If you’re planning a vacation to Monmouth County, New Jersey, you have several places to visit while in Fort Monmouth. Monmouth Mall is a 1.5 million-square-foot shopping center located in Fort Monmouth. There is also The Grove, a more upscale shopping destination. Routes 35 and 36 are also lined with national retailers.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
For history buffs, the Thomas Edison National Historical Park is one of the top places to visit in Fort Monmouth. It contains Thomas Edison’s home and laboratory. The park opened in 1887 and was designed by Henry Hudson Holly. The park was open for more than 40 years.
Thomas Edison was America’s greatest inventor. Edison’s West Orange laboratory and residence is preserved in this park. The results of his labors in West Orange include the motion picture camera, improved phonographs, silent and sound movies, and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery. Edison also lived in Llewellyn Park, one of the earliest planned suburbs in the United States.
The museum also has interactive exhibits and cell phone tours. There are plenty of artifacts to see and plenty of history to learn. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fort Monmouth is a great place for outdoor activities. You can hike, play golf, or kayak. You can also visit the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, built in 1764. While in the town, you can also visit Thomas Edison National Historical Park, which preserves the home and laboratory of Thomas Edison. The park was opened in 1962 and features artifacts from the inventor.
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The park offers hiking trails, picnicking areas, and a live re-enactment of the famous battle. Visitors can also camp in the park.
You can also explore the Thomas Edison National Historical Park’s laboratory complex, where the inventor conducted many of his experiments. This complex houses more than a dozen buildings that were vital to his research in various fields. The main laboratory building included a private library and specialty machine shops where prototypes were made. The museum is also home to the Black Maria, the world’s first movie studio.
In addition to Thomas Edison National Historical Park, the town is home to the Pinelands National Reserve. This preserve protects over 1.1 million acres and is the first national reserve in the United States. It covers 22% of the state and includes Belleplain State Forest, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, and a number of state forests.
Edison State Park features a 36-acre park and the Edison Memorial Tower, which is on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. The South River Historical Preservation Society is an all-volunteer group that helps preserve and promote the area’s past. They also operate the South River Museum, which was formerly an Old School Baptist Church. The museum houses an extensive collection of artifacts from the Borough’s history.
Happy Day Farm
If you’re looking for a family-friendly farm in New Jersey, Happy Day Farm is worth a trip. Located near Newark, this farm is perfect for children and adults alike. During the fall, it hosts a pumpkin festival and a Fall Festival + Pumpkin Patch. The farm is also a perfect place to pick your own fall pumpkins.
The farm started out as a pumpkin patch, but today its fields are full of fresh berries and beautiful sunflowers. The farm also offers pumpkin and hay rides, dozens of photo opportunities, and a variety of food. If you’re planning a day out in Fort Monmouth with your family, make sure to visit Happy Day Farm!
Happy Day Farm hosts a Fall Festival in September that is fun for the entire family. Kids can pick their own pumpkins, eat some pumpkin-themed food, and take photos with the animals. The event costs $21 per person, but children under the age of two are free. If you want to spend the entire day at Happy Day Farm, bring plenty of cash – the farm is not cheap, so make sure you budget for a few extra bucks.
