Information on various historical sites and landmarks for tourists in the state of New Jersey. Also, information on other attractions such as the New Jersey State Aquarium.
New Jersey is most famous for its glamorous hotels and casino's and ocean front boardwalk in Atlantic City. The city's 127 miles of sandy beaches and sparkling waves are a tourist's delight. Atlantic City is also the birthplace of the annual Miss America Pageant, where ladies from all 50 states come to see who will be chosen by judges for their beauty and talents to represent our country for the coming year.
Northwest of Atlantic City, just east of Philadelphia is the New Jersey State Aquarium at Camden. This wondrous tourist attraction, located on the east bank of the Delaware River contains fascinating indoor and outdoor exhibits within the 4-acre confine. Outdoor exhibits include a trout stream and a huge 170,000-gallon sea pool. Inside exhibits include an unbelievable 760,000-gallon tank, which is an exact replica of conditions found in an open ocean. This great tank is home for more than 400 fish of more than 40 species. Visitors are amazed as they view undersea residents such as Cow Nose Rays, striped bass, Sea Robbins and sharks in this live exploration into the lives of our finned friends.
More exciting, visitors are able to view dive demonstrations through an observation window. The divers are able to answer questions from tourists while underwater via a unique Scuba Phone system.
Another tank located inside the aquarium contains exotic fish from around the world.
The state motto of New Jersey is "Liberty and prosperity" for a very good reason. This state also has an active role in the history of America. The first settlers were the Dutch soon followed by the British who took over the territory. New Jersey was the site for more than 100 battles fought during the revolution. The three most famous battles of the time period were The Battle of Trenton in 1776, The Battle of Princeton in 1777 and The Battle of Monmouth in 1778.
New Jersey was also the birthplace of Thomas Alva Edison. The Edison National Historic site located east of Newark in West Orange New Jersey, receives an estimated 80,000 visitors each year to learn about the Edison legacy. This site contains the Edison Laboratory where Edison patented more than 1,000 inventions in his lifetime. This complex consists of several red brick buildings built in 1887, and have been converted into a National Historic site named after America's greatest inventor.
Edison referred to these laboratory facilities as his "Invention Factory." This historic site is in fact an invention in itself and became a prototype for modern laboratories of today.
Before Edison built this remarkable compound, he was already quite famous at Menlo Park laboratories, where he invented the first incandescent lamp and the phonograph. Today the Edison laboratories have a phonograph room containing an interesting collection of original phonographs illustrating the history of Edison sound recording from 1877 to the early 1930's.
However, Edison wanted his own place of invention where he could change his dreams into realities. Edison built the center and hired skilled experimenters to do just that. The Edison laboratories proved to be more than successful as the complex turned out one amazing invention after another. Most famous of these were the world's first movie camera, the fluoroscope used in America's first X-ray operation, the storage battery and the first movie studio.
The main laboratory is three stories high, 250 feet long and contains machine shops, offices, stock rooms and Edison's office/library.
As the story of young Edison unfolds to its visitors it is hard to believe this genius was once considered addle-brained by his teachers. Edison didn't find his niche in scholastic achievement until he took a deep interest in chemistry in his teenage years. By the age of 22 he took out his first patent for an electric vote recorder.
The visitor center is located in the main laboratory and is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to tour. At the center tourists are introduced to exhibits and can view the 1903 Edison motion picture, "The Great Train Robbery." This film is only one of the 1,700 silent movies produced by Edison's company.
Park rangers provide guided tours through the chemistry laboratory, library and machine shop. Among the inventions on display, visitors are amazed by Edison's 1877 tinfoil phonograph, motion picture apparatus and his early power and light equipment.
Edison enthusiasts will want to visit the Edison home as well, located less than a mile from the laboratories in Glenmont, New Jersey. This 23-roon Victorian mansion looks much as it did at the time the great inventor lived there with his wife Mina until his death in 1931, at the remarkable age of 84.
The Edison mansion is open for tour Wednesday through Sunday each week.
Other historical sites and popular attractions include; the birthplace of President Grover Cleveland, the Cape May Historic District, Liberty State Park, the Pine Barrens Wilderness area, Princeton University and numerous Revolutionary War historical sites.
