What connects Bruce Springsteen to the Sopranos as well as New York to Delaware? The New Jersey Turnpike! 

Constructed in the 1950s, the Jersey Turnpike was one of state’s most advanced roadways when it was opened. The Turnpike is still significant almost 75 years later as it is considered one of the most heavily traveled roads in the nation! Stretching across the Garden State 118-miles from New Yok to Delaware. the Turnpike may just be on route to your holiday destination! 

Besides convenience, did you know that the Jersey Turnpike also offers quick access to historic sites that can enrich your travel experience? Take the opportunity to stretch your legs, wait out the traffic, explore New Jersey’s rich history, and add a memorable detour to your holiday travels!  

Here are a few sites to begin your adventure: 

Exit 3: Peter Mott House & Gabreil Daveis Tavern

Take a 10-minute detour off Turnpike Exit 3 to visit the Peter Mott House Underground Railroad to learn more about Jersey’s stretch of the Underground Railroad! The museum is located within the oldest house in Lawnside, built around 1845. It was the residence of Peter Mott—an African American preacher—and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Thomas Mott. Peter and Eliza provided refuge to escaped slaves by using their home as a station along the Underground Railroad. Mott was himself a free Black and a leader in the abolitionist movement. While tours can be scheduled ahead of time during the week, this site is best for weekend travelers! Check the website for operating hours. 

Step into the footsteps of travelers from centuries before by making the Gabreil Daveis Tavern apart of your detour off Exit 3! Gabreil Daveis Tavern was built to accommodate travelers headed east and west over the Irish road as well as watermen moving lumber and other products by way of the Timber Creek. The building ceased being a tavern in 1768 when Sarah Daveis, the widow of Gabreil, declined to renew the license. From this point forward the building became home to some of the Township’s most important Revolutionary War figures. So, kick start your Semiquincentennial celebration with a visit to the Tavern and catch a glimpse of preservation work in action! 

Exit 5: Burlington County Prison Museum & Historic Smithville

Approximately 3 miles southeast of Exit 5 is a lesser-known National Historic Landmark (NHL): the Burlington County Prison Museum. The NHL is known as one of the longest used prisons in the nation. During your visit, learn about the designer and builder Robert Mills, who was one of America’s first native-born and domestically trained architects. Explore the architecture of virtually fireproof buildings. Inquire about on-site paranormal investigations, available on Friday and Saturday evenings! The museum is open from Thursdays to Sundays. Check the website for operating hours. 

Another 3 miles east of the Turnpike is Historic Smithville. During your visit, you will not only learn about industrialist, inventor, and politician Hezekiah B. Smith and his wife Agnes, you will also learn how Smithville was ahead of its time in town planning, sustainability, as well as workers’ rights and welfare in the late 19th century. This is also a wonderful place to stretch your legs by taking a winter hike along one of the many nature trails or by taking a self-guided tour of the historic village. Grab a bite to eat from a local eatery and enjoy the picnic area, as well! The Park itself is open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk, making it a great destination for any holiday traveler! 

Exit 7A: Trenton Battle Monument & Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie

About 15 minutes west of Turnpike Exit 7A and nestled within the historic, capital city of Trenton is the Trenton Battle Monument. The Trenton Battle Monument, designed by John J. Duncan, is an early example of the Beaux Arts style architecture commemorating the American victory at the first Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776. The plaza is open daily from dawn to dusk for self-guided tours. Special celebrations will also be held at the Monument on Saturday December 27th to continue the Ten Crucial Days Campaign leading up the 250th celebration!  

Want to spend more time this Revolutionary city? Check out the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, as well! The museum is located in heart of Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Park and a few miles from the Turnpike. The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie invites guests inside the earliest Victorian Italianate Villa of its type left in New Jersey. Designed by John Notman—who introduced the style to the United States in the early nineteenth century— the Mansion was built circa 1845 as a summer home for Henry McCall—a wealthy Philadelphian with business interests in Trenton. In 1898, the house was sold to the Trenton Park Commission and served several uses including as a monkey house for the City Zoo. Today, the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie houses collections of art and artifacts depicting Trenton’s historical, industrial, and cultural past and present. The museum is open to travelers from Fridays to Sundays. Check the website for operating hours. 

