Jersey City Things to Do

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Well hidden behind the modern towers looming over the waterfront, Jersey City's Historic Downtown district is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.

Beautiful rows of townhouses take visitors back to the 19th century. The areas surrounding Van Vorst Park (nestled between Barrow, York & Montgomery Streets and Jersey Avenue) and Hamilton Park (at Jersey Avenue, between 8th & 9th Streets) are particularly charming.

The section of Grove Street south of 1st Street that leads to the impressive city hall is full of local eateries and shops reflecting Jersey City's diverse population and many layers of history. Newark Street, which crosses Grove Street, is also commercial, but of lesser interest to tourists in my opinion.

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Opened in 1976 to mark the United States Bicentennial, Liberty State Park may very well be the crown jewel of Jersey City.

I especially enjoyed Liberty Walkway, a promenade along the waterfront that offers surprising views of the Jersey City and Manhattan skylines, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

As well as some monuments and memorials scattered across the park, there is also a large playground for children. If you bring a picnic, you can easily find yourself loitering here for half a day. There are even barbecuing facilities in the southern end of the park

Liberty State Park is also the departing point for cruises heading to Ellis Island and Liberty Island (that bridge you will see linking the park to Ellis Island is closed to the public, cruises are the only way to go). The ferry terminal in the northeast corner of the park, at the end of Audrey Zapp Drive.

Park hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Believe it or not, I have lived in New York for most of my life and up until this past Saturday had never seen The Statue of Liberty. We got lucky and happened to be in between floors at the Liberty Science Center when I looked out the window and saw the statue. The boys thought this was the coolest thing since none of them or Richie had seen The Statue of Liberty before.

If you want to actually see more than just a view of the Statue of Liberty you can always take one of the many ferry boats to see the statue. There is not entrance fee to the statue, but there is a fee to ride the ferry. Prices start at $12 for an adult, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for children ages 4-12. If you want to go inside the statue you must have a monument access ticket from the ferry company. You can visit the statue most any day from 9-5. It is closed on Christmas Day.

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I surprised Richie and the boys with a day trip to the Liberty Science Center this past Saturday. I was sure that they would enjoy themselves, but I didn't realize that they would have such a fantastic time. Each one of the boys had their favorite activity at the center, but I think that Patrick has the best memory from the center. As part of their skyscraper exhibit they have a high rise walk that visitors can actually do. It really isn't all that high, about a floor or so, but it's still pretty scary. They fasten each person with a harness and a rope and one at a time let them walk the beams. Patrick said that it was very scary. Sebastian almost took the walk but backed down at the last moment. There are several things for kids and grown ups to do here and most of it offers some type of hands on activity. In their exhibit Eat and Be Eaten, visitors are greeted by a wildlife exhibit with a little bit of everything from bugs to lizards to fish. The entry fee for the exhibits is actually a bit on the pricey side, but luckily I have an ASTC membership with another museum so we got in for free. If you want you can see one of the many IMAX shows and a flight simulator. Through out the museum there are live demonstrations of scientific principals including a really neat on on the states of matter. If the little ones get hungry, you can stop at the snack bar. Richie got a yogurt and fruit cup for just under $4.00. We brought our own snacks and drinks since experience has taught us that if we don't we're gonna drop a fortune at the snack bar.

Hours are:
Monday-closed
Tuesday-Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

General Admission
Exhibits Only
Adult (13+) Junior (2-12) Senior (62+) Teacher Infant(under 2)
$15.75 $11.50 $11.50 $5.00 FREE
IMAX Only
$9.00 $7.00 $7.00 $8.00 N/A
JD Williams Only
$4.00 $3.00 $3.00 $3.50 FREE
JD Williams Feature
$9.00 $7.00 $7.00 $8.00 FREE

Combo Tickets

Exhibits + JDW (R) + IMAX
$24.50 $18.50 $18.50 $14.50 N/A
Exhibits + IMAX
$22.75 $17.50 $17.50 $12.00 FREE

Goldman Sachs Tower (30 Hudson Street), in Jersey City, New Jersey, is the tallest building in New Jersey, and the tallest in the United States of any building not in its metropolitan area's largest city.

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Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal runs from 1892 through 1954. This terminal stood with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to unfold one of this nation’s most dramatic stories: the immigration of northern, southern and eastern Europeans, among others, into the United States. After being greeted by the Statue of Liberty and processed at Ellis Island, these immigrants purchased tickets and boarded trains at the Terminal that took them to their new homes throughout the United States.

A drop here was no regret. This park , was opened in 1976 to celebrate the United States bicentinneal and features a beautiful, well-kept public space and a spectacular views of the New Yorker skyline, Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
A must see area!

We took advantage of the miles of walkways by walking and enjoy the New Yorker skyline. For those who have enough time, jogging, biking, rollerblading is very inviting to do. More than that, get fit with the par course that runs along Freedom Way.