We all know and love the Victorian homes and beaches of Cape May, the charm of Lambertville and neighboring New Hope in PA, and fun things to do in cities like Hoboken and Jersey City. But for all of New Jersey’s most popular spots, there are also tons of gems you likely don’t know about. Have you heard about the Howell Living History Farm and Harbourton Historic District? If not, you should add Hopewell to your must-visit list.
Hopewell was named The Most Unusual Town in the U.S. by the website Alot. Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough are part of Hopewell Valley, a beautiful part of Mercer County filled with historical sites and gorgeous open space areas.
The small town is most notable because Charles Lindbergh’s baby was kidnapped and murdered in the 1930s, with little details about the incident. But there’s lots more history to be explored here. Howell Living History Farm is straight out of the late 1800s, with real farming operations and historical interpreters. There are free programs on Saturdays like ice harvesting, maple sugaring, potato planting and an ice cream party.
In the historic district, you can visit the Harbourton Village Store, Harts Corner Schoolhouse, Mount Rose Distillery and the Phillips/Howell Farmstead.
The Hopewell Railroad Station is a 1876 Second Empire-style railroad station, and one of only two surviving stations along the former Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad. Through a restoration project, the three-story station now houses a community center on the ground floor and offices on the upper levels. The Hopewell Museum is also getting a facelift, so you can see a collection of nearly 13,000 items and artifacts that have been entirely donated to the museum.
Washington Crossing State Park is nearby, the perfect place for hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing and hunting. It’s where General George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Night in 1776.
The Lawrence Hopewell Trail connects Hopewell and Lawrence Township along a 22-mile path where you can walk during the day or bike under the moonlight. If you need a bike, head to none other than Sourland Cycles, which not only is a bike shop, but they host rides, coordinate bike donations for kids and empower women cyclists.
The Watershed Institute is located nearby in Pennington, and offers lots of nature programs for families like stream watch, litter cleanups, animal adventures, and the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House (and a super fun butterfly festival every August).
Sourland Mountain Spirits is a distillery for bourbon, gin and vodka, with its own farmers market, and they partner with Brick Farm Tavern for delicious farm-to-table meals and pairings. Aunt Chubby’s Lucheonette is more lowkey, with menu options like breakfast tacos, quinoa bowl and country fried chicken, and they also host a lunch program and food pantry to benefit the community. The Blue Bottle Cafe is another local favorite for its homemade potato gnocchi, pan-roasted chicken from local Griggstown Farms, and apple strudel with vanilla ice cream.
The Hopewell Theater is currently undergoing renovations, but is unique venue to see concerts and stage plays.
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