New Jersey Weekend Getaways: Food, Culture & Attractions

The best New Jersey weekend getaways combine food, culture, and attractions in four very different places. Cape May brings Victorian streets and harbor seafood, and Princeton adds museum galleries and live theater. Morristown covers Revolutionary War history, while Lambertville pairs antique shops with nearby wineries. Every section below also names a place to eat, so any of the four makes a full weekend.

Cape May: Victorian Streets and Harbor Seafood

A National Historic Landmark since 1976, the entire city preserves more than 600 Victorian buildings. It also claims the title of the nation's oldest seashore resort.

Start with three stops, then use Washington Street Mall for shopping and dining in between:

The Emlen Physick Estate dates to 1879 and serves as the city's only Victorian house museum.

Climbing the 199 steps of the Cape May Lighthouse ends with views over the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay.

The Lobster House serves dinner on the working docks of Fisherman's Wharf, where its own fishing fleet supplies much of the seafood.

The lighthouse stands in Cape May Point State Park, about two miles west of the city. Back at the wharf, the restaurant has a raw bar and five dining rooms. Its take-out shop sells freshly cooked seafood to eat dockside. The Schooner American, a 130-foot sailing vessel beside the restaurant, is an outdoor cocktail lounge.

Couples and seafood lovers will find a long Saturday dinner here and a Sunday morning at the state park.

Princeton: Museum Galleries, Theater and Dining

The day starts at the Princeton University Art Museum, which is free to visit. It holds more than 117,000 works, from ancient to contemporary art, and the museum traces its origins to the 1750s. Mosaic, the restaurant on the third floor, looks out onto campus and bases its menu on ingredients from artisan and farm partners. It also serves coffee and pastry in the morning.

In the evening, the Tony Award-winning McCarter Theatre Center presents theater, dance, and music in two auditoriums. Nassau Street, a short walk from the theater, adds more restaurants and shops, and the campus makes a good Sunday morning stroll. Art lovers get a full Saturday with one museum and one stage.

Morristown: Revolutionary History and Downtown Dining

George Washington made the Ford Mansion his headquarters from December 1779 to June 1780. The mansion now belongs to Morristown National Historical Park, the country's first national historical park. The Morris Museum adds a second daytime stop, with over 150 historic mechanical musical instruments and automata, which are moving figures.

For an evening out, the Mayo Performing Arts Center on South Street hosts over 200 performances a year. The former movie theater reopened in 1994 as a venue for live shows. South + Pine American Eatery, close by at number 90, serves lunch, brunch, and dinner from a seasonal menu of local ingredients. The restaurant is BYOB, so diners bring their own wine. History fans and theater-goers can pair a day of history with a show and dinner at night.

Lambertville and Hunterdon County: Antiques, Riverside Dining and Wine

Antique stores and galleries line Bridge Street, the main shopping strip in town. A pedestrian walkway on the bridge links Lambertville to New Hope, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River. The Lambertville Station restaurant occupies a 19th-century train station beside the river, with a pub called The Dugout and a canal-side terrace.

For dinner, Anton's at the Swan, at 43 South Main Street, serves New American comfort food. Antique hunters and wine lovers can spend Saturday in town.

Sunday adds three stops around the area:

The Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath gives walkers and cyclists a route beside the water.

The Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market, just outside town on Route 29, has run since 1967 and opens three days a week year-round.

Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes pours flights and glasses in its tasting room.

Old York Cellars lies about two miles from Unionville, so one afternoon can cover two wineries. Because both sit several miles outside town, groups can use a reliable limo service instead of choosing one person to drive.

Coming Back for Another Visit

These four places each work on their own, and together they show how much one small state holds. Choose one now and save the others for later, so the next weekend already has a destination. Arrive hungry, because each place has a meal worth the trip.