It’s always easy to fall back into the same old visits to your favorite NJ attractions like the shore and well-known parks, but shaking it up to discover unexpected and off-the-beaten-path attractions in New Jersey can be a welcome change. From walking through giant modern sculptures to uncovering a martian landing site to ogling a psychedelic storybook house deep in the woods, there are strange things to do all over the Garden State that the whole family will enjoy. Read on for these 7 quirky NJ attractions worth the trip and check out our Best Things To Do In New Jersey Guide for more fun ideas. (featured photo credit: @sterlinghillminingmuseum)
Here are 7 unusual NJ attractions to check out
Strange attractions indeed—the interesting and unusual contemporary art at Grounds for Sculpture. Photo credit: @groundsforsculpture
Grounds for Sculpture
The wow factor is high at this NJ attraction, where you walk among larger-than-life-size sculptures looking both strange and familiar. Kids will be in awe of the giant and mesmerizing art of contemporary sculptures scattered over 42 picturesque acres (plan to spend a few hours). Enjoy lunch or dinner with a stellar view at the famed Rat’s restaurant across the way from the gardens. Named for a character in the children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows, Rat’s Restaurant has a unique design reminiscent of the impressionist painter Claude Monet’s beloved town Giverny.
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
(609) 586-0616
The Deserted Village of Feltville
This town had reinvented itself more than a few times since the early 1700s but mainly remained deserted. Located in the beautiful Watchung Reservation in Union County, this historical and archaeological site is a popular hiking trail for locals. You’ll come upon a half-mile stretch of road with a cluster of surviving historic buildings that will surely capture your kids’ imagination. Peek into the abandoned houses at this NJ attraction, read upon the posted history, and check out the Willcocks and Badgley family cemetery, including three Revolutionary War Patriots.
2 Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
(908) 527-4000
One of the strangest attractions in New Jersey, Luna Parc is a treasure. Photo credit: @jesscurry11
Luna Parc
For over 30 years, skilled multimedia artist and designer Ricky Boscarino has transformed his cabin in the woods into an indoor and outdoor fantasy-fueled work of art. The result is a house of storybook dreams that feels imaginary. His brightly colored, eclectic private home, studio, and gardens are filled with gorgeous mosaics, stained glass, religious artifacts, and numerous surprising collections that he has cultivated over the years. Twice a year, it can be viewed in person when it’s open to the public for a 3-day Open House at this NJ attraction in the summer and fall (TBA in May), so mark your calendar to make sure you don’t miss it. If you can’t wait until then, make your own tour on the website and get up-to-date details about the live tours.
22 Degroat Road, Sandyston, NJ 07827
(973) 948-2160
Martian Landing Site
In 1938, when people still gathered around their radios for news and entertainment, the science fiction novel, War of the Worlds, was adapted for radio and read by Orson Welles. Though listeners were reminded throughout the broadcast that this “Martian attack” was fictional, many believed it to be a real newscast, and pandemonium ensued. It was history in the making—and the supposed Martians Landing site was said to be in Grover’s Mill, which is in West Windsor, NJ. Read the park’s plaques that tell the broadcast story and lead you to the bronze Martian Landing Site Monument. After, hit up some better-known landmarks at this NJ attraction, like Washington’s Crossing and the Battle of Princeton sites near Princeton University.
218 Cranbury Road, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550
One of the stranger NJ attractions for sure—fluorescent lights. Photo credit: @sterlinghillminingmuseum
Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill Mine
Tours are back on at this NJ attraction, a bright and very cool mineral site that houses the most extensive collection of fluorescent minerals worldwide. Go into the 1,300 ft. tunnel inside the mine where the miners would start and end their workday, and then head into the Warren Museum with more than 700 fluorescent minerals and objects on display. And during the season, kids and adults are encouraged to go mining for minerals of their own at the Mine Run Dump and Sluicing (aka panning) stations.
30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439
(973) 209-7212
Bet you have never seen an NJ attraction like this. Photo Credit: @letstart_ariot
Telephone Pole Farm
This offbeat “farm” started as a testing site for AT&T’s Bell Labs back in the 1920s. The tidy rows of poles look like they are growing, but realistically they were planted for testing purposes when the wood telephone poles needed to be durable. They used woodpeckers and insects to test their durability, and later it was adapted as a place for pole repair workers to practice their climbing. You can snap a few photos for the ‘gram at this NJ attraction and then head to the Evans Family Forest Preserve adjacent property, a scenic wooded area for hiking and spotting local wildlife.
North Road, Chester, NJ 07930
Popcorn Park Zoo is another top NJ attraction. Photo Credit: @therealyungfawn & @mylegsgavein
Popcorn Park Zoo
If your kids love animals (and really, who doesn’t?), this 7-acre unusual “zoo” is not to be missed. What makes this NJ attraction different than a regular zoo is that it doubles as a refuge for animals in need and has a casual, hang-out feel. They are home to over 200 animals and take in injured, exploited, abandoned, or elderly wildlife, birds, exotics, and farm animals. Though some animals are on special diets, you can purchase air-popped popcorn and peanuts on-site to feed the free-roaming birds and farm animals in their stalls. And if you’re looking to help take care of or even take home a “friend,” you’ll want to look into their sponsorship and adoption programs.
1 Humane Way, Forked River, NJ 08731
(609) 693-1900
Which NJ attractions have you visited? We would love to hear more about your experience below.
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