Mercer: Discover Cultural History and Nature

Mercer brings together historic sites, art and expansive landscapes. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether you’re especially interested in cultural history and museums, or would rather explore trails, marshlands and outdoor activities. The region offers many different ways to do both.

Cultural history at specific sites

The Old Barracks Museum preserves a complex built in 1758 as a military barracks during the French and Indian War. It later served British and American troops during the American Revolutionary War. The William Trent House Museum in Trenton is a National Historic Landmark. It is located in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and along two historic routes: the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail and the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail.

The collections also tell different sides of history. The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton preserves more than two million objects related to natural and cultural history, archaeology, ethnography and fine art. Nassau Hall represents two distinct historical moments: when it was built in 1756, it was the largest academic building in the American colonies; in 1783, it served as the temporary seat of the Continental Congress for five months. Here, visitors can explore architectural and political history through specific places.

At Grounds For Sculpture, art and landscape come together in a different setting: the 42-acre sculpture park is both a museum and a Level II-accredited arboretum. More than 300 sculptures and six indoor exhibition galleries offer different ways to discover art. The offerings also include performances, lectures and art-making workshops.

Marshlands, wildlife watching and trails

John A. Roebling Memorial Park is part of the Abbott Marshlands, the northernmost tidal freshwater marsh on the Delaware River. The park is considered an excellent area for wildlife watching; animals found here include numerous beavers, turtles and birds. Visitors can also kayak in the marshlands. Access conditions may change, so it’s a good idea to check them before your visit.

Watson House, the oldest house in Mercer County, is also located in the park. Isaac Watson built it in 1708. Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain offers another way to explore the history of the landscape: it contains stone foundations and other remnants of the former farming settlement of Honey Hollow. At Howell Living History Farm, tours take visitors through a one-room schoolhouse, a farmhouse dating to the late Revolutionary War period and a cemetery, as well as to archaeological sites of a blacksmith shop, a gristmill and two sawmills.

Tulpehaking Nature Center is located at the intersection of three major trail networks in the marshlands and provides access to Watson Woods, Spring Lake and Abbott Farm. It is within the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark, which represents 13,000 years of human history in the Delaware River Valley. Hands-on programs explore science, nature and archaeology. The center also has walking trails and a children’s play area; check current visitor information for programs and facilities.

Different ways to enjoy the outdoors

The trails and open spaces vary in scale and character. Institute Woods is a protected open space of more than 550 acres with over eight miles of trails. The Lawrence Hopewell Trail, by contrast, is a more than 20-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and transportation corridor through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships in Mercer County. Mercer County Park spans more than 2,500 acres in West Windsor, Hamilton and Lawrence Townships and has four designated mountain biking trails. In Mercer Meadows, trails provide access to Stony Brook, Willow Pond and Rosedale Lake.

For an outing focused on history, Princeton Battlefield State Park offers interpretive signs about the battle and the American Revolution, as well as trails with paved and natural surfaces. From downtown Princeton, the park can be reached on foot or by bicycle via the paved trail along Mercer Road or via trails from the Institute Woods to the south. Princeton University Art Museum also offers visits to the Creativity Labs, with hands-on activities; reservations and availability may change.

Discover more destinations: Trenton, Hightstown, Princeton, Windsor, Ewing, Hamilton Township, Pennington, Robbinsville

For the main travel overview: New Jersey.