Welcome to the Great New Jersey Monthly Scavenger Hunt 2020. We’ve created six categories, each with six iconic New Jersey destinations. Submit a selfie from all six destinations in any one category, and you’ll be eligible for a prize drawing. Complete all six categories (36 destinations), and you’ll be eligible for our Grand Prize drawing—for a $200 American Express gift card and more!
Remember, it’s free to play and there’s nothing to buy. All you have to do is register here.
Marketing Partner: Calandra’s Mediterranean Grill
Courtesy of Calandra Bakery
Calandra’s Mediterranean Grill
Italian immigrant Luciano Calandra opened his first bakery in Newark in 1962. Today the Calandra family has five locations, included this Northern Italian-style restaurant. Enter through the lobby of the Hampton Inn & Suites. For your selfie, a hostess will guide you to the fountain in the outdoor courtyard. 118 US 46 East, Fairfield.
Courtesy of mpgulley/Flickr.com
Ringwood Manor
Built in 1807, this graceful country mansion was home to the 18th- and 19th-century ironmasters who ran the neighboring ironworks. It now houses an extensive collection of paintings and period furniture associated with its long-ago inhabitants. 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood (Ringwood State Park).
Courtesy of Pixabay
The Great Falls
Literally the driving force of Paterson’s emergence as America’s first planned industrial city, the Great Falls is now a National Historic Site. Depending on access, take your selfie from the viewing area downriver; the foot bridge; or the hillside facing the roaring falls. 72 McBride Avenue, Paterson.
Courtesy of MAP91/Wikimedia
White Manna
Serving steaming, onion-drenched sliders since 1946, this tiny little diner is among the last of its breed. Come hungry. 358 River Street, Hackensack.
Shutterstock
Colgate Clock
Colgate-Palmolive left Jersey City in 1985, but the company’s giant clock (diameter: 40 feet) still ticks away the hours at the edge of the Hudson River, just south of the Goldman Sachs Tower. 1 Essex Street, Jersey City.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Seated Lincoln statue
Dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt on Memorial Day 1911, the bronze mamorial to Abraham Lincoln is one of four public works in Newark created by Gutzon Borglum, best-known for carving Mount Rushmore. Essex County Courthouse, 50 West Market Street, Newark.
HISTORIC SITES
Marketing Partner: Morris County Tourism Bureau
Photo by Laura Baer
The Morristown Green
This 300-year-old urban oasis served as a gathering place for General George Washington’s Continental Army. Photograph yourself with the lifesize bronze statue of the general conferring with his wartime buddies Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette. Park Place, Morristown.
Courtesy of Morris County Tourism
Ralston Cider Mill
Built in 1848, the rugged stone and wood structure stands as a memorial to New Jersey’s once thriving cider and applejack industry. 336 Mendham Road West, Mendham.
The Old Barracks
Built in 1758, during the French and Indian War, the two-story stone structure originally housed British troops. It now houses a museum. As far as we know, the Brits left some years back. 101 Barrack Street, Trenton.
Courtesy of Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr.com
Grover Cleveland Birthplace
New Jersey’s only native-born president came into the world on March 18, 1837, in this modest, clapboard house. Step inside for a quick tour and you’ll see the actual cradle where the future first exec dreamed his earliest sweet dreams. 207 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell.
Courtesy of Wikimedia/Paul Lowry
Hunterdon County Courthouse
Huge crowds of curiosity-seekers jammed downtown Flemington in the winter of 1935 for a glimpse of this stately white building where Bruno Hauptmann was on trial for the kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s son. The so-called “Trial of the Century” resulted in Hauptmann’s execution two years later. 71 Main Street, Flemington.
Courtesy of Liberty Hall Museum
Liberty Hall Museum
This beautifully restored 50-room mansion was home to William Livingston, New Jersey’s first elected governor and a signer of the United States Constitution, and subsequent generations of the Livingston and Kean families. 1003 Morris Avenue, Union (at Kean University).
CENTRAL JERSEY
Marketing Partner: Williams Harley-Davidson
Courtesy of Williams Harley-Davidson
Williams Harley-Davidson
Established in 1928, Williams is one of the oldest Harley-Davidson dealerships in New Jersey. Take your selfie in the vast showroom, among the rows and rows of gleaming, pulse-raising bikes. 1100 US Highway 22W, Lebanon.
Courtesy of Jazz Guy
Edison Memorial Tower
The art-deco tower, dedicated in 1938, marks the location of the Menlo Park lab where Thomas Alva Edison and his team invented the world’s first practical incandescent light bulb in 1879. Note the bulb-like orb at the top of the tower. 37 Christie Street, Edison.
Shutterstock
Princeton Battle Monument
The colossal limestone monument, dedicated in 1922, celebrates Washington’s first great victory of the American Revolution on January 3, 1777. Among the scenes depicted is the fall of General Hugh Mercer, namesake of Mercer County. 55 Stockton Street, Princeton (adjacent to the Morven Museum).
Courtesy of Wikimedia
Thomas Paine Monument
Thomas Paine, author of the influential 1776 pamphlet “Common Sense,” lived in Bordentown from 1783 until his death in 1809. The lifesize statue honors Paine as the “Father of the American Revolution.” 4 Prince Street, Bordentown.
Courtesy of Ekem/Wikimedia Commons
Unionville Vineyards
First planted in 1987, Unionville is one of the most celebrated and picturesque of all New Jersey vineyards. Take your selfie at the red barn with the Unionville name painted on the side . 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes.
Courtesy of Keith Luke/Unsplash
Red Mill Museum
Built in 1810, the four-story mill on the south branch of the Raritan River was originally used to process wool. Today it is a museum housing artifacts dating to Colonial times. Shoot your selfie up close or from across the river for a wide scenic shot. 56 Main Street, Clinton.
