Flowers, chocolate and a candlelit dinner? Sure. But why not up your Valentine’s Day game with some of these next-level ways to celebrate your love:
Appreciate Art in the Great Outdoors
Bundle up and explore the nearly 300 contemporary works dotting the exquisitely landscaped 40+ acres comprising Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton. Warm up by visiting the rotating indoor exhibits showcasing both known and emerging artists, then head to this museum/sculpture garden/arboretum’s on-site restaurant Rat’s for a delightful French repast prepared for the holiday de amore. This year, you can sign up for a chef-led cooking class where you’ll get to taste three courses all centered around chocolate. Longwood Gardens in PA will have a special truffle prix fixe menu at 1906 all weekend, in addition to the new Garden Glow nighttime event that illuminates the grounds.
Take a Romantic Cruise
Take in the glow of city lights as you sail along the riverfront from Weehawken, New York City or Philadelphia aboard a City Cruises yacht. Feast on a dinner buffet after grabbing a drink from the bar, and dance to live music from a DJ.
Have a Good Scare
According to psychological studies, feelings of fear also spark adrenaline and excitement. Take advantage of this phenomenon by visiting the horror houses at Brighton Asylum, a massive walkthrough dark attraction filled with terrifying live actors and special effects in Passaic; and 13th Hour, a spooky escape room in Wharton—both offering special Valentine’s Day-themed events sure to scare up a night to remember.
Throw Caution to the Wind
Savor the rush of hatchet hurling at one of New Jersey’s many axe-throwing venues. If you’ve never tried it, axe throwing is easy to learn and lots of fun. Stumpy’s Hatchet House opened its first location in Eatontown in 2016 and has since expanded in NJ and across the country. Bury the Hatchet also has locations throughout NJ and beyond. Both invite visitors to picnic and BYOB for a fun night out.
Go Gaming
Recapture the sheer fun of gobbling ghosts in Pac-Man and trying not to tilt at YESTERcades, one of Jersey’s favorite retro arcades (locations in Red Bank, Somerville and Westfield). Silverball Museum in Asbury Park is perfect for kicking off the night before taking in a show at The Stone Pony. There’s also an arcade and VR space in addition to a multi-level indoor go-kart track at RPM Raceway in Jersey City. Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City just unveiled its new mini golf and bar, called Ocean’s 18, with technology used at The Sphere in Las Vegas to bring $500,000 immersive holograms, making this a state-of-the-art, two-story, 8,000-square-foot space for some valentine’s competition. Look up for the 12-foot Great White Shark hanging above the main bar.
Gaze at the Stars
Feast your eyes on something truly spectacular: The Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College will host several loved-themed shows including Laser Love (love songs + lasers = awesome) on February 7 and 14. Don’t forget that the Garden State is also has home to the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere located at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. On Thursday nights, LSC opens its doors after hours for the 21+ crowd. LSC After Dark will have a pre-Valentine’s Day theme on February 12, with a Sabrina Carpenter laser show inside the planetarium, a Lovers of the Cosmos planetarium show, a cosmic pop-up with author Taylor Jenkins Reid, trivia, crafts and a live DJ.
Plan a Spa DayÂ
Where can you go to experience water-filled wonderlands where guests can soak, swim, steam, and enjoy hot, cool, and salty saunas, as well as traditional full-body scrubs? If you haven’t been, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to suss out the fuss. Get a sitter—you’ll want to spend the whole day. Along with its vast array of classic amenities, the super swanky SoJo Spa Club in Edgewater offers a decadent couples massage to get the kinks out, plus magnificent rooftop views of Manhattan. It’s even better in the winter, when the heated pools complement the cool breeze. The Wave Resort & Spa in Pier Village in Long Branch overlooks the Atlantic, so relax during a deep tissue, sports recovery or classic massage; or try a marine replenishing body scrub or black sand & pumice scrub. Rock Spa & Salon has views of the southern Jersey Shore, with Valentine’s-inspired spa deals like full-body treatments, deep-tissue massages and romantic couples’ experiences at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Avanti Day Resort in Manalapan has its own luxurious offerings, such as massage-facial-nail packages, Champagne and roses added to an aromatherapy couple’s massage, a full day of pampering including multiple services, and the cleansing ritual of the Razul Chamber in a private European-styled room.
Make Dinner An Experience
If you love sushi and hibachi, plan a trip to Mt. Fuji Japanese Steakhouse in Hillburn, NY, and you’ll be treated to an architectural splendor on a 45-acre mountain that’ll make you feel like you’re in Japan. Skilled master chefs will show off their artistry and comedy as they prep your meal. For another unique dinner out, head to The Madison Hotel in Morristown, where you can eat inside one of two luxurious 1890s parlor cars at Rod’s Steak & Seafood & Grille. Make it an overnight at The Madison Hotel and you’ll be treated to equal parts glamour and history. Or choose another intimate setting at The Caves, formerly Cafe Archetypus in Edgewater, where you’ll dine in a candlelit grotto.
