Tom and I toured the mansion Saturday to celebrate Father's Day weekend. We were the only ones…read morethere and Sharon and John gave us a first-class tour, answering every question. It was exciting and informative. They have many clothing, toy, china and furniture displays to give you a good idea of how the mansion really operated at the beginning of the 20th century. I would recommend this tour to anyone with an interest in local history. Melissa S

This "park" is comprised of 22 acres of land that the township bought from the owners of Kuser…read moremansion. The mansion was built in 1882 and is architecturally interesting, as are a few of the buildings. There is a tennis house that I would love to call my own( I have a thing for tiny houses) But as a township taxpayer I can't help feeling that this property is underutilized. There is a tiny playground that seems to be forgotten. An antique tennis court that appears not to have been played on for decades. A lawn bowling court that is meticulously groomed, but does anyone even know what lawn bowling is? And grape vines that are reverting back to their wild form. A few times a year there are tours of the mansion, and in the summer months there are some concerts near the very large gazebo. But this is not a park with much recreation going on. Not really advisable for walking or jogging unless you are within walking distance. Maybe a picnic spot if you live or work nearby. With all this land it would be nice to see some biking or walking trails, or an upgraded playground at least. Still, in a township where open spaces are evaporating, I guess it is good that this land was not sold to a developer. But for the amount of taxes that residents pay, it would be better to see this park become more utilitarian. It just squeaked in at 3 Yelps.

Outstanding must see attraction for those into the outdoors, nature and animals. This place is…read morelike Horse heaven - absolutely beautiful. Given that there is no admission fee and no parking fee, was shocked to see how well maintained and beautiful the overall park was. Huge ground with several arenas for various events. The day that we went they had a horse shoe going on - saw equestrian event that one would normally see on TV live. It was really breathtaking to see the animals in action. Was amazed and in awe of how disciplined the horses were and the riders were. They have a really wonderful and huge outdoor canopy where you sit under the shade and can watch events occur. They have stables, refreshments and various Everyone was really friendly as well. Would HIGHLY recommend to take kids and families here - great way to spend a portion of the afternoon. Great experience and something totally different. PROS - Free admission, free parking ( huge parking lot ), nice outdoor seating under canopy, indoor warehouse like stadium, horse rinks are adjacent wide range of horses, events every other weekend, beautiful landscape & well kept field given it is free, food vendors during events, very nice & welcoming staff CONS - Walking areas along the rinks are not clearly marked ( need to be very careful, especially with kids, when walking alongside horses ), shabby stalls, watch out for horse manure TIPS - Visit their website and see calendar of events (i.e. barrel racing, horse shows) so that you can see full range of activities - park towards the canopy - Can visit here before heading towards great adventure or Assunpink Wildlife area ( located very close to to both )

Finally went to the Horse Park of NJ & the place was really beautiful. There are acres of land to…read moreexplore as well as several arenas where horses are trained, compete & shown. A friend & I went there for the wine fest which had been moved from previous years at Allaire State Park. Despite the threatening weather, we had a fabulous time. There were perhaps 20 wineries, each with several types of wine to try. The area is large enough that you are not 6 deep waiting to taste wines. It seemed even our favorite wineries had a nice turnover going with patrons & we had very short waits. Some of my favorite NJ wineries were on hand including Plagido, Cava, DiMatteo, & Wagonhouse, just to name a few. They had plenty of food trucks to choose from with a great variety of food. I chose one I had never seen, Mexiflip. I ordered mango tacos that were delicious! 2 tacos for $6, very reasonable for this type of venue. Admission price was the same as Allaire had been, a very reasonable $25-$30 depending when you bought your ticket. There were also plenty of port-a-johns on site. Parking is extensive & with being a spread out as the park is, there was room for an additional 2 bands to play, alternatively, on opposite sides of the area. I wish had had gotten the names of some of the entertainers as all was very good. If was a fabulous day & I will definitely be returning for the next one. Next time however, I will bring lawn chairs, as seating is not provided.

Everything you want in park. Paved walking trails as well as dirt trails. A lake stocked for…read morefishing. A playground for the kids. There is also some hydraulic exercise experiment and exercise stations along the paved trail. There is a skate park for street hockey and also ramps for skateboarding. Picnic areas some have covered pavilions great to host birthday parties. Did I mention the sand volleyball courts. Tennis, soccer, baseball. Plenty of restrooms. Well maintained. Also there is wildlife deer, squirrels lots of birds. I've seen some red fox early in the AM. Obviously I'm a huge fan.

Verterans Park is a nice sized park that's easily accessible from multiple points. The park is…read morewell equipped with various sporting facilities, including tennis courts, volleyball nets and even a small, ver basic, skate park. There's even a location for roller hockey. There are play areas for kids, and picnic tables (including covered picnic locations) for families looking to spend some time out of doors. It can be very crowded on a nice weekend, which is both good and bad, as I'm glad that they park is being used by the Township's citizens, but at the same time, you always want the nice places all for yourself. There are parking areas on different sides of the park, and I prefer to park on the Hamilton/Whitehorse Road side, but that spot is pretty small, is popular with runners, and fills up especially fast on weekends. To make matters worse, for some reason the City recently installed E-Car charging stations there (sure, pick the smallest lot--nice work, Hamilton), so parking in those four spaces is no longer available for anyone, as the even the e-cars must leave after charging. There are well paved paths that lead through the park, and there are park maps located in a few places along the main paved paths. There are also dirt trails that lead through the more wooded areas in the park, but sadly, they are very poorly marked--meaning almost not at all, and it's up to you to figure them out. However, the park isn't so big that you can really get lost, so...go out and try to get lost, and you'll figure out the dirt trails soon enough. They aren't nearly as popular as the paved trails, so they should be your destination if the sensation of having the park to yourself is a goal. There's a dog park located by the Kuser Road entrance. There's a fenced in area for large and smaller dogs, but to be brutally honest, both areas are tiny compared to the expansive dog park located at Rosedale Park in nearby Pennington. That said, if you just want to bring your dog to a place where they can socialize and you're not worried about them having a place to run, it's fine. Just make sure you walk them through the main park itself before or after so that they can get some exercise. On the negative side, other than the poorly marked dirt trails and the underwhelming size of the dog park, the main problem in Veterans Park, which is pretty much the main problem in every park in the county. The city recently put up signs saying there will be improvements made to the paths that include separate bike lanes. It's a good idea, and a necessary one , but I'll be surprised if the people on feet respect the bike lines. Prove me wrong, Hamilton!

