This is one of those parks that truly has something for everyone. Paved trails, wooded trails, mountain biking trails (#allairemtbtrails on IG for pics), camping and even a historic village to explore. Unlike many state parks there is no admission fee here. Parking is free and plentiful. There are several lots to park in. I'd highly suggest looking at their website and the maps on it. This park is MASSIVE! read more

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FARMINGDALE: The Historic Village at Allaire is such a wonderful place and has so many wonderful events! Allaire was a factory town back in the 1800's and is now a year-round park with hiking trails, tons of events, and even shopping! Leashed dogs are allowed except for inside the buildings. We were recently at the Witches, Wizards, and Wands event hosted by New Jersey Food Truck Events and Your New Jersey and it was SO MUCH FUN and a great job was done by the Allaire staff! Brie was blessed by the bubble fairy (meadowlarkthefaerie), watched magic tricks, walked in the dog costume parade, met a bunch of witches, wizards, and even a bewitched tree, watched a juggling act, listened to music and the train, and met so many wonderful people! We even ran into Kamryn Hope, another dog who gets out and about as much as Brie! There are entrance fees charged from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. And most events have an admission charge that goes directly to Allaire. Other events include: Flea markets Craft shows Performances Lantern Tours 4 Paws Sake Family Fun Fest And much more... read more

Allaire State Park - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

I went here for a school trip with my sons 3rd grade class my experience with this place was a nightmare my son was treated unfair and disrespectful by a employee several times her name is diane she repeated said hurtful things to my son one bad apple can spoil the bunch I felt uncomfortable and singled out she gave me heavy heavy racism behavior I would not recommend this facility because of her she was out first impression our tour guide in conclusion to our trip from hell she left us to find our way around the facility stating she doesn't get paid enough it was a nightmare it's a shame kids have to endure such harsh behavior from adults school trip from hell The staff was very apologetic towards this behavior and I appreciate there concerns but her impression she has made on my family is unforgettable read more

Took the my niece and nephew for a socially distanced dinosaur excursion. If you know the direct route it's an easy walk for toddlers - 2nd time there but I think the triceratops was missing this time read more

Allaire State Park - Dinosaur - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

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I visited the village at Allaire State Park at Christmas and was beyond disappointed! First of all, on Facebook, they said dogs were allowed for the Christmas exhibit at the village. When we arrive, we are told pets are not allowed in the buildings only on the grounds. Which is not what the person from Allaire stated on Facebook. Thank goodness I had reciprocal membership from another museum so we were able to get in for free instead of the $10 fee. TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT! For a Christmas Exhibit, I've seen smaller places/museums decorated nicer than this place. I was told how gorgeous this place is at the holidays and I'm not sure why people think this place is so nice! Houses on the street are decorated more than this exhibit. Seriously don't waste your money or time to see the Christmas at the Village. Just not worth it! The park seems nice in warmer weather but this village isn't all that! The best part was able to get the Gurlz photo with Santa! read more

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"2013 Jazz It Up, Wine Festival" brings my travels to New Jersey! Summer's last call for outdoor merriment with my party of four plus one child for wine and jazz. For $25.00 admission fee per adult, our party of four imbibe on wines grown, produced, and bottled all over the Garden State of New Jersey. It was like hopping from winery/ vineyard to winery/ vineyard all day without the need of a car. Kid activities are available. Limited food vendors are on site of the usual: funnel cake, Italian Ice, pizza, including Empanada. I believe at least twenty (20) NJ wineries/ vineyards participated in this event. How can I refuse to imbibe wine and fair food? "Parking donations" of $5.00 goes to the ongoing maintenance of this NJ state park. A bakery and old fashioned carpenter are located on the premises. Upon entering the grounds the sound of an actual working antique steam engine railroad roar the outskirts of Allaire State Park. Note: Only portable outhouses exist as there are no actual indoor facilities on the premises. Visitors must bring insect repellent, sunscreen SPF 60+, and bottled water. read more

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This is an amazingly picturesque park with a lot to do and see. I've been here a few times and each time has been great. Obviously the Historic Village is what most people come here for, but there are also some nice hiking trails with plenty of picnic areas for you to take a break. One tip: You may want to check the calendar to see if there are any special events going on. These can have admission fees, which you may or may not think are worth it. read more

Adorable park; leafy green foliage, a great stop on the bike path from Manasquan, and a charming train that both toddlers and adults enjoy. Lots of events from spring to fall. Bring the fixings for a picnic! read more

