8 Unforgettable Small Towns to Visit in New Jersey
If you are looking for an unforgettable experience in New England, don't forget about New Jersey. Known as the Garden State due to its extensive farmlands and abundant agriculture, New Jersey is a small state with numerous beautiful places, both in nature and within its small towns. Even just a brief visit to these places will give you the opportunity to explore a glass museum, tour historic farms on Revolutionary War battlefields, see local art within old mills, marvel at glacier lakes, ascend to picturesque vistas above the Delaware River, and many other unforgettable places.
Millville
Many of New Jersey's best towns were originally milling towns. Millville has had multiple milling periods during its history, first with a sawmill in 1720 and then again in the 1850s with the establishment of the New Jersey Mills Company. However, the biggest industry in Millville was glassmaking. You can discover this art style at the Museum of American Glass, which features practical creations, stained glass windows, and intricate pieces like glass toys and models of the human heart.
Military history buffs can check out the Millville Army Air Field Museum, and sailors can take out a boat at the Union Lake Park. There is even a small, cute park called Captain Joseph Buck Park, named after a Revolutionary War officer from New Jersey.
Cape May
With its prominent position on the Jersey Shore, Cape May has been a vacation destination for New Englanders since the 1700s. It was also a major stop on the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape to freedom. This coastal community is unforgettable for multiple reasons. The first is its historic legacy of abolitionist efforts at the Harriet Tubman Museum of New Jersey, which preserves the work and story of this amazing woman.
Cape May also celebrates the pioneer era at the Historic Cold Spring Village, which has reenactors and a recreated village emulating the styles of the late 1700s to early 1800s. The second is its rich array of beaches, ranging from the downtown Sunset Beach to the relaxing Cape May Point State Park. If you venture out a bit further, you can see a pristine dark sky at the 21,000-acre Belleplain State Forest.
Clinton
This mill town is one of the best preserved examples of this style of settlement in New Jersey. Clinton was settled in the 1710s, but later became a significant milling center. The Red Mill was built in 1810 for wool processing before being expanded into a grist mill. The second was Dunham's Mill, which operated for more than 100 years from 1837 to 1952. Today, these two mills are part of the Red Mill Museum Village and the Hunterdon Art Museum, respectively. These two museums will transport you to the past, while also enlightening you with local art.
The downtown area has many cute local businesses to shop at, ranging from the florist Greens & Beans to Karen's Dollhouse Shop. A few miles outside of town is the Spruce Run Recreation Area, a camping and beach area next to a reservoir.
Princeton
This town is familiar to most Americans, even if they have never been to New Jersey. Princeton University is one of the most highly acclaimed Ivy League schools in the US after all. However, Princeton itself has a smaller town vibe with just over 30,000 residents. With its deep history of higher learning, visitors will have an unforgettable time while walking or driving through Princeton. There are historic and artistic places spread all throughout Princeton, including the high-class Princeton University Art Museum and the Morven Museum & Garden, housed within Declaration of Independence signer Richard Stockton's mansion.
One of the best ways to get outdoors in Princeton is to go to the Princeton Battlefield State Park. This was the site of the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, following Washington's Christmas crossing of the Delaware River. Today, the park has trails, bird watching fields, and a 1772 Quaker farm house designed in the Georgia style called the Clark House.
Spring Lake
The Jersey Shore town of Spring Lake was a favorite among elites from New York City and Philadelphia. It was incorporated in 1892 as a borough during the height of the Gilded Age, and it became a major resort town for the rich and well-to-do. They, in turn, established gorgeous mansions such as the Martin Maloney Cottage, a 1890s Queen Anne Style mansion, with multi-level blue canopies and a castle-like turret at the top.
You don't have to be a mogul to have an unforgettable time in Spring Lake. You can walk along the ocean at the Spring Lake Boardwalk or spend a day at the laid-back Spring Lake Beach. The Spring Lake Community Theatre is a popular small venue that has performances year-round in a historic 1920s-era venue.
Columbia
This unincorporated community sits right on the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania on the Delaware River. Just shy of 230 people call Columbia home, but they are very proud of the several beautiful parks and wildlife preserves that make up this community. Columbia protects several different species at the Lakota Wolf Preserve, including bobcats, foxes, timber, tundra, and Arctic Wolves. It is an excellent spot to view and learn about these creatures.
Another beautiful outdoor getaway is the Worthington State Forest, a place where you can hike out to the deep blue waters of the glacial lake Sunfish Pond or ascend Mount Tammany. While you are in town, you can pull up next to a fireplace for a meal at The Log Cabin Bar & Grill or sip local wine from the Brook Hollow Winery.
Lambertville
Sitting across the Delaware River from New Hope, Pennsylvania, is Lambertville. It was a ferry station in the 1700s, and wasn't named until 1810 after John Lambert, a governor and senator who had established the post office. It is a quiet town with historic architecture, antique stores, and beautiful vistas. For historic places, there is the Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum, a restored three-story barn that was originally a part of settler John Holcombe's plantation in the early 1700s. It showcases how farming was done over the years in Lambertville.
There is also the green and yellow James Wilson Marshall House, the boyhood home of the man who discovered gold in California and started the first Gold Rush in America. Lambertville is called the Antiques Capital of New Jersey, as it has some of the best vintage items one can find at places like the Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market. Lastly, you can get a scenic view of the town and the Delaware River by hiking up the Goat Hill Overlook.
Frenchtown
This Delaware River town has been known by several different names. It was initially called Alexandria after one of the early settlers, William Alexander. Later on, the land was acquired by Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost, a French-speaking Swiss man who had fled to the US during the French Revolution. Due to this large population of French speakers, the town was called Frenchtown. This community combines a French focus on the arts with cute natural landmarks. For example, the ArtYard combines four exhibition spaces with a theater to celebrate every art discipline, plus entry is free. One can also catch outdoor shows at the nearby River Union Stage (in Milford). Frenchtown sits at the entrance of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, a 70-mile park that is highly popular for canoeing, hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.
You don't have to be wealthy to visit and enjoy what these unforgettable towns have to offer. Some of the best sites here are completely free. These include the numerous state parks and beaches in the area, along with notable museums, such as the ArtYard in Frenchtown. You will be enriched by the historic sites along the Delaware River and by the majestic beaches on the Jersey Shore. Once you visit these towns, you will see why they are unforgettable gems in the Garden State.
