Day Trips

The region's marquee aquarium — 15,000+ animals, the world's longest Shark Bridge, a shark tunnel, and Nile hippos. Across the river from Philadelphia.

Camping beside the historic Allaire Village and Pine Creek Railroad (check status — family sites periodically under renovation; group camping open).

Dinosaurs, dioramas, the Rose Center & Hayden Planetarium — the world's largest natural history museum.

Lively boardwalk with music venues, dining, arcades and a wide beach.

Smaller, recently renovated aquarium at Historic Gardner's Basin on the AC waterfront.

Free beach along the famous boardwalk — casinos, Steel Pier & shops (~90 min).

Pine Barrens camping, cabins and swimming at Lake Absegami.

WWII battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62), now a museum & memorial on the Camden waterfront.

Hudson Highlands park — summit views, Perkins Memorial Tower, a lake and a small zoo (~90 min).

Wide, family-friendly beach with a boardwalk — a Jersey Shore day-trip favorite.

Small county zoo focused on animals of the Americas; low-cost family outing.

One of the Northeast's most famous hikes — a steep, scrambly climb with Hudson River views (strenuous; **check trail status — periodic closures for construction**).

One of the largest metropolitan zoos in the US — 265 acres, Congo Gorilla Forest, Wild Asia Monorail.

Encyclopedic art museum with a celebrated Egyptian collection and American art; next to the Botanic Garden.

Walk-in oceanside tent camping in a national park (reserve via Recreation.gov, 1-877-444-6777; seasonal).

Victorian seaside town with beaches (badges required), a lighthouse & whale-watching (~2.5 hrs).

Free county zoo with 550+ animals across 85 acres — consistently top-rated (longer drive, ~2 hrs).

Boardwalk amusement pier (coasters, rides) plus Breakwater Beach waterpark on the Jersey Shore.

Compact, charming zoo inside Central Park — sea lions, penguins, snow leopards.

The closest state park to Edison — trails through salt marsh, pine barrens and hardwood forest (~20 min).

Closest state-park camping to Edison — tent & trailer sites near salt marsh and forest (~20 min).

Free NYC beach with Luna Park, the NY Aquarium & the boardwalk — subway-accessible.

The iconic red-dot climb to a Water Gap overlook — strenuous but stunning (~90 min).

Construction-themed adventure park where kids (and adults) operate real diggers and machinery.

Combined amusement park + waterpark near Allentown (~90 min).

1,000+ acres of easy paved trails, meadows and a lake — stroller- and bike-friendly (~30 min).

Interactive zoo near Philly with giraffe feeding and a treetop adventure course.

42-acre sculpture park, arboretum & museum with 270+ contemporary works; near Princeton.

Rocky trails along the Black River with rapids and boulders — beautiful in fall (~60 min).

Large NY campground amid 200+ miles of trails and dozens of lakes (~90 min).

Large amusement park with 15+ coasters, a waterpark, and ZooAmerica — the "sweetest place on earth" (~2.5 hr drive).

The highest point in NJ (1,803 ft) with a memorial monument and panoramic tri-state views (~90 min).

Tent sites around Sawmill Lake below NJ's highest point (~90 min).

Aircraft carrier USS Intrepid with warplanes, the submarine Growler, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

Indoor amusement park — rides, arcade, go-karts & games; good rainy-day option.

10-mile undeveloped barrier island — natural dunes, swimming, fishing & kayaking.

On the boardwalk — sharks, penguins, seals, reptiles; pairs with a day at the shore.

Massive Long Island state beach — 6.5 miles of ocean, a 2-mile boardwalk & an amphitheater.

Family amusement + water park in Warren County — great for younger kids.

Massive interactive science center in Liberty State Park — aquarium, live animals, IMAX dome, and the Western Hemisphere's largest planetarium.

18-mile barrier island — quieter beaches plus Fantasy Island amusements and Barnegat Lighthouse.

Sharks, sea lions and a large coral reef tank on Long Island's East End (longer drive).

Historic boardwalk amusement park — home of the landmark Cyclone roller coaster.

American art and a renowned Native American art collection; free first Thursdays.

Three amusement piers + two beachfront waterparks on the Wildwood boardwalk (longer drive, ~2.5 hrs).