Heat Things Up
If the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, a cooking class for two is surely the ultimate love lesson. Under the expert guidance of Shelley Wiseman (formerly of The Farm Cooking School), Shelley’s Table will host a Couple’s Night on February 14, so you can make gravlax with crostini, crab cakes with trout caviar, seared duck breast with red wine-peppercorn sauce, and a chocolate truffle tart. Stay overnight at the B&B, and roll yourself into bed stuffed and satiated. Other places you can take a class include Montclair Culinary Academy, Hudson Table in Hoboken, and the Cooking School at Ninety Acres at Natirar, a luxurious country estate in Peapack. Taste & Technique in Fair Haven has a cooking studio for adults where you can make sushi on either February 13 or 14. UNO Pizzeria and Grill in Clifton has a hands-on pizza-making class on Galentine’s or Valentine’s Day, where you and a partner will learn how to make their iconic deep dish pizza.
Go For a Ride
Soar high above the American Dream complex inside a private gondola aboard the iconic observation Dream Wheel. After viewing the NYC skyline, you’ll get food and a drink at Deep Fried Love. Or take a ride on the Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel during Valentine’s Day at The Philadelphia Zoo, where you can also meet an ambassador animal, go home with a gift created by them, get beer tickets, and decorate a cupcake with icing and topping.
Burn Up Some Energy
Big SNOW American Dream has real-snow ski and snowboard courses so you can challenge each other to friendly competition. After you go skiing outdoors at Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon, you can warm up by the fireplace or have a romantic dinner at a private lounge inside the Hawk’s Nest in the Red Tail Lodge. In Pennsylvania, challenge your loved one to a paintball scavenger hunt, and for every hidden heart you find throughout the facility at Skirmish Paintball, you’ll win a free pass to come back and play again. (And ladies play for half-price today, too!)
Embrace Winter Pool Time
At Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos, PA, the new Romance on the River Valentine’s Day Experience includes a five-course chef-curated meal with wine pairings; drifting along the lazy river in an 84-degree pool, where you’ll be treated to three desserts and Champagne service as you’re serenaded by a string musician; and a chance to rent one of the new Snow Globe Chalets to end your evening with hot chocolate and s’mores.
Carry a Torch
A two-hour glassblowing or bead-making workshop at GlassRoots, a non-profit studio located in Newark, offers participants a hands-on opportunity to learn the basics of shaping molten materials using traditional flamework or blowing techniques. Each guest takes home a hunka burning love (their own glass creation). However, a trip to the gift shop may result in a far more beautiful souvenir, one that helps support the organization’s mission to ignite creativity and economic vitality among underserved local youth and young adults. Hot Sand in Asbury Park is another glassblowing studio where you can keep your love hot by working on a project together.
Pop Up at a Bar
There are some beautifully decorated Valentine’s bars that bring Cupid to your table for the season. The Love Bites Pop-Up Bar at Calandra’s Il Vecchio Cafe in Caldwell offers happy hour, lunch, dinner and bar menu specials. Kiss & Tell Pop-Up Bar at The Bistro at iPlay America in Freehold Twp. has a full menu of V-Day-themed food, with drinks and mocktails served in cute and lovely glasses. XO Bar at Resorts Atlantic City changes Bar One into a love-themed paradise with flirty decor and live entertainment; limited-time drinks include Cherry Fizz and Caramel Kiss.
Plan a Romantic Escape
Nothing says romance more than a weekend away from the kids. Seaview Hotel in Galloway will offer an elegant multi-course Prix Fixe Valentine’s Day Dinner on February 14 with charcuterie, an intermezzo of Champagne sorbet, bisque and salad, and a choice of main course entree – finished with strawberry fondue for two. Head to your room after dinner, where Seaview’s Romantic Getaway package includes Champagne and a box of Seaview signature chocolates in your room. Pendry Natirar in Peapack is an elegant estate with upscale guest rooms, the popular Ninety Acres restaurant and a full-service spa. Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg has the Grand Cascades Lodge that features the award-winning Latour restaurant, the crystal-filled Reflections Spa, and the Biosphere pool. Much further south, Madison Resorts in Wildwood Crest is offering an overnight package on either Friday or Saturday, where you can settle into a doo-wop themed hotel room for two, pop a bottle of welcome Champagne, and get dolled up before the hotel shuttle takes you to Cape May for a three-course, chef-prepared dinner at its sister property, Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille. In nearby Philly, why not spend Valentine’s weekend in the City of Brotherly Love visiting the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Penn’s Landing while booking a stay at Kimpton Monaco Philadelphia?
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Things To Do For Valentine’s Day in New Jersey
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