Nice park, with trails and bathroom. Maybe not be accessible for those in wheelchairs. The museum…read moreis pretty and the Christmas tours a defiantly worth the time and money. The lake has fishing available.

This is a very interesting park. I visited back in June at the height of park season so to speak,…read moreand was delighted by the area. The mansion grounds are open to explore, and they keep the landscaping in good condition. You can wander around many of the buildings as well, and we stumbled upon an art gallery made entirely of repurposed materials (such as some awesome dryer lint portraits; I wish I could remember the artist's name!). If you venture into the park definitely check out their floating trail (i.e. a walking bridge that spans the entire lake) and their butterfly garden (which houses mostly moths but is still cool). I found this place really enjoyable, and even romantic to walk around it with your partner. Definitely the best park in Burlington county.

A hard working…read moretown Mount Holly, New Jersey got it start way back in 1677 when Walter Reeves acquired or perhaps stole the land from the indigenous Lenape natives. It was named Northampton by 1688 and was a farming and agricultural community because that's what people did back then. Over the years, decades, and centuries the little town grew until by the 19th century it was a vigorous and thriving mill and factory town. Goods were manufactured and shipped all over the world. Lots of German and Irish immigrants ended up here to work hard in the mills and start families. The town kept growing and developed a reputation for making fine products. Wars came and went, floods happened, some mills shut down and others opened. People were born and others died. Time pasted peacefully for the town and for the most part it's people were happy and healthy. Then in the 1950's the mills and factories started shutting down, put out of business by foreign manufacturers that could produce the same items at less cost. People began moving out of the town to find other places to work. People were born and others died. Like most towns Mt Holly has it's share of famous or distinguished people that started life here. James Abert, the explorer, Paul Doguereal, the pianist, France Harris, a football player, Geraldine Little, the poet, John Woolman, anti-slavery advocate, Barbara Parks, children's writer and Sonja Verdell Olson all first got their taste of life in Mount Holly. In the 70's the malls out in the suburbs started springing up and put further economical strain on the town because the local businesses started disappearing. Since then the town has struggled at times but manage to stay alive. The population continues to decrease but new incentives have revived some of the stores and businesses in the center of the town. Today Mount Holly is a fascinating place that makes no attempt to hide it's old mill origins. Some cool murals and paintings on walls, pleasant little restaurants and historic houses. Nice festivals and art and crafts shows and always, very, very nice, honest and hard working people. A town with a prosperous past, peaceful present and of course an uncertain future. Always was and always will be a hard working small town that is never afraid to show what it was and what it is. Never anything pretentious or phony. A town where people live, love and work. A lovely place to visit and probably a better place to live. A town where very special people are born and very special people die.

Wonderful site educating and celebrating NJ history. Handicap friendly. Tour guide was…read moreincredible 5/31 @ 1300. I don't recall his name but he was awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating to those with special needs. I will definitely visit again to learn more.

Atsion Village and Mansion is one of the best kept secrets in South Jersey. The mansion itself is…read morevery well preserved, and you can take tours of it on the weekend in the summer. Many people do not know about the furnace/iron industry in South Jersey that thrived in the early 19th Century, and you can come here to learn all about it. Our tour guide was 80 years old and lived in the area her whole life. She knew EVERYTHING about the history of Atsion, and we both loved listening to her talk. The park service officer who greeted us in the historic general store also filled us in about the history of the village. The cemetery and church are really cool, too. You can combine your visit with lying on the beach on the lake, too.

BORDENTOWN: we love NJ history and had a chance to check out the exterior of the Clara Barton…read moreSchool, NJ's first free public school that was started by the famous Clara Barton! She was the founder of the American Red Cross, worked as a nurse during the civil war, and also known for her humanitarian work and civil rights advocacy, among other things. The Clara Barton School is a small brick building that has been around even before Clara Barton made it into a free school in 1921 and is kept in great condition by the Bordentown Historical Society, New Jersey Historic Trust, and volunteers. Due to the historical nature of the building, dogs are not allowed inside, but can join you outside the beautifully maintained historic site.

The grounds and gardens are fabulous, and the house is wonderfully curated. A storied family with a…read morerich and vibrant history, the Biddles have played a pivotal role throughout American history, and the staff does a superb job of guiding the visitor through the many chapters of this legendary lineage.

Andalusia is such a hidden gem!! Located in Northeast Phila, right on the Delaware River, this…read morearboretum/garden estate is honestly magical. From the moment you enter you feel like you are anywhere but Northeast Philly! The grounds are pretty expansive with a variety of landscape design. It's a gorgeous place to wander on a nice day. It's also the ideal spot for a photo shoot - tons of backdrop options!! They do have limited visiting hours so check online before you plan to go - and you will need a ticket. I went on one of their few 'Open Saturdays.' Tickets were $15 each and for a two hour time period. I specifically went to have some photos taken and was not disappointed with them! Stunning backgrounds and lighting. Visitors are also welcome to bring a picnic lunch and sit out by the water, which I did. There is so much space which makes it easy for social distancing, though it wasn't crowded at all. Parking is easy, too. They have a large grassy area fir cars to park on. I believe they have a restroom for guests too, though I didn't use it. This is such a beautiful spot, I will definitely be back in the spring to see the flowers blooming!

The food was amazing. I had the pasta special, which was a creamy pesto pasta with chicken, and it…read moredefinitely did not disappoint.

The Old Barracks was built in 1758 to house British soldiers during the French and Indian…read moreWar--picture redcoats grumbling about colonial weather and terrible coffee. Later it became one of Washington's military hospitals during the Revolution, and parts of it are still original. They're doing some renovations now, but any history buff will find this place fascinating. Inside you've got galleries, a gift shop, meeting spaces, and staff who are genuinely passionate about keeping history alive. Go, learn something, enjoy the energy of the fun tour guides. It's under construction right now, but I've been coming here for years when I visit family in Jersey, and it's always worth the stop. Trenton may be scrappy, but the Old Barracks is one of its gems.

Amazing property, it is a hidden gem. Went with my family for the tour and everyone enjoyed it!read more

Wow. What a unique, random gem and historic property. What is Fonthill and why is there a castle in…read moreDoylestown, Pennsylvania? Fonthill Castle was the home of archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. (Also in Doylestown are two more Mercer buildings you can tour - the Mercer Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works building, the business Mercer ran and where most of the tiles in the castle were produced.) Henry Mercer seems like he was an interesting guy, and you can see that in his home - 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, 200 windows, who knows how many staircases...! And designed and decorated in a way I've never seen anywhere else. The castle is an early example of poured-in-place concrete building and is a mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles. And there are, of course, Moravia tiles (and some historic and international tiles that he collected during his life) throughout the house - almost more than you could imagine. We visited last Saturday to experience their "Fonthill Castle Holiday Lights Meander Experience," which allows you to visit the castle through a self-guided experience (there were staff in various rooms who were happy to answer questions) and enjoy a series of Christmas trees on display throughout the home. I definitely enjoyed the experience but am definitely planning a return visit to see the castle in better light (not at night in the dark - which was perfect for the Christmas tree experience) - they offer 60-minute guided tours though the house for most of the year! The castle is pretty wild, and I look forward to visiting it again and experiencing it in a new way. If you are interested in architecture, art, crafts, the Arts and Crafts design movement, or just quirky, unusual places, definitely add Fonthill to your list and check it out!