Exit 8 /8A: Princeton Battlefield State Park & Morven Museum & Garden

About 15 minutes southwest of Turnpike Exit 8A is the Princeton Battlefield State Park. Nearly 249 years ago on January 3, 1777, the peaceful winter fields and woods near Princeton were transformed into what is considered to be the fiercest fight of its size during the American Revolution. During your visit, you can stretch your legs along the seemingly endless expanse of the Battlefield, explore the trails maybe catching a migrating bird or two, and pay homage at the cemetery to the 21 British and 16 American soldiers killed in the Battle of Princeton. The State Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. So, kick off the 2026 Seminquin celebration by visiting Princeton Battlefield during your holiday travels! Please be sure to check the State Park website for specific details regarding tours and events. 

A few miles down the road from the State Park is another location with expansive grounds and history: Morven Museum and Garden. The Morven Museum was built in 1757 for Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, on land granted to his grandfather by William Penn in 1701. Four generations of Stocktons resided at Morven – including two U.S. Senators, a Commodore of the Pacific Fleet, and a Union Cavalry lieutenant – before the property was leased to Robert Wood Johnson Jr., Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, from 1928 to 1944. After that time, Morven was home to five New Jersey governors as the state of New Jersey’s first Governor’s Mansion. Morven underwent extensive restoration and re-opened as a museum and garden in 2004. On your stopover in Princeton, be sure to visit one of the changing special exhibits highlighting New Jersey arts and culture as well as explore the lush grounds and historic outbuildings at Morven. The grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset! Check the website for museum hours and tour times. 

Exit 9: Cornelius Low House & East Jersey Old Town 

In the shadow of SHI stadium and within a 10-minute drive of Turnpike Exit 9 is the Cornelius Low House. The Low House is a National Register listed home built in 1741 for Cornelius Low, a wealthy merchant of Raritan Landing who settled in the burgeoning port community around 1730. The home is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in New Jersey and sits atop a bluff overlooking present day Landing Lane and the Raritan River. The home now serves as the Middlesex County Museum and mounts changing exhibits about New Jersey History. Past exhibits include Mid-Century New Jersey: The Garden State in the 1950s; Icons of American Culture: The History of New Jersey Diners; and Treasures of Middlesex County: 200 Years of Raritan Valley History. Check out the website for operating hours! If the museum is not open during your travels, be sure to check out the interpretive path on the grounds! 

Want to spend more time in Piscataway? Check out East Jersey Old Town right across the street from the Low House! Located in Johnson Park, East Jersey Old Town Village is a family-friendly historic hamlet brimming with activity. Nestled near the ruins of Raritan Landing, the Village depicts the history of the Raritan Valley through exhibitions, historical interpreters, and unique programs. The village is comprised of sixteen relocated, reconstructed, and replica 18th and 19th century buildings that represent architecture typical of farm and merchant communities once found in the area. The Park is open for self-guided tours from Wednesday to Sunday. Check the website for operating hours and special events! 

Exit 14B: Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, Liberty State Park

On the theme of travel, take a quick detour off of Exit 14B to visit the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building located within Liberty State Park. In 1889, increased demand for transportation in the area required a new terminal which was designed and constructed by the Boston architectural firm of Peabody and Stearns. By the turn of the twentieth century, the CRRNJ Terminal accommodated between 30,000-50,000 people per day on 128 ferry runs and 300 trains. By 1914, the train and ferry sheds were enlarged even further to accommodate the growing numbers of commuters. The train shed, housing 20 tracks, was the largest one ever built. While no longer in operation as a commuter hub, the Terminal is open for self-guided tours daily, while the surrounding park is open daily from 6am to 10pm. The hours, expansive park, and proximity to transportation hubs make the CRRNJ an ideal rest stop for all on your holiday venture. 

Exit 15W: Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Less than 10 miles west of the Turnpike is the home to America’s greatest inventor, Thomas A. Edison. The Edison National Historical Park preserves Edison's laboratory and his residence, Glenmont, in nearby Llewellyn Park. Roughly half of Edison’s 1,093 patents were based on experiments in his laboratory here. Out of the West Orange laboratories came the motion picture camera, improved phonographs, sound recordings, silent and sound movies and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery. So, stretch your legs touring the 3 floors of the Main Laboratory Building, Chemistry Lab, and his residence—Glenmont— while also exercising your mind learning about the life and legacy of Thomas Edison. Check the National Park Service website for specific hours for the Laboratory and House! 

Want to add more sites to your holiday travels? Check out the Map feature on Journey Through Jersey to plan your adventures!