New Jersey Children’s Museum: Where Kids Explore And Learn

Is there anything better than watching a kid go wild in a well-stocked science museum? Experiential learning is widely being regarded as an essential aspect of brain development, and the hands-on activities at the New Jersey Children’s Museum are awesome for kids with a variety of interests. Some of the more popular attractions include an authentic, life-size fire truck and helicopter for kids to explore and play on, as well as an awesome fossil cave that tantalizes young dinosaur lovers. The more performance-oriented will love to make use of the play ballet studio and stage. A huge indoor sandbox offers tons of digging fun. The sheer variety of exhibits and activities here can keep kids busy all day, despite the somewhat small size of the museum. They also host a variety of events and parties throughout the year.

New Jersey Children’s Museum
599 Valley Health Plaza
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 262-5151
www.njcm.com

Get Your Dose of Entertainment at the Bergen Performing Arts Center

New Jersey has a horrible reputation as a pretty lowbrow state, but institutions like Englewood’s Bergen Performing Arts Center buck that stereotype. Established in 2004 to rehabilitate the John Harms Center, which had been one of North Jersey’s most-respected arts venues until closing in 2003, the Performing Arts Center has grown to be a fantastic venue for performances of all types. The venue is now a primary location for the New Jersey Ballet, which performs there several times a year, as well as a wide variety of touring musicians from all genres of music. Attendees rave about the hall’s excellent acoustics and great sightlines. During intermission, walk over to the Intermezzo Art Gallery to take in great exhibitions by local artists. The Center also hosts a number of excellent educational programs for children in the community to learn about dance, theatre, and musical performance.

Bergen Performing Arts Center
30 N. Van Brunt Street
Englewood, NJ 07631
(201) 816-8160
www.bergenpac.org

Thielke Arboretum: Glen Rock’s Natural Treasure

This ‘garden of trees’ – the definition of an arboretum — is a serene spot to escape the hustle and bustle and bask in the wonder of nature. Hidden away right in the heart of Glen Rock, it’s a great place to take the kids to let them experience the natural world in all its glory. The arboretum’s walkway features small plaques indentifying many of the over 170 species of trees, bushes, and flowers in the park, so you can familiarize yourself with the region’s wide variety of native flora. Check their calendar for weekly events and seminars, where you can learn about things like the importance of natural wetlands and using rain barrels to water your garden.

Thielke Arboretum
460 Doremus Avenue
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
(201) 447-0452

Battista Dance Studio: Learn to Cut a Rug!

You don’t have to be a star to dance with some of the most illustrious ballroom dancers in the world! Step lightly at Battista Dance Studio and get instruction from greats like Katusha Demidova, 12-time U.S. National Professional Ballroom Champion. Sign up for group or private lessons and become your own version of Astaire or Rogers, gliding around the room with graceful abandon. Or, get a free 30 minute dance consultation and perfect the fine points of your technique. Attend their dance socials on Friday and Saturday nights for a fun evening of salsa, waltz, rumba, and other fun ballroom steps. A great sound system, gorgeous studio space, and reasonable prices make this a must for dance enthusiasts.

Battista Dance Studio
255 Hudson Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201) 525-0102

Lambert Castle: Travel Back in Time

To visit the Lambert Castle is to travel back in time to an era of grandeur and gentility known as the Gilded Age. The castle was built by silk industrialist Catholina Lambert, who came to the U.S. at age 17 as a lowly cotton mill laborer from Yorkshire, England. He quickly worked his way up the ladder of success to become one of the wealthiest men in the area. The castle marked the pinnacle of his achievement when it was completed in 1893. For a small fee you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life with a leisurely stroll through the beautifully landscaped grounds of the estate. Tours of the castle interior are also available for a nominal fee. Open every day from dawn to dusk.

