History has mysteries and mysteries often involve ghosts. Whether they are physical traces of the past or people who have since departed, New Jersey’s ghosts will not rest until their chilling stories are revealed. So, this fall season, let Journey Through Jersey lead you across the state on a mission to uncover the state’s silent testaments to industries that once thrived but eventually withered, communities that once pulsed with life yet fell into silence, and dreams that were born but faded into memory— the stories of New Jersey’s forgotten ghost towns and villages. 

The Deserted Village of Feltville - Watchung Reservation, Union County 

Can you smell the faint traces of the linseed oil? Can you hear the laughs and feel the elation of those who once vacationed in the forests of Union County? Did you happen to find a bonnet on your ride in? 

The Deserted Village of Feltville’s history is a palimpsest, having once been home to a printing factory and small village then turned summer resort. Traces of this history are still visible as several houses, a church (visitor center), and a carriage house remain standing. A small cemetery on the outskirts of the village contains the remains of 24 individuals with many tales to tell. Skeletal ruins of the former dam and mill linger along the brook reminding visitors of the decay the village experienced between its various failed industries. 

Despite the name, the Deserted Village is no longer deserted. Visitors looking to discover the ghosts of the Village’s former lives can take a self-guided walking/audio tour from dawn to dusk. In October, the Park also offers Haunted Hayrides for children 6 years and older guided by the ghost of Mr. Felt, himself. 

What ghosts will you find on your next visit to the once-Deserted Village? 

Batsto State Park – Washington Township, Burlington County 

Batsto Village is often forgotten because of its remote location within Wharton State Forest. But the village is still alive and open for tours!  

Batsto Village was once home to a blooming iron industry with significant contributions to the War for Independence, then an unsuccessful glassmaking facility. The industry town shut its doors for the final time in the mid-1800s. Passing through many hands and becoming home to woodcutters as well as “South Jersey’s forest people,” Batsto was never truly deserted.  

Today, visitors can catch glimpses of the past by touring the 33 historic buildings and structures, including the Batsto Mansion, a gristmill, sawmill, general store, and working post office that still rest under the sprawling canopies of the state forest. In October, the site also hosts a family-friendly Halloween event where witches, ghosts, and ghouls come out to play. 

Can you discover who still lurks in Batsto during your next visit? 

Historic Whitesbog Village – Brendan T Byrne State Forest, Burlington County 

At the end of long road encapsulated by trees, bogs, and working fields is the often-overlooked Historic Whitesbog Village. Whitesbog is another former company town where few people remain. But the industry at Whitesbog continues to thrive. The site has been a blueberry and cranberry farm since the early 1900’s and was actually the first site to successfully cultivate the highbush blueberry. The ghosts of the former farm town, including the general store and workers’ cottages, remain standing ever present alongside the village’s bountiful harvest.  

Today, there are many trails that lead the unsuspecting visitor into the forests, among the shells of buildings from another lifetime, and back into time to recount the history and mysteries of this farming village. Be sure to check out the “Lore & Legends of the Pine Barrens” tour for an interactive adventure full of mysterious creatures and tales as old as time! 

Make sure to keep an eye out for the Jersey Devil himself! 

Historic Allaire Village – Farmingdale, Monmouth County 

The Historic Allaire Village has also earned the moniker “Deserted Village” and has been shrouded in bone-chilling stories for decades. Once a sawmill, the Village turned into a successful bog iron furnace under James P. Allaire in the 1820s. Under his leadership, the furnace made significant contributions to the steam engine industry in the mid-nineteenth century. At its peak, the village was home to over 400 workers and their families. Yet, the business was laid to rest in 1846.  

The property passed through several hands following the furnace closure, even briefly becoming “deserted.” In 1929, the Boy Scouts acquired the property and led a campaign to reconstruct some of the buildings on top of their historic foundations as well as “add some meat” to those buildings that had crumbled to bones. 

Today, the property is located within the Allaire State Park and is open for tours. Visitors can visit 13 historic homes, craft shops, a chapel, a store, a bakery, exhibit halls, and several other buildings that were present during the village’s prime. As a living history museum, historic reenactors also demonstrate period crafts. So, lingering smells of freshly baked bread and the raging furnace fires still haunt and taunt visitors— immersing them in the day and life of the mid-nineteenth century for an unforgettable experience. Visitors seeking a spooky experience in October can join the village for its numerous scheduled “Night of Frights” or “Allaire Ghost Tours” events! 

Before you leave, be sure to check the windows of the “Big House” to see if anyone is seeing you out of town! 

Red Mill Museum Village – Clinton, Hunterdon County 

Red Mill Museum Village’s history is full of dreams that thrived and died. The earliest industry on the site was a wool mill that began operations in 1810. It failed within two decades. New owners continued the wool operation while also trying to diversify their trades. Again, the business ended in the dirt. The mill was converted into a grist mill in the 1830s, which continued operation under several different families into the twentieth century. Eventually, the mill was revived as a graphite, then talc mill. The mill closed in 1928. 

Thanks to the efforts of “The Red Mill Five” in the 1960s, Red Mill Museum Village persists to tells its tales. Visitors can explore the forgotten histories of the Mill by stepping into an operational blacksmith shop, the permanent and rotating exhibits, a one-room schoolhouse, a stone-sorting screen house, an office, and a tenant house. October visitors can “get lost in mazes, flee through trails and take the most agonizingly slow hayride along the river before wandering through the vortex into allegedly the most haunted building in Clinton”, through the program Haunted Red Mill. This year, “Evil is Rising in Red Mill!” 

Will you escape to tell the tales of the Red Mill Museum Village?