Very interesting and informative. Nice to learn about the history of this region. Also offered…read moreminiature train museum, and history of the ultra Orthodox Jews in the region.

What an outstanding presentation of Lakewood artifacts!! Each room has a wonderful tribute to…read moreLakewood and it's residents past and present.

Ive long been a fan of John F Peto's work. I was glad to be able to finally stop by. The docent…read morewas informative and charming. The staff were super friendly and the small house-museum has some remarkable pieces of art to blend in with the location of where they were created. It's a great stop if you are in the area. Learn more about this great story and support them with a ticket sale!

John F. Peto (1854-1907) was raised in Philadelphia, where he studied and exhibited art. He…read morespecialized in still-life trompe l'oeil ("fool the eye") paintings of ordinary objects. Near Toms River, NJ, a Methodist Camp Meeting Association was established in Island Heights in 1879. Peto's aunts would stay there during the summer. Peto visited them and played cornet in the local band. Peto married and decided to settle with his wife Christine in Island Heights in 1889, building a home and studio at 102 Cedar Avenue. His only child, daughter Helen, was born in 1893. He continued to paint, working in relative obscurity, until dying at age 54 of kidney disease. Then, his wife, daughter, and eventually granddaughter ran the house as a bed and breakfast. The house fell into a state of disrepair. However, a beautiful restoration of the house, studio, and gardens was completed in 2011. It is open to the public Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 pm. The admission is $10. for adults, which is really a small donation to maintain this historic artist's house. A volunteer docent takes visitors through the house. Our guide, Harry, was excellent: very knowledgeable about the house, Peto, the community, and art in general. The house features artwork by Peto, original palettes, historic photographs, period furniture, and artifacts original to the house. While touring the rooms, one gets to see a special exhibition (eg. summer 2017 watercolors and oils by Grabach and Gasser, underappreciated realist painters from Newark both of whom died in 1981). The tour ends in the studio, the heart of this home. Then, one may view a video about Peto and this house. The gardens are lovely too and there are music programs scheduled there during the summer. Check their website for changing exhibitions and programs. This place is a treat. GO!

Went to see the site of the 1937 airship Hindeburg with hopes of seeing the home of the airships…read moreUSS Macon and USS Akron. Ended up finding a jewel in the Lakehurst Historical Society Museum and several learned older gentlemen willing to take us around. A couple of highlights were in depth knowledge of the Navy's airships that could launch and recover aircraft and the hanger itself which at one time held the airship Hidenburg and USS Los Angeles at the same time. Although the hanger is huge, the Hindeburg only had 18 inches clearance on tip and tail. It was awesome.

Doing a random search online yesterday, an article about the Hindenburg's history caught my…read moreattention. The Lakehurst Historical Society is operated out at an old converted church built by Irish Railroad workers. It's considered the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Ocean County where the stations of the cross are still present. My partner and I got a chance to meet several staff. One of them was Bill Schmidt who conducted the talk about the Hindenburg air ship disaster and was excellent. He gave us the detailed account about the airship, its crew and passengers. A one-way ticket from Frankfurt, Germany to Lakehurst, NJ back in 1936 took 2 1/2 days at the cost $400. This would be a great start for those history buffs especially on the air ships.

This museum has one of the largest collections of NJ related Civil War research material in the…read morecountry - including copies of diaries, letters, newspaper clippings, memoirs, regimental histories and articles.

The mission of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey is to preserve and explain the…read moremilitary heritage of New Jersey and enhance public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and national experience. The museum collects, preserves and displays artifacts, documents, and memorabilia that have specific historical significance to the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, and the Naval Militia of New Jersey.

The next stop for us on the magical mystery tour that was the 2103 NJ Lighthouse Challenge was Sea…read moreGirt. When Sea Girt Lighthouse was constructed in 1896, the sum of $20K was appropriated to finance the entire project. During WW II, when the facility was deactivated it's original Fourth Order Fresnel lens was removed. In 2002, a new lens was purchased to replace the aero beacon that had been installed after the war. This Fourth Order lens, originally used in Australia's Crowdy Head Lighthouse carried a price tag of.....you guessed it 20K. Sea Girt is also one of the smaller lighthouses in NJ at only 42 steps and 60 feet. We visited but did not climb this one due to the fairly long wait on Saturday. I was told that the 20-30 minute wait was caused by having a very large turn out for this location due to the very limited hours that it is normally open for tours. Speaking of limited hours, Sea Girt is normally open for public tours Sunday's only from 2pm-4pm from April to November but private group tours can be arranged year round. Also noteworthy at this light is the first floor which has a lot of pieces of local martime history including some very interesting pictures of the fire on the SS Morro Castle from 1934 along with the fact that for many years it actually served as the town's library.

Amazing lighthouse. It's the most unique one we have been to. The staff are very friendly and…read moreknowledgeable. It's the only lighthouse that has a house built around it. There is a ladder that goes to the top, which can be a little nervous for smaller children and/or people who have difficulty walking.

Did the Matawan Haunted History Walking Tour. It is held by volunteers. All tour ticket proceeds go…read moreto the historical society. Tour is about 90 minutes, 1.5 mile walk. It visits haunted houses on and off Main Street. Very interesting and a little creepy (in a good way). Great refreshments at the end of the tour.

Longstreet Farm is cute, clean and well-maintained. You'll find most animals that you would expect…read moreto see on a farm like horses, cows, chickens, goats and pigs. Unfortunately during our last visit there were hardly any animals out which was odd. The area is historical with old farm houses and even staff dressed up in traditional farm clothes which is cute. There is lots of parking and across the parking lot you can find a large public bathroom area. Overall, it's a cute way place to take your kids to see some animals. Hopefully during our next visit more are out.

I always wondered where a lot of the animals went. One day you would visit and there would be a…read morecouple of 500lb + pigs and a dozen sheep. The next week there would be barely any animals. Through a Facebook post from Longstreet Farms and The Associated Humane Society of Tinton Falls now I know. Recently a pig named Elmo was rescued from the slaughterhouse in Marlboro. He was sold off when he was no longer needed by the farm. This is not a place I will be bringing my kids to any longer. This is a living history museum. There is no reason for these animals to be bred/sold at any point. This is not a for profit farm. It is a place to learn about historical farming practices. I always thought it was a sanctuary for the animals there. If they cannot care for the animals then they should not be there. Plenty of other ways to teach the community about farms without using live animals for entertainment.

Such a cool space with great local art. Jenn is an Asbury mainstay and is a wealth of information…read more It's on the first block of Cookman near a bunch of cool bars too.

This a wonderful gallery located on Cookman Street in Asbury Park and they always have interesting…read moreworks on display. Now, if we could just afford something, but that will happen someday. The owners are always welcoming and pleasant and we enjoy their input on the art work. This place is one of the reasons that Asbury continues on the track toward a complete comeback.