With careful observation, the Garden State can transform into a realm where fairy tales come to…read morelife. Between the highways, farmlands, and beaches lies a series of historic mansions and modern palaces for guests to explore. Wealthy owners constructed many of NJ's castles during the Gilded Age. The late 19th century was a boom time for industrialists and capitalists, and it became fashionable to showcase one's wealth. Located on Garret Mountain overlooking the City of Paterson, this well-known landmark was once a private residence fashioned after an English castle, where my partner and I returned after undergoing 6 years of significant restoration work. Their website made it easy to book a reservation, ensuring reduced wait times, comfortable capacity management, and a smooth, welcoming visit for everyone. Built in 1892 and originally called Belle Vista, Lambert Castle was the domain of silk moguls Catholina and Isabella Lambert. It was constructed in the Medievel Revival architectural style out of local sandstone and granite. Lambert's fortune rose and fell with the silk industry, and he later auctioned off most of the works to pay his debts. Upon arrival at the visitor center, formerly the carriage house, we were greeted by the staff, where all guided tours begin, lasting 1 1/2 hours. Our guide was Mary Beth. She provided us wonderful information, pointed out small details like the door hinges or artwork, and answered our questions as a group of 19 patrons looked at each room much brighter. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside to preserve the interior for future visitors and make patrons appreciate what they were looking at. Lambert Castle serves as a physical time capsule that reflects the shifting fortunes, societal values, and architectural ambitions of the eras in which it was built and would be great for a visit.

4/10/26 (Update) After many years, I was so excited to see…read morethe reopening of the refurbished Lambert Castle. You can purchase your tickets online or at the new visitors center. The admission tickets are $10. Zak was a wonderful tour guide. He gave us the history of the castle owners. In 1892, the castle was built by Catholina Lambert (the owner of the Paterson Silk Mills for his wife). Please see my original review for the history. We were informed "Not to photograph any of the interior in order to preserve the interior for future visitors". Upon entering the castle, you will be required to put booties on over your shoes. This is in order to preserve the floors. The castle does have 3 levels along with an elevator. In the foyer overhead, you'll see a magnificent colorful rectangle shaped Tiffany light fixture. It extends approximately 2' Wide and 6' in length. The furnishings were very elegant, yet very homey. All the rooms are filled with stunning sculptures and artwork. Some of items were on loan from different places. For example: The beautiful Grandfather clocks really caught my eye. They were on loan from the Ringwood Manor. (The Ringwood Manor is presently being refurbished and will be reopening soon). Hope everyone gets a chance to see this beautifully refurbished castle. Lambert Castle has two levels of parking.

Visited during open Cockpit day and had a great time!…read more there was ample parking space and place was fully staffed for the day. There wasnt any tours but there was staff all over the place and who could tell you more about the exhibits if you asked or if you simply want to engage in conversation. It was a perfect little trip as the place wasnt overwhelmingly large. Great for place toddlers too. The planes were nicely preserved and taken care off, the hall of fame was informative and loved that there were preserved items all the way from worldwar 2. there were also interactive spaces inside the museum. a good way to spend an hour or two for the day.

The Aviation Hall of Fame is a definite must see for all ages!…read more The place is located next to Teterboro Airport. First you'll see a 20 minute video of an overview of aviation. Next, you'll walk through several rooms filled with aircraft, helicopters, many airplane models and other displays. Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee room has plaques honoring the many men and women who have dedicated their lives to the field of aviation. "Buzz" Aldrin, Admiral Halsey, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart are only a few of the familiar inductees. While visiting, I learned that Arthur Godfrey (widely known in the early days of Radio/TV) was a great aviation participant and inductee. Outside, you can climb aboard an old tourist plane. - Lots of leg room was available! Aviation Hall of Fame celebrates over 50 years! 1972 - 2023. It's is open Wednesday - Saturday.

If you enjoy taking perspective photos, then this is the place to be. Located inside the American…read moreDream mall, Tilt is not so much a traditional museum but rather an interactive exhibit featuring 20+ different pieces of 3D art. As you proceed through each art piece, there are makers conveniently placed on the floor with example photos along the walls to show you where to stand and what angle to take the picture from in order to get the desired effect. My favorites were the Statue of Liberty, the arcade, and the dragon. This place is best enjoyed if you have someone to go with. The staff was very friendly and offered to take us group photos on multiple occasions. All in all, we spent about an hour here and had a fun time.

A fun time even if you're solo. But with people cutting in and out and heavy traffic, it can be…read morechallenging getting pictures. A quick experience [c, as you can do the whole thing in 15-30 minutes, depending on how much you focus on getting the perfect picture. Staff was fine.