DOWN THE SHORE
Shutterstock
The Windmill
The red clapboard windmill might be ersatz, but the grilled hot dogs and crinkle fries sold inside have been the real thing since 1976. Photo must be taken at the original West End location, 586 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch.
Photo by Iain Ogilvie
The Stone Pony
No, Bruce Springsteen did not get his start here, but this modest club has been the beating heart of the Jersey Shore music scene for four decades. 913 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park.
Courtesy of Wikimedia/Hypnotica Studios Infinite
Midway Steak House
Nothing says “Jersey” like a cheesesteak from this boardwalk landmark. 500 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights.
Courtesy of Wikimedia/Zach Matthai
Barnegat Light
It’s not the oldest lighthouse in New Jersey. At 169 feet, it’s not the tallest. But it has the best nickname (“Old Barney”) and is the favorite of photographers and selfie shooters. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.
Courtesy of Wikimedia/Acroterion
Lucy the Elephant
The six-story wooden pachyderm is New Jersey’s most iconic roadside attraction. You can take a tour inside her, but your selfie should capture her bright-eyed face. 9200 Atlantic Avenue, Margate City.
Shutterstock
The Wildwoods Sign
The giant “W” suggests a wave, and the colorful, scattered beachballs evoke seaside fun—which is what we want to see captured in your selfie. 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood.
SOUTHERN JERSEY
Courtesy of Wikimedia/קשישא
Battleship New Jersey
America’s most-decorated battleship now decorates the Camden waterfront. Launched one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the New Jersey saw extensive action in the Pacific throughout World War II and later during the Korean and Vietnam wars. 62 Battleship Place, Camden.
Shutterstock
Haddy the Dinosaur
When unearthed in 1858 in a marl pit in Haddonfield the bones of Hadrosaurus foulkii represented the most complete dinosaur fossil discovered to that time. A statue of the 25-ton duck-billed dinosaur (designated the state dinosaur in 1991) is now the focal point of one of New Jersey’s most vibrant downtown districts. 37 Lantern Lane, Haddonfield.
Courtesy of Alice Paul Institute
Paulsdale
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991, this stucco farmhouse was the birthplace and childhood home of Alice Paul, a leader in the Women’s suffrage movement. It is currently home to the Alice Paul Institute. 128 Hooton Road, Mount Laurel.
Shutterstock
Batsto Village
The roots of this restored village in Wharton State Forest date to 1766, when the Batsto Iron Works was built along the Batsto River. You can take your selfie in front of any one of the preserved buildings in the village, including the working sawmill. 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton.
Courtesy of Daniel D’Auria/Creative Commons
Carranza Memorial
Aviator Emilio Carranza Rodriguez was just 22 years old when he set out on what was to be the first Mexico City-New York City roundtrip. The northbound leg went fine, but after taking off in a thunderstorm from New York on July 12, 1928, Mexico’s Lindbergh crashed in the Pine Barrens. This stone spire marks the crash site. Carranza Road, Tabernacle.
Shutterstock
Fort Mott State Park
[EDITOR’S NOTE: As of August 8, Fort Mott State Park has temporarily closed; selfies at this location are no longer required.] Concerned that a foreign power might try to invade southern New Jersey? Fear not! Fort Mott’s stone fortifications at the mouth of the Delaware River have been protecting us since the late 1800s. 454 Fort Mott Road, Pennsville.
TAKE A HIKE
Courtesy of Wikimedia/Famartin
High Point Monument
The 220-foot obelisk, built in 1930 as a war memorial, marks the highest point in New Jersey. Take your selfie from afar, or drive the two-lane road through the state park to the base of the monument. 1480 Route 23, Sussex (High Point State Park).
Courtesy of jag9889/Flickr.com
Women’s Federation Monument
Dedicated in 1929 to honor the role that the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs took in preserving the Palisades, the monument has the appearance of a medieval watchtower. To reach it, park at the Stateline Lookout parking area and hike south about two miles on the Long Path (aqua markers). The hike is classified as “easy.” Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine.
Courtesy of Steven F. Reynolds
Tripod Rock/Pyramid Mountain
Tank-sized Tripod Rock, perched atop three smaller boulders, appears to defy gravity. Located along Pyramid Mountain’s blue trail, this natural wonder was formed by a receding glacier 18,000 years ago. The three-mile round-trip hike includes one slightly difficult rocky ascent/descent, several streams and awe-inspiring lookout points. 472A Boonton Avenue, Montville.
Shutterstock
Feltville
This historic area within Watchung Reservation dates to the mid-18th century. Also known as the Deserted Village, Feltville includes a church, a carriage house and eight houses—one of which is said to be home to three ghosts. It’s not necessary to include the ghosts in your selfie. 9 Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights (Watchung Reservation).
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Lebrsm
Jockey Hollow
This National Historical Park—minutes from downtown Morristown—was the site of the Continental Army’s encampment under General George Washington during the frigid winter of 1779-80. Park at the visitor center and use the 2.25-mile yellow-blazed loop for an easy hike to the cluster of rebuilt solders huts that will serve as background for your selfie. 586 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown (Morristown National Historical Park).
Courtesy of allairevillage.org
Historic Village at Allaire
The site of a 19th-century factory town, Allaire is now a living history museum with 13 original buildings dating to the 1830s. From the parking lot, walk past the Mill Pond to the main village area and shoot your selfie at the white doors of the Blacksmith Shop. Want an actual hike? Two easy trials through the surrounding state park start in the parking area. 4263 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale (Allaire State Park).