Lambert Castle
3 Valley Road
Paterson, NJ 07503
(973) 247-0085

Grounds for Sculpture: Explore Art in the Great Outdoors

Trenton’s gorgeous Grounds for Sculpture is one of the most unique outdoor art experiences in America. Featuring over 240 works by modern artists, this astounding year-round exhibition located on the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds was opened to the public in 2000 and has been an incredibly popular destination for art lovers and dilettantes alike for over a decade. Regulars recommend not going with any particular goal in mind. Just wander the sprawling grounds exploring the myriad paths that snake through groves of trees, encounter the occasional wild peacock, and feast your eyes on some truly astounding artwork. Equal attention is given to the plant life on the grounds, making this one of the best places to just lazily explore on a nice day. See if you can find the hidden hammocks by the side of the pond for an afternoon nap. The park also features a world-class restaurant in Rat’s, a spectacular eatery that launched the career of Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga.

Grounds for Sculpture
18 Fairgrounds Road
Trenton, NJ 08619
(609) 586-0616
www.groundsforsculpture.org

Thomas Edison National Historical Park: See the Home and Work of One of America’s Most Famous Inventors

This National Historic Park isn’t just about trees and rolling hillsides. It celebrates and pays homage to one of America’s greatest minds—Thomas Edison. His laboratory complex, original recording studio, and original photography studio are all open to the public in Thomas Edison National Hisotical Park, and contain much of the original furnsihings so that guests can see these sites as they were during Edison’s time. Visitors can also see and experience the the beautiful, ornate Glenmont Estate, Edison's 29 room mansion, which he bought in 1886 when he married his second wife.

Tours of the laboratory complex are given Wednesday – Sunday, and Glenmont is open to the public Friday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Thomas Edison Park—where some of the world’s most cherished inventions were conceived—and truly be a part of nation’s history.  

Thomas Edison National Historical Park
211 Main Street
West Orange, NJ
(973) 736-0550
www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm

Carl Schurz Park: A Beautiful Park Overlooking the East River

If you’re looking for a beautiful place to go in Manhattan with lots of excitement on a beautiful day, the Carl Schurz Park on East End Avenue and 86th Street is a great place to go. The oldest community-based volunteer park association in the city, Carl Schurz Park offers fun activities year round. Park events range from Volunteer Gardening Saturdays and various children’s activities to summer concerts in the park and the Sunset Film festival (check the park's website to verify specific dates and times). If your four-legged friend is looking for a playmate, this is a great place to find one, as most events are pet friendly and the park offers a fabulous doggy runs for both big and small pooches. It’s also a great place to sit, relax, read a book and enjoy the view of the East River.

Carl Schurz Park
End Avenue and East 86th Street
New York, NY 10028
www.CarlSchurzParkNYC.org

Ground Zero Museum Workshop: Never Forget

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have left a mark on New York unlike anywhere else in the country. When the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell, the city lost the largest buildings it had ever seen, and the skyline was permanently changed. As a nation, we’re still trying to come to terms with the repercussions of that fateful day. The Ground Zero Museum Workshop was founded in 2005 by Marlon Suson, an actor, playwright and philanthropist who was tasked in the days following the attack to document the disaster and recovery with photographs. His images of the days, weeks, and months following the crisis are striking and humbling, celebrating the heroism of the respondents who combed the wreckage for survivors. It’s important that we remember the horrific effects of global terrorism on a human scale as well as a national one, so this museum is a must-visit for any American.

Ground Zero Museum Workshop
420 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 209-3370
www.groundzeromuseumworkshop.com

Intrepid Museum: Visit a Floating Piece of History

When the USS Intrepid, a World War II-era aircraft carrier that participated in several key battles in the Pacific theater, was scheduled to be demolished, something had to be done. The intervention of New York real estate developer Zachary Fisher saw the boat moved to permanent moorage off of New York’s Pier 86, restored, and transformed into a fantastic piece of floating history. In addition to the Intrepid, the museum also boasts a sizable collection of other pieces, including the USS Growler, a submarine that performed nuclear deterrent patrols, a replica of the Aurora 7 space capsule, and a vast variety of jets, helicopters, and other vehicles. Military fans will relish the opportunity to get close to these awesome pieces of equipment. The museum also serves as the base of operations for the annual Fleet Week events that see our Navy men and women enjoy the Big Apple for a week every year.

Intrepid Museum
Pier 86 (W 46th St and 12th Ave)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 245-0072
www.intrepidmuseum.org

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