an incredible and inspiring experience! I can't believe this is based in NJ. it is super affordable…read more ($15) for entrance, and the park rangers are very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of thomas edison. there are live demos and tours, and we got to listen to a phonograph, which was very cool. the workshop and chemistry lab were super interesting as well. it's a well-done spot that is family friendly and a great way to spend 2-3 hours! I wish we had a chance to tour the greenhouse, but it had closed by the time we finished the phonograph session.

12/7/25: (Update) We stopped in the visitors center to pick up a visitors pass to the Glenmont…read moreEstate of Thomas Edison in Lewellyn Park (West Orange, NJ). We had previously purchased Glenmont Estate tickets online. After a visit to estate, we stopped back in again to view several of films: The Wizard of W.Orange The Glenmont Estate Tour The Invention Factory The Great Train Robbery (Silent Movie) The Visitor center has restrooms along with a nice gift shop of cool Thomas Edison souvenirs. A large parking lot is available across from the historical park.

Verona/Montclair, NJ - this medieval castle-like mansion was the cozy home of industrialist…read moreFrederic Ellsworth Kip in the early 1900s, and, saved from the ignominious fate of being developed into a row of townhouses during the modern era, the estate is now part of the historic Essex County Park System and thankfully is being preserved as an eventual resource center for the arts & culture. Although the 11-acre grounds of Kip's Castle Park is open from dawn to dusk year-round, the house itself is normally closed to the public except for a brief few days around Christmas, when the home is decorated in vintage holiday splendor and the first floor is open to viewing. The home looks grand but is charmingly intimate inside. It doesn't take long to tour but makes for a lovely little visit if you happen to find yourself in the area over the holidays.

I absolutely love castles! First visit!…read more Kips Castle is a replica of a Medieval Castle! Located in Verona and Montclair New Jersey. The Castle was closed but you can explore the 11 acres of land on the ridge of First Mountain. You have beautiful views of the New York skyline. On our way out, saw the deers!!

12/7/25: We visited Thomas Edison's Glenmont Estate at Lewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey…read more We made our reservations online. The cost is $15 plus a $2 fee. If you have a national park visitors pass it's free. However, you'll only have to pay the $2 fee. Before the tour, you'll have to stop at the visitors center at the National Historic Park for a pass to enter Llewelyn Park. The park is located less than half mile from the estate. Ron was our guide. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house. The Edison's had six children. Thomas had three children with his first wife. After the death of his first wife, he remarried a 20 year-old young woman named Mina. She raised those children along with their three children. The interior of the home has beautifully dark carved columns. Also, the house is beautifully furnished in a classy elegant manner. Our guide told us that Mr. Edison's wife Mina did a lot of entertaining in their beautiful dining room. During those dining times, Mr. Edison retreated to his bedroom because of his hearing loss. In addition, he wanted to work on his many projects. On the grounds of Glenmont, you'll find the gravesite of Thomas and Mina Edison. In addition, Mr. Edison had his antique car garage. The Glenmont Estate of Thomas Alva Edison is truly worthwhile visiting.

The Glenmont Estate was the home of Thomas Edison. Edison had the 29 room Queen Anne home built as…read morea wedding gift for his 20 year old second wife Mina Miller in 1887. Edison and Mina raised six children at Glenmont, three chilfren were with his first wife who passed away. During his time at Glenmont various high profile quests visited Glenmont including: Henry Ford and Helen Keller. Edison died in 1931 at Glenmont, as did his wife in 1947. Their gravesites are in the rear of the house and can be visited of your tour. Other structures on the property are a garage with antique autos, a greenhouse, a stable and gift shop. The home contains furnishings, lamps household items, a lot of taxidermy but little personal items that would indicate Edison lived there. Only the first floor was open for viewing. The few rooms open were roped off. Glenmont is operated by the National Park System. It is open for tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10-4 pm beginning in April. .Tickets for the car pass can be purchased at Edison's laboratory which is about a mile down the road. Although Edison had 1,093 patents, three stand out as prominent. His invention of the electric lighting system and phonograph were invented in Menlo Park N.J. while the motion picture industry was invented in West Orange, New Jersey. National Park Passes are honored. Only a handheld camera in the interior of the home can be used and photos are only for personal use. Posting on the internet is not allowed.

Came here a few times as they host a cheese festival where vendors and cheese makers from around NJ…read morecome to serve up cheesy bites and meals for sampling. Along with that breweries from around the area come by too, including Hoboken, Montclair and Ironbound. The back area where the festival takes place is a decent size holding a sizeable amount of people. This year they opened up some of the rooms to the historical society where I learned a bit more about it. The Montclair Historical Society is a museum of sorts that holds a lot of history of the early days of Montclair and many of the surrounding towns and cities in the county. Much of this includes old county maps and roads from circa 1800's, early contributors, the start of the YMCA and more. There are tours held here and even opportunities to have wedding receptions here. Aside from events like the festival, this is a cool little history held domain.

