. Bathrooms were pretty clean but expect a wait in line depending on how busy it is. Foot traffic inside the park can be tricky to navigate with large strollers. I recommend single strollers if needed. Double wide strollers could get ugly if it’s busy. The park is free to enter just donations are given At will. Have fun and be safe! Worth the trip!By Eric H (9 months ago)Went down June 2022 for a week trip. I enjoyed it. The zoo is well organized and clean. The staff are friendly. When entering, they accept donations so please bring some cash. It helps to keep the place running and the animals healthy and happy. Absolutely loved it since it was educational and fun to do.By Coral Marcil (6 months ago)This is the BEST Zoo that you can go to. Located in South Jersey, it is the best kept secret. The Zoo works off of donations. The staff is SUPER FRIENDLY!! The animals are beautiful and well taken care of. Plenty of shade for both your family’s and the animals. You can buy food and have a picnic in the zoo. You can also bring your own food and eat outside of the Zoo on picnic grounds. There are gift shops to buy souvenirs. A HUGE playground outside the Zoo to play on. Last but not least….there are PLENTY of places for photos to be taken, either of the animals or your family. My family and I have been going here for 20 years, if not more!!! You will NOT be disappointed!!!By Maureen Schneider (5 months ago)Clean, spacious, ample parking and fun activities. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Quite variety of animals and fun activities throughout. Admission is free, but donations are really appreciated. With no entry fee & everything there is to see, I always try to drop at least 20 bucks in the the entry attendant’s donation bucket at any of the entrances where they’re handing out the maps of the zoo. Definitely a Cape May county gem.By Eileen Balesteri (3 months ago)Free admission to the zoo!!! They do look for and appreciate donations. Huge playground near the parking lot before you get to the zoo entrance. Great amount of shade which helps on those hot summer days. All of the enclosures were well kept and the animals were engaging. Plenty to see and do. Just off to the side is the Tree Top adventure park where for a reasonable fee, you can climb obstacles and zip line through the woods. Lots of picnic areas near the parking lot also.By sarah and jacob Cosulich (5 months ago)
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
- Address: 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ 07052, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (10873)
Atlantic City Boardwalk
- Address: 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (8761)
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
- Address: 72 McBride Ave Ext, Paterson, NJ 07501, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (8038)
Grounds For Sculpture
- Address: 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (7395)
Liberty Science Center
- Address: 222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07305, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (7393)
Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park
- Address: 1 American Dream Wy, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (6968)
Ocean City Boardwalk
- Address: 400 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (6253)
Steel Pier
- Address: 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (5125)
Cape May Lighthouse
- Address: 215 Light House Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (4886)
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
- Address: 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (3677)
Battleship New Jersey
- Address: 100 Clinton St, Camden, NJ 08103, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (3061)
Land of Make Believe
- Address: Closed for the Season, 354 Great Meadows Rd, Hope, NJ 07844, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (2603)
Lucy the Elephant
- Address: 9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (2146)
That’s it for our list of the best things to do in New Jersey! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers too!
Great fun for Picnics as well as just hanging out and bicycling. Fabulous views in daylight as well as nighttime. Does get crowded but it’s a huge park and u would find a good spot for yourself for sure!.. free parking is very limited and there are parking lots with paid parking.
Beautiful memorial walls with view of the new building in distance. Great place to ride bikes with many paths along the water and also paths through the park. Summertime is more beautiful with awesome landscaping and greenery. Pack a lunch and stay for hours. Easy & free parking!
This place has a great importance which offers a beautiful view of the New York skyline. Standing here gives a great peace of mind where you experience, buildings, sea, ships and many other beautiful things. This park is huge and feels Never ending while you keep on walking around. You may also see the Statue of Liberty from the other side of the park. If you like to see the real and whole view of the skyline, then you are at the right place.
Great little park just outside the city.
If you are into picnics this is a great place.
Has great views.
And some wildlife. (“wildlife” – very human friendly)
It’s recommended not to feed birds as they keep the insect population low.
If you are luck the ice-cream truck will stop by.
This was an excellent FREE short excursion between college baseball games. Walked the beautiful promenade along the waterfront with world-class views of the Statute of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Manhattan skyline. Very well kept park with what looks like plenty of great trails and open areas to do just about anything (Adult flag football game going on even). Bring a camera as the views are amazing. It was windy and cold that AM but it was also that time of year.