Having lived in the area for years, I've been here often. It is a vast recreational area with quite a few things to do, and of course living in NJ there's things you can't. Swimming is a no no and don't bring in alcoholic beverages. They do charge a nominal entrance fee in warmer weather. Other than that there are plenty of pluses. There's camping, fishing, Allaire Village Museum, hiking trails, miles of nature walks, limited seasonal deer hunting, group and individual picnic areas, the Pine Creek Railroad, and other activities. I even attended a wedding here years ago. There used to be a playground area that was fairly extensive. I don't know why but they razed it not long ago, so unless they are planning on building a new one, the kids have to go without. The Pine Creek Railroad is pretty neat. It is maintained by the NJ Museum of Transportation. They have train rides that are great for kids and adults alike. They are even available for parties. Santa has been known to make an appearance prior to Christmas. I believe they run on weekends but you need to go online to find their schedule. In the summer there are truck based vendors in the area selling what you might expect food-wise. In Allaire Village there are shops selling historical memorabilia and tourist items. The best part for me is walking the tranquil trails of Allaire. At times you can go for miles without seeing anyone else. They are also dog friendly. Check it out. read more

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Cool place. Camping area separate from park but close. Also a bit too close to main road so you can hear cars.. But very clean and organized and staff is very friendly Lots of fishing place around. Esp for kids Horse riding at circle A was great read more

Allaire State Park - Yurt camping. - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

The park is beautiful and there is a lot of history there to enjoy. That being said, the employees were very nasty and rude during a class trip we had today. Two teachers were carrying very heavy bags full of kids lunches to the picnic area and an employee was driving by in a golf cart. The teachers asked if she could just help them bring the lunches the rest of the way (about 300 feet). She said she was sorry but she was going in the other direction and left them to lug the heavy bags themselves! Then, they crammed two of our classes into the blacksmith area and as the teacher was helping shorter children to go in front, the blacksmith made a rude comment about waiting for the teacher to stop talking. Finally, while the teacher tried to take a picture of the students on the train (before it started moving), the conductor very rudely demanded that he go sit down now! I was shocked with how unhelpful and rude the employees were! read more

we came here for a wedding. The location was gorgeous and I really enjoyed the brisk moment that I did have with this place. Wouldn't mind getting the chance the explore the place. read more

Beautiful park nice trails nice wildlife unfortunately the Rangers need to do a better job enforcing the rules about keeping dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feet..some visitors have dogs not on a leash at all or on a around foot one ..Don't see rangers out patrolling in forcing it read more

I'm reviewing the village which was very cute. A walk back in time and a great family day trip. read more

Allaire State Park - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

Went to the "Jazz It Up, Wine Festival" at Allaire Sate Park. The park itself was beautiful with lush ponds, trails, and old school colonial houses with gift shops. Add that to the wine tasting, vendors and the jazz and their was plenty to do. My review loses a star becase they had about 20 signs asking for "parking donations" for maintenance to the houses and land. As I had never been their before i made a donation and parked my car. As I quickly found out they didn't need the money because money was pouring in from the fesival and gift shops so I felt a bit ripped off. Other then that it was a positive expereince. read more

Decided to take a drive down from NYC. Well worth it. Entry to the park (parking fee) is $5 for residents and $8 for non residents. After parking, there are a few options here. There are a lot of hiking trails that take you through the park. To the left is functioning steam train (Pine Creek Railway) and some railyards. For $5, the train take you around a course in the park which lasts about 12 minutes or so. Not too much to see during the train ride, but for $5 you cannot complain much, especially if you have toddlers or kids that get super excited at the bells, whistles and horns of the train. There is the Allaire Historic Village within the park to the right. There is a bunch of little museum-like houses that contain setups similar to the civil war era. Carpenter station and some other stuff. There is a small museum type house as well that is interesting. The bakery and gift shop both offer cool stuff.The day that we went, there was a civil war reenactment thing. There were all types of stands and huts that show how life was back then. You could purchase things like wooden guns and flags. There is also a guy who does tintype photography which I simply found amazing. All in all a great experience. I wish I would have gotten there a little bit earlier to experience everything that the park had to offer. read more

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One of my favorite state parks to bring the kids. Great for a picnic day trip. We all enjoy walking around the village and listening to the interpreters. The blacksmith, carpenter, tin smith are all great. My girls live the General store and bakery too. A mansion tour is worth your time as well. We also take a train ride, currently $4 pp, lasts about 15 minutes. Tables to picnic under the shady trees. Downside, the bathrooms are kinda gross, so quick in and out. Also the play ground was taken down years ago, and never replaced. For such a family friendly park, the lack of playground is terrible. read more

Beautiful area! The park itself is perfect for hiking, regardless of the time of year or how skilled you are as a hiker. There is a large picnicking area as well! Next to the park is the historic Allaire Village, with old buildings and, during certain times of the year, actors and actresses walking around. It is a great place for photos, whether you're a nature buff, you love old buildings or you need wedding photos. So much history and nature in one place and it's child-friendly as well. There is a train that runs during certain seasons and a small food truck. Public restrooms are available in the parking area, which is a plus! No garbage cans at the park, so you can either use a bag provided by the park or just take it with you! read more