Seriously Arthur P.? This is an outdoor venue and describing yourself as a little high maintenance…read moreis a stretch, This place is awesome. My kids have been going to the day camp for years and I have attended numerous events on the weekends and have always been super pleased! The attractions are well maintained, the staff is awesome, and the food is BBQ style---hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken on the grill--what more can you ask for at a picnic? I love this place and would highly recommend it to anybody, any time!

I had a Good time here!! We had our family reunion here. It was about 3 other families that was…read morethere also. Our family had the part that was close to the grill and the section with the stages. There were a lot of activities to do here. Pool, zip line, ice cream, paddle boat. It's worth the money. A lot of fun!!!

Parking lot. Restrooms…read more Playground. Gazebo. (a bit of a) Paved walkway. Dock. Pond. Field. ...it has all (most) of the elements you'd want/need/expect in a "park" but it's still pretty darn tiny all around. The only reason we went out of our way to visit... raconteur/enfant terrible/mastermind Orson Welles' broadcast from 1938. Early morning, first-Sunday-of-summer, perfect weather, it was a really nice and relaxing stroll through nature and getting wrapped up in the whole "Weird NJ"-ish-ness of the location. Glad to have checked it out, read up on the history/trivia of The Mercury Theater's stunt, Zen'ed out a bit looking at the pond (and fisherman out yonder) and then it was time to head back home.

GROVERS MILL/WEST WINDSOR: thanks to the TikTok account, Vintage.newjersey, we were reminded of…read morethe legendary moment that put this small town on the map, quite literally. Grovers Mill was the accidental epicenter of the infamous 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles, which caused widespread panic as listeners believed a real Martian invasion was underway. The writers reportedly chose the location by dropping a pencil on a map, launching Grovers Mill into unexpected fame and chaos. You can experience this quirky slice of history by visiting the monument commemorating the event in Van Nest Park. Follow the short, paved path to the right of the playground to find informational displays about the broadcast. Continue walking to the field, and look to your left, the monument is slightly tucked away behind some bushes. The park itself is a lovely place to relax: bring a picnic, enjoy the playground, or sit on a bench overlooking the serene Grover's Mill Pond. Leashed and friendly dogs are allowed! Just up the road, be sure to stop by the Red Barn, a charming spot and perfect backdrop for a photo.

I remember back in the 80s when this was a dilapidated chicken farm. In recent years it's been…read moreconverted to a really nice municipal park. It's really great for families. They have lots of baseball diamonds. They also have really good playground equipment. I know a grandmother who loves pushing her granddaughter around in the stroller on the track around the perimeter. There's no cost to use the facility, which is nice. It's not worth traveling to, but if you live in toms River it's a good place to visit just to get out or if you have kids playing games here.

The Van Nest Wildlife Refuge is an underused, 98-acre area located at the edge of Hamilton Township…read moreand adjacent to Mercer County Park. The trails stemming from the parking lot there all eventually lead to Mercer Lake--specifically leading to the dam there that creates and holds back the lake itself. You can create your own loop, and the trails are all pretty manageable on foot or bike, but leave the stroller at home. The area is full of wildlife and native flora, and makes a great nature walk to observe the animals and birds. I've never encountered anyone along the wooded portions of the trail. However, the Long Trail that runs through Mercer County Park and into the refuge along the Assunpink is popular with trail bikers, and you're likely to see one or two come through on their bikes. The area is accessed by a dirt road off the North side of Hughes Drive right at the intersection with Quakerbridge Road. It's easy to miss, and with traffic it might be hard to enter unless you're driving South on Hughes to make an easy right turn onto the dirt road. I've never seen a good map of the area, but if you have the Strava, Komoot, or Footpath apps, you can see the trails there and use your phone to choose your route. The NJ Trails Association map of Mercer County Park can be used in a pinch, but I found my phone to be a better guide. That said, there are a number of criss-crossing trails in area, so it can be confusing without a map, but as long as you pay attention to where you've walked, I don't think the lack of a map would be a reason not to go. It's not a huge area, and unless you're directionally challenged, you'll eventually (probably) find your way out

JACKSON: Brie had a fun walk on the trail at Gil Putnam Memorial Park AKA Jackson Forest! Leashed…read moredogs are allowed to explore the pretty dirt path through the woods. It was very peaceful and refreshing! We got so excited when Brie jumped over a log! Jackson Township plans to build a second off-leash dog park here too! As soon as we hear more information, we'll pass it along! (The current and popular dog park is located at Johnson Memorial Park.) There is no exact address, but putting the name of the park into your GPS should get you there. It is about 1-mile east of Cassville Rd.