21 top spots to take a first-time visitor to New Jersey

🏖 Where in New Jersey would you take a first-time visitor?

🌭We asked our listeners for some help

🍷 These are the top 21 spots

Someone from out-of-state, or maybe even out of the country, is visiting New Jersey for the first time. Where do you take them?

We asked New Jersey 101.5 listeners for help with this one. There were hundreds of responses, and they were great. We narrowed the list to the top 21.

After grabbing a bagel and before chowing down on a slice of Jersey pizza, be sure to treat your out-of-town guest to a day in the Garden State with some of these places in mind.

1. Jersey Shore Beaches

“Cause down the shore everything’s alright,” as Bruce Springsteen sings in Jersey Girl. The number one response from our listeners was a Jersey Shore beach. It makes sense.

With 130 miles of Atlantic coastline and over 60 designated beaches, New Jersey offers plenty of options for a beach day or a beach getaway. Not only are the beaches and ocean clean and beautiful but many offer boardwalks, amusement park rides, arcades, restaurants, shopping, live music, and so much more.

Pick a Jersey beach and your out-of-town guest is sure to have a good time.

2. A real Jersey diner

You can’t visit New Jersey for the first time and not visit one of our diners. As of August 2023, there are 530 diners in the Garden State, the highest number of any state in the U.S. Make sure to try a plate of disco fries, a Jersey diner staple, and favorite. Two famous diners in New Jersey, Tick Tock in Clifton and Bendix in Hasbrouck Heights, are known for their celebrity sightings and have been featured in TV shows and movies, as well.

3. Lucy the Elephant

Billed as a U.S. national historic landmark, and the world’s greatest elephant, Lucy, the six-story pachyderm was built in 1881 by James V. Lafferty as a spectacle to attract prospective real estate buyers to Margate. Lucy has continued to be a tourist attraction since then. In fact, she’s the oldest surviving tourist attraction in America. Lucy is available for guided tours, and she can be reserved for private dinners, fundraisers, and other special events.

4. Historic Smithville

Take a step back in time in Historic Smithville. What started as a simple, one-room stagecoach stop, has now blossomed into a popular day trip for many. With more than 50 shops, you’ll feel that small-town hospitality and local charm. Stroll along cobblestone walkways and over footbridges, and enjoy all that Smithville has to offer. Besides shops, there are food stores, European shops, wine tasting, restaurants, a train, a carousel, and so much more. Smithville is especially beautiful during the holidays and there’s a light show on the water, too.

5. Atlantic City

After visiting Smithville, scoot on over to Atlantic City, which is just minutes away. Try your luck at one of the nine casinos the resort city has to offer. Enjoy the beach and the iconic boardwalk. There are also many glitzy high-rise hotels to stay over at and nightclubs for dancing. In addition to gambling at slot machines and table games, the casinos offer spa treatments, performances by famous comedy and music acts, as well as high-end shopping and off-the-chart restaurants.

6. Historic Cape May

Someone visiting New Jersey for the first time must be exposed to the Victorian charm of Cape May. The resort town’s historic district was designated a National Historic Landmark in May 1976, and is a showcase of late-Victorian-era architecture. Take a stroll through town to capture the beauty of these preserved buildings from the 1800s. Stay at a bed-and-breakfast. Visit the beach. Go shopping. Dine at one of the many charming restaurants the town has to offer. Visit the Cape May County Zoo and the Cape May Bird Observatory. Even on a rainy day, you won’t be bored.

7. The Stone Pony

Celebrating its 50th birthday, The Stone Pony has been the anchor of the Asbury Park music scene. Locals like Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Little Steen Van Zandt, and others helped put the Pony on the map. Take in a concert here and enjoy the many shows on the Stone Pony’s Summer Stage. It’s always a fun time, and you just never know who you’re going to run into while taking in a show.

8. Asbury Park

While visiting the Stone Pony, you must enjoy some time in Asbury Park. This seaside city is known for its eclectic art scene, as well as its sandy shore and beachfront boardwalk lined with a ton of shops, restaurants, and arcades. The Silverball Museum’s video games and pinball machines date back from the 1930s to the present. Convention Hall, The Wonder Bar, and the Paranormal Museum are key spots to check out, as well.

9. Grounds for Sculpture

Located in Hamilton Township, Grounds for Sculpture is a museum, sculpture garden, and arboretum are where art and nature come together. Outdoors, nearly 300 contemporary sculptures are sited across 42 acres. Indoors, temporary exhibits from artists are featured in six galleries. More than 700 artists have had their work on view here. Dine at Rat’s Restaurant, the Peacock or Van Gogh cafes, and do some shopping, as well.

10. Rutt’s Hut

This was a fan favorite among the responses. Located in Clifton, Rutt’s Hut is known for its style of deep-fried hot dogs. The original process of frying causes the hot dog casings to crack and split, which has led to the nickname, “Rippers.” The original roadside stand opened in 1928. Don’t forget the relish, which is just as famous as the hot dogs, made with a secret blend of mustard and spices. If you’ve never had one, you must visit this cool place. Your out-of-town guest will thank you.

11. Popcorn Park Zoo

What is so special about this zoo in Lacey Township is that it is a sanctuary for unwanted or abused animals, who face desperate circumstances. Popcorn Park began in 1977 when they rescued and treated a raccoon caught in a leg-hold trap. He was given a home for life at the zoo because he could never be released and survive. Soon after, Popcorn Park became a permanent home for exotics, wildlife, farm animals, and birds who suffered abandonment, cruelty, illness, injury, handicap, exploitation, and other unimaginable circumstances. There are about 200 animals at the zoo. Admission is only $5 and a box of popcorn to feed the animals is $2.50.

