garden

You may not know it, but Jersey actually has countless amazing, free things to do this summer! Best part? You don’t even have to travel far from home. Here is a list of all the best free activities to do in Jersey, from the northern tip to the southern end.

1. Outdoor Movies. Although it is difficult to find an official drive-in theater in Jersey driving-distance, there are many free outdoor movies all throughout the state during July and August. njfamily.com has a list of every free outdoor movie listed by county, date and which movie is being played. Take a look to find movies near you! Here are the various movies playing this weekend:

• Pitch Perfect 2 – Burlington County
• Purple Rain – Essex County
• Creed or The Martian – Hudson County
• Jurassic World – Monmouth County
• The Peanuts Movie – Bergen County
• Inside Out – Cape May County
• Big Hero 6 – Essex County

2. Gardens and Arboretums. What’s better than walking around a beautiful garden or arboretum during the warm, summer months? Below is a list of large, well-manicured gardens that you can find nearby. Admission $0.

• Presby Memorial Iris Gardens – Essex County
• Willowwood Arboretum – Far Hills
• Brookdale Park Rose Garden- Upper Montclair
• Deep Cut Gardens – Middletown
• Barton Arboretum of Medford Leas – Medford
• Frelinghuysen Arboretum – Morristown

3. Zoos. NJ has two awesome zoos with admission free to the public! Check out foxes, bears, a white tiger and even a wallaby.

• Cohanzick Zoo – Bridgeton
• Cape May County Zoo – Cape May

4. Museums and Nature Centers. Not only can you find a plethora of museums nearby in NYC, there are also a huge number of free museums right here in Jersey. Take a look at all of the interesting places right near your house!

• Princeton University Art Museum – Princeton
• Marine Mammal Stranding Center – Brigantine
• Warren E. Fox Nature Center – Mays Landing
• New Jersey Naval Museum – Hackensack
• Discovery Seashell Museum – Ocean City
• Fort Lee Museum – Fort Lee
• Howell Living History Farm – Lambertville
• Heritage Glass Museum – Glassboro

5. Historical Sites. From Twin Lights, which boasts lighthouses over 300 feet tall built in the early 1800s, to Batsto Village which dates back to 1766, Jersey has many fantastic historic sites!

• Somer’s Mansion – Atlantic County
• Drumthwacket – Princeton
• Batsto Village – Hammonton
• Twin Lights – Highlands
• Sea Girt Lighthouse – Sea Girt