113 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in New Jersey - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in New Jersey

Ogdensburg, New Jersey

Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill Mine

Hundreds of glow-in-the-dark objects light up a museum in a historic zinc mine.

Jersey City, New Jersey

Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal

Hidden in plain sight on the Hudson River is an abandoned train station where nature has taken over.

Asbury Park, New Jersey

Paranormal Museum

A storefront museum in Asbury Park honoring the Jersey Shore’s deep history of mystery.

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Grounds for Sculpture

A unique sculpture park that specializes in the huge and bizarre.

Egg Harbor City, New Jersey

Batsto Village

This historic New Jersey iron-working village is a ghost town but it looks like it was just built yesterday.

Clifton, New Jersey

Clifton's Gates of Hell

Series of storm drains connected to a dark urban legend.

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

The Deserted Village of Feltville

This tiny New Jersey village has lived many lives but seems determined to remain a ghost town.

Lakehurst, New Jersey

Hindenburg Crash Site

The site of one of history's most indelible and horrific tragedies.

See All 113 Things to Do in New Jersey See All 113 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in New Jersey

Teaberry Ice Cream

This Pennsylvania specialty sometimes looks like Pepto-Bismol and smells like Bengay.

Beach Plum Jelly

This tangy East Coast spread is becoming increasingly hard to find.

Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.

New Jersey Sloppy Joe

It's not what you think it is, unless you're from the Garden State.

See all 8 things to eat in New Jersey See all 8 things to eat in New Jersey

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Stories
About New Jersey

Winning isn't easy, but it should at least be possible.

On the Midway With the Carnival Game Investigators Out to Protect Your Summer Fun

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 29, 2019

A German map from 1759 shows the border between East and West Jersey, separating the pink and yellow areas.

Central New Jersey Doesn't Exist, But Don't Tell Central Jerseyans That

Exploring what makes a region distinct.

by Dan Nosowitz

A sign warns visitors against fishing from the Passaic River in Newark.

The Swap-a-Fish Program That Traded Tilapia for Seafood Contaminated by Agent Orange

New Jersey's Passaic River has been unsafe to fish for decades.

by Reina Gattuso

Professor Ayeni shows off the project's peppers.

This Professor’s Hot Peppers Give New Jersey’s Immigrants a Taste of Home

The Exotic Pepper Project helps local farmers meet the diverse state's demand for heat.

by Reina Gattuso

February 25, 2019

Orchids grow at the Color Point wholesale greenhouse in Granville, Illinois.

The Century-Long Scientific Journey of the Affordable Grocery Store Orchid

Orchids were once considered the world’s most difficult and exotic flowers. So why can you buy one for $12.99 at Trader Joe’s?

by Sarah Laskow

October 2, 2018

A bag from Bamberger's department store, mid 20th century.

At the Newark Public Library, Shopping Bags Carry Local History

The New Jersey institution is home to a collection of more than 2,000 of these often overlooked items.

by Courtney Lichterman

September 25, 2018

The famous Mickey's Diner was once called "Mickey's Dining Car."

Why So Many Diners Look Like Train Cars

Often, they traveled by rail and were built that way too.

John Coltrane recording in 1958.

Found: A Lost John Coltrane Record

It's from sessions at New Jersey's Van Gelder Studio, the same place Coltrane made A Love Supreme.

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