Newark Things to Do

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New Jersey's Central train station and ferry terminal was, for many decades the entrance door for millions of immigrants, in search of the New World.

Today, is just a respectful memory. If you are waiting the boat to New York, it's a free alternative to fill your time.

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offers an array of activities and facilities, such as the Liberty Science Center, an Interpretive Center, and the restored historic railroad terminal. Visitors may enjoy picnicking, fishing & crabbing, and strolling along the Liberty Walk. The park also features a boat ramp, large vessel marina, pool and tennis courts. This is a good place to catch the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty ferry.

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One of the accesses to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island, this park is a wide area, with several interesting points, with evidence to the old New Jersey Railroad Terminal.

Only a couple of minutes away from Manhattan by taxi boat, it allowed us a smart, quicker, easier and cheaper visit than using the car or any other kind of public transport.

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The Newark Museum is one of the New York City area's most underrated institutions. It has a good collection of 19th century American art and one of the best collections of Tibetan art outside of Asia. One of my favorite parts of the musem is the Ballantine House, a 19th century mansion adjacent to museum that visitors can tour. The Ballantine House and its furnishings have been preserved as they appeared in the early 1900s. During the Christmas season, the Ballantine House is decorated for the holidays as it would have been 100 years ago.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is Newark's Roman Catholic cathedral and the heart of the Newark archdiocese, which serves heavily Catholic Northern New Jersey. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the United States, but also one of the least-frequently visited by tourists due to its location (about 1/2 mile from downtown Newark). The inside of the cathedral is beautiful, with plenty of stained glass windows and stone carvings. The cathedral took over 50 years to build, and it is evident from the amount of detail in its decorations. In addition to the beautiful stained glass windows, some of the highlights of the interior include an ornate baptismal font, mosaic stations of the cross, the carvings in the entry area, and numerous small outer chapels.

We most recently visited the cathedral on a weekday, and there were less than 10 people in the entire building. It is truly an underappreciated gem. Millions of people visit St. Patrick's cathedral in New York City every year, yet 10 miles away in Newark, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, which is just as beautiful, is almost forgotten.

1. Cherry Tree Festival at Branchbrook Park in April- This park was more white and pink cherry trees than Washington DC. In the spring, as a celebration it offers a weekend full of cultural and culinary activities at the park.

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Newarks oldest building is a Dutch colonial farmhouse built around 1710. It is located next to the House of Prayer and served as its rectory from 1850. The rev. Hannibal Goodwin invented flexible film, the basis for the motion picture industry, in the top floor laboratory in 1887.
The House of Prayer is Newark's third oldest Episcopal church, designed by Frank Willis in an English Gothic style.

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Having visited the Newark Museum and adjacent Ballantine House on a dark day, we thought to see the New Jersey Historical Society Museum as well. It is on walking distance of the Newark Museum, close to the NJ Performing Arts Center.

The NJHS Museum is older than the Newark Museum, the society and its museum were founded in 1845. The museum houses collections of books, pamphlets, paintings, furniture and memorabilia about New Jersey. There are changing exhibits and the society organizes a calender of activities for adults and for children, e.g. historic walking tours through Newark.

Admission to the museum is FREE. Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm.

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Start your trip at the well-maintained art-deco Penn Station and head west to Downtown Newark. Broad Street, the heart of downtown, is a bustle of activity. This extremely wide boulevard is crowded with numerous discount shops and street vendors. Although there is a noticeable absence of chain stores and much of downtown Newark offers lower end retail, the area is quickly changing. Stores like Starbucks and Old Navy have set up business here. However, amazing architecture within sight of decrepit storefronts means that work is still in progress. After all, Downtown Newark is an interesting blend of gentrification and poverty. Buildings in Downtown Newark range from four to 35 stories tall presenting indiscriminate architecture. Many of the buildings are also historic with the oldest one dating from 1710. Military Park is just a little further up and contains a bronze statuary group “War of America” sculpted by Gutzon Borglom. Just to the north beyond Military Park lies Downtown Newark’s cultural center. Points of interest include the Newark Museum, the Newark Public Library, and the New Jersey Historical Society. The Newark Museum, devoted to art, science, and industry, has a noteworthy collection of Tibetan art. Heading towards east, near the riverfront are the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the Newark Bears minor league baseball stadium, and the Gateway, a series of office buildings. From operas and musicals to dance performances and Kwanzaa celebrations, the NJPAC meets its stated goal of cultural enclosure.

The ironbound section of Newark is the city's Spanish and Portuguese neighborhood. It is also Newark's most popular neighborhood, because it is full of excellent Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants. Unlike some areas of Newark, the Ironbound is fairly safe to walk around and park your car in. Also, many of the restaurants have their own private parking lots.