Things to do in South Plainfield
Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey
Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is e. off SR 46 following signs at Teterboro Airport to 400 Fred Wehran Dr. The museum contains aviation memorabilia and historic aircraft equipment and depicts the roles played in aviation history by New Jerseyans. A short film is shown, and visitors can listen to radio transmissions between air-traffic controllers and pilots. Call (201) 288-6344 for more information.
400 Fred Wehran Dr., Teterboro, NJ 07080
Edison National Historic Site
Edison National Historic Site is at Main St. and Lakeside Ave. The site preserves the laboratory complex and Glenmont, home of inventor Thomas Alva Edison and his wife, Mina Miller Edison. The visitor center features exhibits and films; access beyond the visitor center is by guided 30- to 45-minute tours only. Limited tour passes for the Glenmont tour are issued on a first-come, first-served basis at the visitor center. Call (973) 736-0551 for more information.
Main St. & Lakeside Ave., West Orange, NJ 07080
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
This 7,700-acre refuge, rescued by residents from being turned into an airport, preserves the marsh and swamp woodland habitat of muskrats, foxes, fish, and more than 244 bird species, including raptors, waterfowl and migrating birds. A wildlife observation center features boardwalk trails and observation blinds. The swamp's habitats contain about 10 miles of hiking trails. Call (973) 425-1222 for more information.
241 Pleasant Plains Rd., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Liberty Hall Museum
Built in 1772 by New Jersey's first elected governor (1776-90), William Livingston, Liberty Hall was home to seven generations of his family. The 14-room Georgian manor, expanded in the 1800s to a Victorian Italianate-style 50-room mansion, contains furnishings from the pre-Revolutionary era to the turn of the 20th century. The 25-acre grounds include a carriage house, the Liberty Hall Museum Firehouse museum and gardens. Food is available and picnicking is permitted. Call (908) 527-0400 for more information.
1003 Morris Ave., Union, NJ 07083
Rutgers University
Rutgers combines the intellectual intensity of a research university with the commitment to undergraduate education of a liberal arts college. Nearly 4000 course offerings in over 100 undergraduate majors and graduate programs are supported by a world-class faculty, advanced laboratories and computing facilities, and the nation's 25th-ranked research library. Numerous prestigious awards for faculty and students, high national rankings, and Rutgers' membership in the Association of American Universities are evidence of the university's academic prominence. Located 5 miles from South Plainfield. Call 732-932-INFO for more information.