Art, science & history museum famous for its Guinness Collection of mechanical musical automata.

Large mountainside waterpark at Mountain Creek Resort in Sussex County.

Iconic modern & contemporary art — Van Gogh's Starry Night, Warhol, Picasso, and more.

The story of the Revolution through artifacts, art & immersive galleries — near Independence Hall.

One of the country's most famous aquariums, in Baltimore's Inner Harbor — a multi-level rainforest, a huge shark tank, and dolphins. A longer (~3 hr) day trip but a marquee destination.

Memorial pools and museum at the World Trade Center site.

State museum of art, natural history, archaeology & cultural history — plus a planetarium. Free admission.

On the Coney Island boardwalk — the "Ocean Wonders: Shark!" exhibit with a 500,000-gallon tank.

New Jersey's largest museum — American & global art, a science wing, and a planetarium.

America's largest indoor theme park — coasters & rides under one roof at American Dream. Closest to Edison.

Clifftop and shoreline trails along the Hudson with dramatic overlooks (State Line Lookout).

University of Pennsylvania's archaeology & anthropology museum — Egyptian, Middle Eastern & world antiquities.

Vast art collection atop the famous "Rocky steps" — Van Gogh, Monet, and more.

America's first zoo (1874) — 1,700+ animals and the "Zoo360" animal trail system.

Hands-on children's museum in Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park — great for younger kids.

Jenkinson's boardwalk with an aquarium, rides & arcades right on the sand.

World-class university art collection spanning antiquity to contemporary (newly rebuilt, 2025).

Bergen County trails to Ramapo Lake, waterfalls and scenic ridge overlooks.

NYC's surfing beach — free, wide, and reachable by subway or ferry.

Crystal-clear reservoir with a shoreline trail and wilderness backpacking sites (~50 min).

NJ's only wilderness camping — backpack- or boat-in sites on a pristine, crystal-clear reservoir.

7-mile national-park barrier beach with Fort Hancock — the closest ocean beach to Edison.

Family-friendly aquarium inside the American Dream mall — closest to Edison, easy to pair with the mall's other attractions.

Classic Jersey Shore boardwalk with Casino Pier amusements and a waterpark.

Sesame Street–themed park — rides, shows & a waterpark; best for young kids (~75 min).

One of the world's largest theme parks — record-breaking coasters (Kingda Ka, El Toro) plus the Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor waterpark.

Drive-through safari with 1,200+ animals across 350 acres, part of Six Flags Great Adventure.

Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic spiral rotunda; modern & contemporary art (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Essex County reservation with Hemlock Falls, Turtle Back Rock and miles of wooded trails.

Quiet, upscale beach with a non-commercial boardwalk — calmer than the amusement towns.

Lakeside camping with swimming and boating in Hunterdon County.

"Biggest little zoo" — known for its reptile & serpentarium collection; small and family-friendly.

16,000 acres in NW NJ — multiple campgrounds, cabins, and the Tillman Ravine (~90 min).

One of the world's great collections of Impressionist & early modern paintings — Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse.

Pennsylvania's most-visited museum — hands-on science, the Giant Heart, and the Fels Planetarium.

Long Island Sound marine life plus an IMAX theater; a farther but rewarding day trip.

Baltimore's zoo in Druid Hill Park — African elephants, chimps, and a large penguin colony (~3 hr drive).

The largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere — 5,000+ years of art across 2M+ works.

Wide **free** beaches plus a huge boardwalk with amusement piers (~2.5 hrs).

Thomas Edison's actual laboratory complex and Glenmont estate, run by the National Park Service.

Monmouth County family campground with a lake, canoeing, playground and easy trails.

Popular Essex County zoo — big animal collection plus a train, paddle boats, and mini-golf. Closest to Edison.

2,000-acre Union County reserve — wooded trails, a lake, and the Trailside Nature & Science Center.

Pine Barrens camping on Atsion Lake — canoe the Mullica River; NJ's largest state forest.

Modern & contemporary American art in the Meatpacking District, at the base of the High Line.

Riverside sites along the Delaware in the Water Gap — a base for the Mt. Tammany hike (~90 min).