LOVED spyscape! Amazing for family or group event. Clean facility and well coordinated from staff…read more It was a nice break from the hustle! The staff was beyond helpful finding a lost piece of jewelry! Forever grateful for their professionalism and diligence with recovery!!

This was such a fun and unique experience! I surprised my boyfriend with this for his birthday, and…read morehe absolutely loved it. The challenges, puzzles, and games really make you think--you definitely have to process the clues carefully! There are multiple levels to complete, and throughout the experience you're asked questions that determine what type of agent you are, which was a really cool touch. It was challenging, but in the best way. Now that I understand how everything works, I definitely want to go back and do it again to see if I can do even better! If you're looking for something interactive, different, and a lot of fun, I highly recommend checking this place out. We'll definitely be back!

I had to run it back while in NYC and this was one of my favorite dates I've ever went on!…read more My friends had never been so they trusted me with a good time. We had so much today and it brought back the first time I came here and the amazing memories we made. It allows you to be a kid again and enjoy sweet treats and cool rooms while capturing photos ! Pending my link , then I'll update more photos #RICJAMES4EVA lol

Color-Free Factory Aug 2026…read more My advice: money is green, which is a color. Keep your green money in your pocket and don't spend it at Color Factory. A color museum should have COLOR. This place was unbelievably shabby and unloved, the confetti room had no confetti, the color rooms were just painted empty dark closets the size of a mop and bucket. The whole thing could be done better in your own garage with three quarts of Sherwin-Williams paint and a roll of paper towels for confetti. The ball pit was only ankle deep in balls. I'm so embarrassed for Color Factory, I could make this place better in one long weekend with $100 and the help of three kids from a teenage art class. Collect colored objects from Goodwill, buy paint samples from Lowe's! Let kids paint! Buy colored plastic magnets and some light tables! In such a creative city packed with broke art students, this place should be amazing. It could be a home for inventive uses of color and design, instead of a broken, shabby, color-free house of sad. Skip Color Factory and just go for a walk in amazing New York. There's more color and creativity in one city block, and it's free.

I didn't know what to expect, but a few different friends recommended that I visit the Museum of…read moreSex while in NYC. Tickets felt fairly pricey, and entry is timed. Once I got to explore all the traditional and interactive exhibits (except I didn't spend much time at the bar/restaurant) I understood why and appreciated that they limit the number of patrons inside the space at any given time. Love what this museum stands for and all the education their exhibits do on the history and general topic/stigma of sex. Lots of neon lights and "psychedelic" displays. The gift shop was fun too. As a future therapist, I appreciated each exhibit for a different reason, and it was fun to reflect on my own beliefs and biases. Would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a new and refreshing entertainment option in NYC!

My friend and I ended up at the Museum of Sex completely randomly after spotting it while we were…read moreon our way somewhere else! When you first walk in, you're greeted by a shop that has pretty much anything you could want from a sex shop. All of the staff members we interacted with were also really friendly and welcoming! We enjoyed some of the history and artwork, and there were definitely some interesting things to see, but I also felt like a lot of it was there purely for shock value. There was a short movie before the games section that I honestly didn't really understand or see the point of. The games were entertaining, although a lot of them felt a little dated. Some were fun, and you can scan to play most of them, but they don't really make it clear that you only get one free play before having to pay. Considering the price of admission, I feel like the games should be included without additional charges. Overall, I'm glad we went, and it was definitely a unique way to spend some time in NYC. It's one of those places that's fun to experience at least once, especially with a friend or partner, but I don't think there's enough there to justify the ticket price or make me want to go back. Worth checking out if you're curious!

I visited the mansion for the We May be Right band concert and enjoyed the experience. Whenever you…read morego for a concert, you also have the opportunity to visit the outdoor areas such as the fountain, gardens and take some nice photos. We brought a cooler with some snacks, drinks along with our beach chairs and it was a very pleasant afternoon. They also have a vending machine selling water and some other items should you need. Every single staff member I dealt with was super friendly and the place is beautiful. It's a good opportunity to take some nice photos. And the "We may be right" Billy Joel tribute band made our experience even more pleasant. I haven't visited the Planetarium or the inside part of the mansion so I can't comment on that.

7/31/26 I haven't been to a laser show since I was a…read moreteenager. Now I'm a senior citizen. I get free tickets through AARP for the first show of the month and this month is The Grateful Dead. As we were guests of the band often (our friend was Brent Midland's assistant) we saw many a concert. My husband was blah about going, but really happy after. It blew my mind - and I don't do drugs. The sound system was amazing. The lasers were surprisingly good, although quite antiquated. My favorites were when you felt you were enveloped in the lasers. I was lost for an hour, in a good way. Luckily, hubby has a handicapped placard and we were able to park steps from the front door. I would have liked to have parked in the regular parking lot and walk, but that's no longer in the cards for us. The grounds are beautiful for as much as we could see in the dark.We would have loved to see the meteor shower, but that was not in the cards either.The show was from 9:30pm to 10:30pm (way past my bedtime) and over an hour away which was a complete bummer. In any case, this was a wonderful event. Join AARP if you're over 50 as the benefits are great.