Nestled so close to the Garden State Parkway and Routes I-195 and 34 is a hidden gem of a park that allows you to relax, exercise, and learn- all in one place! A personal favorite is a working narrow gauge railroad that sure to be a hit with children and any train enthusiast. There one can learn and see and touch a part of the old steam locomotive history or buy tickets and go the loop. But that is only one of the attractions here-- trails go thru the park for a nice scenic walk. Wildlife abounds and there is just so much to see. Also, there is the old town and working ironworks and a bakery for things to nosh on and a gift shop. People dress up and play the life of the 1830's town and there always seems to be something going on- from music to lectures to events like the ever growing wine festival that happens usually twice a year where most, if not all the wineries in New Jersey have a tasting event and wine for purchase. Another event is the various flea markets that are also held on the great lawns in the park. Do yourself a favor and visit this beautiful park- just make sure you visit their website to see what events are planned. So well worth the trip! read more

one of the most interesting state parks I have seen in NJ in part because there is a lot to see here: the historic Allaire village, the adjacent railroad (which is just a short elliptical loop excursion ride which i think would mostly be of interest to children because it is so short but has a little transportation museum and an old steam locomotive to check out).. a few hiking trails, camp and picnic sites, various places to fish, and a nature center. the green trail leads one from the parking area by allaire village/the railroad/nature center along a canal and under the garden state parkway (definitely not the nicest part of the trail) and across a local highway past a camping area to a quite serene area on the other side of all those scars of civilization , i would say the trek past all these not so appealing features to the end is definitely worth it if you like nature, beautiful isolated little ponds, bogs, birds and other wildlifd etc.. there is another trail (red ) which leads one across a tea colored water (from the tannin) bog lined with skunk cabbage, which is quite interesting.. the iron ore for the adjacent smelter at allaire village was obtained from these bogs and others in the area.. since the area is boggy, sections of the trail can be rather muddy depending on recent weather, but the serenity one will find in these pine woods and bogs is quite surprising given the proximity to the garden state parkway and to the nyc metro.. read more

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Went on the 4th of july, 2017 .. first time simply beautiful the village , the train you can ride on. I havent gone hiking there yet that will be for next time I visit.. I just walked around the village and to some side trails nothing major but it was very nice there... check it out if you live in or close to jersey read more

First off, the place is quite nice. We camped for two nights and the campsites are generous in size and nicely shaded. The historic village is awesome and really gives you a sense of what life was like back in 1830--although I suspect they gloss over some of the labor issues in the company-owned town. There are three drawbacks to the park, but all to expected in NJ. First, there was a lot of poison ivy, but I don't think anyone in our group has had a reaction. Second, there are a lot of tiny deer ticks. About half of us have had a least one tick. Third, there is an Interstate highway cutting through the park and you always hear it. This last drawback has a mitigating factor: no one complained about the noise we made late night or our kids in the early morning (except for those of us trying to sleep late.) All in all, a nice quick get away from NYC, but you're still in the metro area. read more

Was very fun area to explore. Not enough bodies of water (streams, lakes,) within walking distance. But they are within a short car ride. Clean area the village was interesting break from camping. Wood burning stove kept us warm. Bring lots of wood if it rains. read more

I enjoy this park so often with my family. It is beautiful and the historic village so charming. They have a bakery in the village that makes the best scones. Waling around is like stepping back in time. read more

Allaire state park is great! It has nice shops and nice people. I went for the Halloween event though. That's what I'm mainly reviewing. Everything about the Halloween event was cool, then we got to the train ride. This is not the normal train ride, but the one on the halloween event day. We paid $7.50 to ride the train halfway and have it "breakdown" and do some kind of show and walk a path full of jump scares. They SAID that the Halloween event was family friendly but they were WRONG. They faked 3 breakdowns of the train and made everyone walk. Allaire state park is great, but if you go for the halloween event, don't go on the train! read more

Very nice state park! Great setting. Low cost. Very rustic. No electric or running water at the site.

Nice park , very nice bike path around the park and trails in the woods. Nice camp site with a dump station .

The park is a disaster right now. Footbridge to picnic area has been dislodged and placed adjacent to the Historic Canal for over a year. Old, fallen yellow tape is tied to signs and trees. Just like last September. The bathrooms that have always been 30 yards from the picnic area were closed last year. No explanation, just out of order signs, locked doors. This year the signs are on the ground covered in leaves but the doors are still locked. New this year is the dangerous area that used to be the playground. The playground is completely gone, turned-up railroad ties and dirt (mud) with more fallen caution tape laying on the ground, wrapped around tree trunks. The grass 40 feet from the covered tables is waist high and I was bitten by mosquitoes 5 or 6 times during the 10 minutes we were in the picnic area. We have gathered at Allaire Park for my family reunion for 40 years. We appreciate that the park has been there for us every year and last year when we discovered the removed footbridge (meaning 80 year old walker-users stroll 300 yards instead of 100 feet) and the bathroom closures (meaning we are now 300 yards to closest functioning bathroom - not easy for the elderly) we gave the park a pass. It has been a year. The state has some nerve collecting a single dollar of fees with the picnic area in the condition it is in presently. We have no choice but to deal with the poor conditions again this year. No time to change locations. How much does it cost to replace a footbridge and repair 2 outdoor restrooms? I think about as much as a week of Christie's security detail in Iowa. Shame on the fiscal managers of Allaire State Park. read more