I recently had an appointment in this building and thought it was a very interesting place. When I…read morefirst saw it, I thought it was just someone's house. I drove into the driveway and into the back, which is a parking lot with many spaces. It is nice that there are so many places to park because I know they give tours and have many events here. I entered through the back of the house and that is when I really felt like I was inside someone's house! I went up the large staircase to the second floor where my appointment was and the upstairs consists of a few rooms where people rent space. The woman I had my appointment with said there are historical maps in the closet of the room where she rents from the 1700's! I thought that was very interesting. I'm going to have to come to one of the tours or events here so I can learn more.

When you call the number on the website there are no returned calls. Same result when you email…read morethem. Nobody monitors the place. Let me save you the trouble and tell you what isn't on the website or voicemail- they're closed. It looks like it's being refurbished but who knows? There were no signs at the place either to tell you what was going on. The website still lists them open on the weekend. You can still see the outside of the house but that's it. This is bad communication for a supposed official site.

It's a very cool place and one of the guys (Bob) who helps manage it was wonderful and helpful…read more The issue is that it was not open and did not say so on the website. And no one manned the phones. So I took a gamble and went even though I assumed it would be closed. I was fine with going to the outside but most people won't be. They are opening again in September but I wish this was publicized literally anywhere.

This is a beautiful park. When you look at it on Google Earth it's huge, but it's quite small…read more There are many picturesque locations here. I'm sure many know about this park, but it's a hidden gem to me. It's perfect for a short romantic walk. Will be back.

Verona park is one of my favorites in essex county! There is plenty of parking available. It's a…read morecool place to go just to relax and people-watch, if that's your thing. I like the open space and tall trees; it feels inviting and comforting. This park is beautiful in all seasons! Also, it is a good place to walk for exercise.

I had my wedding here. The catering and everybody we hired to put together the event did a great…read morejob. We wanted to have an outdoor party. I assume this mansion is owned by somebody who rents it out. There was an older lady hanging out in the background at the venue. Because of the creepy photos, I thought she may have been a ghost but my wife saw her too, so I'm pretty sure she's real. Anyway, I was able to go out through the kitchen to sneak a smoke while our guests were enjoying cocktail hour before our entrance for the ceremony. Anyway, I go to sneak back through the kitchen, and the owner refused to let me in though the back door. Our wedding was the only thing going on there that night and I tried to convince her to let me in and pointed out that I was the only person wearing a tux. Anyway, I had to go through the main entrance and everybody knew I had been smoking. I wasn't ready to make my "entrance", and instead of "congratulations".... it was "Brian were you smoking? " Now when I look back at my wedding, all I remember is the embarrassment I felt after I was allowed out the back door and this mean old lady would not let me back the way I came. if you are considering this for your venue, yes it's a nice place, but consider how uncomfortable a mean old lady hanging around in the background watching your party because it is her property may make you and your guests feel. She was totally real.

The Oakeside Mansion in Bloomfield is a stunning venue if you love dramatic backdrops, victorian…read moreaesthetics, and dream of living in the past. It was the perfect location for my 1920s speakeasy wedding. Pricing was very affordable, especially compared to what a typical North Jersey wedding would cost. With that said, you have to be mindful and vigilant of timelines and plans. Be prepared to stay on top of them in regards to communication, it was a hassle to get answers or finalize things. (It was honestly the most stressful part of planning my wedding - just the lack of timely communication and confirmation) Be sure to keep documentation/copies of everything. Despite the communication hiccups though, it all worked out beautifully in the end. Remember that It's an old mansion, with lots of history and character. Play those details up!

I've been inside 24 Commerce a few times to get blood work done at Quest Diagnostics. Like the…read morenearby Eleven80 and Newark National buildings, 24 Commerce is one of the many historical buildings in the city. The inside has been renovated with lots of marble and gold plated fixtures. In the lobby, there is always a security guard on post, who can direct you to where you need to go. It's in a good location in the city, right in the center of downtown. It's easy to travel there by car or public transportation. There are a bunch of paid, parking lots in the area. Also, it's within walking distance of Newark Penn and nearby light rail and bus stops.

Lovely historic building that's starting to get some of the attention it apparently had needed…read more Elevators have been modernized. Clean updated restrooms. Impressive lobby. Folks at the front desk and cleaning staff are all friendly. Would love to see some of the historic flourishes such as the mail drop, clock over elevator, and interior kiosk counter at the back revitalized too. Good location; easy (mostly indoor) walk from Newark Penn. Street parking and plenty of lots near by. A range of food options within walking distance.