12. New Jersey Winery

There are more than 50 wineries across every region of New Jersey: North, Central, South, and the Jersey Shore. Pick one. Any one. You’ll have a great time experiencing New Jersey wines during wine tastings, events, luncheons, and other activities that many of the vineyards have to offer. There’s usually something going on at a winery in New Jersey like food truck festivals, live music, murder mysteries, and more. There are over 1500 acres of land in the state operating as vineyards, according to the Garden State Winegrowers Association. Jersey wines now regularly receive critical acclaim and high scores in major wine publications like Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate. Try a Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay from here. You won’t be disappointed.

13. Lambertville

A great way to spend a day in New Jersey is to head to Lambertville. Founded in 1705, this Hunterdon County city and its charming streets are lined with Victorian homes and well-preserved federal townhouses. Savor in the gathering of antique shops, eclectic art galleries, and cute little coffee shops clustered on the banks of the Delaware River. The city’s architecture is very interesting. A restored 19th-century train depot houses the Lambertville Station, a popular waterside restaurant, and a cozy inn. Hidden treasures can be found in so many of the shops. Like art? The Artists’ Gallery has fair pricing and lovely artwork. If you go on the right day, there’s the Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market that’s open three days a week, too.

14. NJ Farmer’s Market

Who doesn’t like fresh fruits and vegetables? Community farmers' markets are more popular today than ever because many people are becoming more and more interested in buying fresh produce directly from local farmers. New Jersey is home to Jersey Fresh, an advertising, promotional, and quality grading program launched in 1984 to help farmers inform consumers about the availability and variety of fruits and veggies grown in the Garden State. Seasonal markets sprout up in the spring and summer from Sussex down to the Jersey Shore. Be sure to pick up Jersey Fresh tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, corn, apples, asparagus, lettuce, cucumbers and so much more, when in season.

15. Delaware Water Gap

For the nature lover, be sure to visit the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The park offers tranquil landscapes, and striking scenery along 40 miles of the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. The park offers year-round recreation including hiking, paddling, and fishing. If you’re visiting in the fall, this is a beautiful place to check out the fall foliage.

16. A ‘Soprano’s’ Tour

You can't get much more Jersey than this. Fuggettaboutit. When you think of New Jersey, how can you not think of the HBO award-winning mob drama series created by David Chase which starred James Gandolfini, Steven Van Zandt, Edie Falco, and other well-known actors? For the Sopranos fans in your life, you may want to take them on a tour of some of the Sopranos hot spots.

Think about visiting Holsten’s in Bloomfield where you can visit “the booth” where “The Sopranos” wrapped their iconic run. Pizzaland in North Arlington is one of the many spots in the opening credits of the show as Tony Soprano drives by. Go to The Sopranos house, 14 Aspen Drive in North Caldwell. The house’s exterior was seen throughout all six seasons of the show. A tour would not be complete without visiting Centanni’s Meat Market in Elizabeth. Satriale’s Pork Store was a fake location in Kearny which followed Centanni’s, featured in the pilot episode. Then there is Bada Bing, aka Satin Dolls. The strip club has remained open, amid its own legal run-ins over the years. For a complete list of Sopranos hot spots, visit here.

17. Six Flags Great Adventure

The most popular amusement park to take a guest when visiting New Jersey is, no doubt, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson. Home to 14 world-class roller coasters, thrilling family rides, a 350-acre drive-thru safari, and Hurricane Harbor, you’ll have a jam-packed day. In the fall, make sure you visit the park during Fright Fest, and during the holidays, Six Flags is open for Holiday in the Park.

18. Liberty State Park

This is one of New Jersey’s most dramatic parks. At Liberty State Park, you can get breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. It serves as a gateway to the region’s rich, natural, cultural, and historical resources. The historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, which was a grand setting for much of the state’s transportation history, sits prominently at the north end of the park. Walk the two-mile promenade, and enjoy the picnic and playground areas, as well as the nature center. All types of recreation are welcome in the wide, open fields, pathways, and outdoor performance areas. At the northern end of the park is the expanded state-of-the-art Liberty Science Center, which is a must-visit.

19. Sandy Hook

The Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area is a park that draws more than two million visitors a year to enjoy its historic landmarks, natural areas, and recreational facilities. Sandy Hook has great ocean and bay beaches for swimming, fishing, and boating. Its recreational areas are perfect for biking, camping, running, and walking. For nature lovers, the park has salt marshes, a holly forest, and more than 300 species of birds. Within Fort Hancock is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in America and a National Historic landmark. which served as an active The National Park Service

20. Howling Woods Farms

How would you like to spend some time with wolves in New Jersey? You can. Howling Woods Farm is an educational facility in Jackson Township, with the primary purpose of teaching visitors about the true nature of wolves. Howling Woods Farm rescues wolfdog hybrids and northern breed canines. Situated on 10 acres of pinewood forests in the Pinelands National Reserve, one-hour guided walking tours are offered during which you can interact with the wolfdogs, and learn about them and the rescue mission. Appointments must be made to visit.

21. The Wildwoods

This family-friendly resort shore town is perfect for travelers visiting New Jersey and want a little beach vacation. At the Wildwoods boardwalk, you can grab some food, pick up a souvenir in a shop, or visit the Splash Zone Waterpark or Morey’s Piers. Of course, you can’t go to the Wildwoods and not ride the iconic Sightseer Tramcar. The famous yellow tramcar has been operating since 1949. Trams operate beginning May during the season along the two miles of the Wildwoods Boardwalk. A one-way ride takes about 30 minutes and costs $5 pp. “Watch the tram car, please!”

There are so many places to take a first-time visitor in New Jersey. No matter what fun things you decide to do, your guest will surely have a blast visiting the Garden State.

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