If you are a movie lover, you need to visit the museum of moving image. For 20 dollars you have…read moreaccess to 3 floors of exhibits related to cinema and moving images. We loved exploring all the exhibits. My favorite was the Jim Henson exhibit. They have a lot of interactive exhibits to engage with including a make your own stop motion video, which you can then send to yourself. A great place to get lost in for a few hours. I absolutely loved my time here and recommend highly. Make sure to check out the gift shop before you leave, lots of movie related items to browse upon.

Very cool museum for all ages and best if you can go on an off day to do some of the more…read moreinteractive elements. Starting with the history of early images to equipment history in film, television, and documentaries, to interactive elements in dubbing and sound design. If it's busy, it might be not worth the wait to try some of the activities. The Jim Henson exhibit was well worth it. Learning about his story and seeing some of the puppets and props was very amusing. There's a lot of other movie memorabilia and props and merchandise worth looking over. Downsides: I didn't think the temporary exhibits were worth any time to walk into. The ticket price was okay but a bit on the higher side, so it's annoying when it costs extra to see a film. The gift shop was almost nonexistent, but the employee was very cheerful. They have old video game display, but it seems a bit much to charge for them. There's a little Egyptian themed theater, currently showing Felix the Cat shorts, but it feels like it used to have more of a purpose and now it just is filler. Nice place to sit around though. All and all, it's a fun way to spend a few hours learning about the history of moving images. It's not too far from the subway, so it's worth a ride out to Queens to see it.

*** 5,500th review ***…read more I don't know what took me so long to check out the Hudson River Museum. The views, alone, would be reason enough to visit. I was initially drawn to the impressive dollhouse, but there are also so many other cool paintings, sculptures, and photographs here. The museum building itself is very bright and welcoming. Check out the courtyard, too, where there were some lawn games over the summer. We also explored the education center, which seems to have an ongoing activities for kids. Next time I visit, I'll check out the planetarium!

Mark Twain called the late 19th century the "Gilded Age." It saw the creation of a modern…read moreindustrial economy, a national transportation and communication network. In the HBO drama "The Gilded Age," the characters are keenly aware that they live in interesting times, and this establishment was featured as Mrs. Astor's home. Built for millionaire banker John Bond Trevor and his family, Glenview Mansion has been painstakingly restored by the Hudson River Museum, which is a hidden gem located in Yonkers. Guided tours are offered to six fully restored rooms (Great Hall, Sitting Room, Parlor, Dining Room, Ebony Library, and Billiard Room), which my partner and I had the pleasure of today at $20 per adult and can be purchased on their website. Since his primary residence was in NYC, this 19th-century seasonal home was used from April to December each year and sits on a 23-acre estate. The owner commuted into his office on Wall Street in New York City, about 23 miles away. Upon entering the mansion, it showcases late Victorian with the colorful tiles on the floor, the high ceilings, and the furniture and fixtures such as the Tiffany and Co. grandfather clock, a Victorian recliner chair, or the storybook tiles over the fireplace in the Great Hallway. The original home featured a wraparound balcony that could be accessed through the Sitting Room, but it was later removed in order to lower maintenance costs. Besides the mansion, the museum is a complex of galleries that present changing art exhibitions, a permanent Hudson River School collection, a planetarium, an amphitheater, and educational spaces for all ages. The staff was friendly. The interior was very well kept and organized. With great views of the Hudson River, this is a relatively short day trip, which we can recommend.

It's an awesome place to see things invented in Paterson! They have a steam engine outside that…read morewas used to build The Panama Canal!

On 7/18/23, we visited the Paterson Museum for the 2nd time…read more This museum is truly a hidden gem filled with so much history. Outside the museum, you'll see a train at least a century old. In addition, some interesting modern sculptures surround the building. Inside the museum, you'll see the history of the Leni Lenape Indians. The museum has a wonderful display of minerals from NJ. Over a century ago, Paterson was known as t "Silk City of the World". You'l see the old loom machines from yesteryear. One very large display case has many of the old "Colt" revolvers manufactured in the city Paterson. The museum has a section dedicated to John P. Holland. Mr. Holland designed and built the first underwater vessel accepted by the U.S. Navy. On a lighter note, you'll see many pictures of Paterson's own beloved comedian, Lou Costello ("Hey Abbott!" ) of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Admission is free. The museum does welcome donations.