Entering South Jersey is like taking a giant exhale—you’ll discover miles of beautiful shoreline, all kinds of fun farms for the family, and plenty of open space in the Pinelands for exploring. From scouting out some of the oldest spots in the state (and country) to seeing an aquarium like no other in the world and spending time at a Victorian-era seaside resort, there are plenty of places to visit for a day trip or an overnight stay. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites, including aquariums, zoos, amusement parks, downtowns, farms, and museums, from Exit 63 down to Exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway. Read on for what to do the next time you head South. (featured photo credit: NJ MOM)

Things To Do In South Jersey

Be amused in South Jersey

In Egg Harbor Township, Storybook Land is an attraction that brings classic stories to life with walk-through displays and themed rides like the Beanstalk Bounce and the Out-on-a-Limb swings. Or, if your kids are into construction, you won’t want to miss Diggerland USA, an amusement park where you can drive, ride, and operate specifically engineered real machines and then cool down in The Water Main water park. If you want to stick with the water theme, then Island Waterpark at Showboat in Atlantic City is the perfect year-round stop, where it’s always 80 degrees and bonus– it’s also home to Lucky Snake, the largest arcade in the world.

Have some wet and wild fun

When summer begins, so does the boardwalk fun. The most famous Wildwood Boardwalk is at Morey’s Piers, where three piers along the boards are packed with rides and amusements, and two water parks—Ocean Oasis Water Park and Beach Club and Raging Waters Water Park. Steel Pier in Atlantic City is another fun summer spot, with classic rides like the Carousel, the iconic Wheel, a Swinging Carousel that lets you fly over the crowds, and plenty of kiddie rides, too. In Ocean City, Playland’s Castaway Cove has over 32 rides for adults and kids, including two mini golf locations and go-karts to add to the fun. On LBI, Fantasy Island Amusement Park in Beach Haven has loads of kiddie rides, a huge indoor arcade, and a retro carousel. 

Hang with the animals at the zoos and aquariums

Want to see hippos and the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast all in one place? Take a trip to South Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Ranked as a top ten aquarium by USA Today, it’s also known for its astonishing Shark Tunnel (where you walk over real sharks swimming underneath you) and over 15,000 aquatic animals. You can’t go wrong at the Cape May County Park & Zoo, with a variety of animals, playgrounds, an animal carousel, private-guided tours, animal encounters, and the best part? It’s FREE. If you are looking for something different, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center Sea Life Museum, New Jersey’s only facility for marine mammal rescue, has been saving aquatic lives for over 45 years, and it has a public educational visitor center in Brigantine. Or visit The Wetlands Institute, a natural conservation area rich with mollusks, turtles, horseshoe crabs, whelk, mud snails, and a Terrapin Station in Stone Harbor. At last, you can visit the oldest zoo in New Jersey, the Cohanzick Zoo, a zoo with free entry, Zoo-Education workshops, and even a Zoo Camp.

Discover history at some of NJ’s (and the country’s) oldest sites

South Jersey is honored to have some of the country’s oldest places and attractions. The first is America’s oldest roadside attraction—the 65-foot-tall Lucy the Elephant in Margate. Take a tour to learn about Lucy’s illustrious history (she’s been a restaurant, office, tavern, and Airbnb), and grab a snack at her beach cafe.  Nearby, you can also find one of the oldest lighthouses in the US in Atlantic City. At 171 feet, the renovated lighthouse is the third tallest in the country and the only lighthouse in New Jersey, with its original first-order Fresnel Lens at the top (first lit in 1857). You can climb the 228 steps and view the Atlantic City skyline at a breathtaking height, then stop by the historic museum and gift shop while visiting. In the South Jersey Pinelands, take a trip to the Wharton Forest, where you can walk among the buildings in the nationally recognized historic Batsto Village. Check out the historic village dating back to 1766 when the colonists came to the US, and its buildings built over three centuries, including the Post Office (one of the four oldest operating post offices in the United States), Gristmill, General Store, and Ice House.

Discover South Jersey’s downtown destinations

From the blueberry capital of the world in Hammonton to downtown Cape May, the Garden State has a variety of unique southern spots. See where the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton, Hadrosauraurus Foulikii, was discovered in Haddonfield. Walk around historic Smithville with charming shops, monthly festivals, and an adorable vintage carousel. Or head to the shore and explore Ocean City with its boardwalk, beaches, and family-friendly atmosphere. Head south to the Wildwoods to see their sandy beaches and boardwalk and learn about pop culture while exploring the Neon Sign Garden at the Doo Wop Experience Museum in Wildwood. Then, drive to Exit Zero, where the whole family will love Cape May, the Nation’s Oldest Seaside Resort, with the second largest concentration of historic Victorian buildings and a downtown full of family-friendly stores and restaurants for all ages.

Live and learn

Step inside one of America’s most decorated battleships on the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial and learn about the military history and inner workings of the USS New Jersey, an impressive Navy vessel built in 1942 and measuring the length of three football fields. Travel back in time to learn about military and aviation history at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, a family-friendly museum with hands-on exhibits, a restored Hangar #1 building, and over 25 historic airplanes, helicopters, and jets. Known as “America’s First Defense Airport.” And the newest museum you won’t want to miss is the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum at Rowan University, located above a quarry filled with 66-million-year-old marine and terrestrial fossils. This interactive museum will captivate all ages and includes observing an active paleontological excavation at a fossil site to see how scientists search for dinosaurs and fossils.

Frequent the farms

Down South is where the Garden State thrives, earning its namesake with the fields and farms growing much of its produce. You can visit the farms for picking, stands for scooping up produce, and special events throughout the season. Visit Coombs Barnyard for their Egg & Veggie Hunt in the spring or their Barnyard Bash in the fall. Creamy Acres Farm has fall and Easter events along with their holiday Night of Lights light display. Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm has a sunflower field, fall events, a farm market, pick your own, and Christmas activities. Duffield’s in Sewell has Story Time on the Farm and festivals at select times throughout the year. Lots of Love Farm is one of the biggest petting zoos in NJ, with over 175 animals in its Williamstown location. Johnson’s Corner Farm is another popular spot with goats, chickens, cows, sheep, and miniature donkeys, and they also have pick-your-own opportunities throughout the year and a Farm Market.

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