The Garden State enjoyed its sixth consecutive year of tourism growth in 2015, with visitation up 2.4 percent to 95 million and spending up 3.3 percent to $43.4 billion. Among the factors cited for the gains was the fading memory of Hurricane Sandy.
That’s a relief, considering that almost four years have passed since the historic October 2012 storm. However, as exemplified by Atlantic City, the subject of our “The New Boardwalk Emporers” cover story this month, image and misperception are perpetual challenges for New Jersey—including low awareness of the state’s myriad attractions.
In commissioned studies, most recently in 2009, of travelers to New Jersey (and neighboring New York and Pennsylvania) from key origin markets—the study set included New Jersey, plus Connecticut, Maryland and D.C.—awareness was strong of the state’s beaches, waterfront and gaming, but weak in all other categories. One can only imagine the familiarity drop-off beyond the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Ironically, Atlantic City was the best-known destination, with 100 percent awareness and the most visitation, at 75 percent.
Glaringly, New Jersey’s historic sites, performing arts venues, festivals and museums ranked lowest (between 24 percent and 20 percent) for visitation. Yet, the abundant group-capable choices within these and other categories are fundamental to the Garden State story, and in many cases, synonymous with America itself. From a field of many, here are some enlightening reasons to book New Jersey.
Think Tanks
By 1915, the factory complex surrounding Thomas Edison’s laboratory in West Orange, N.J., was the scene of great industry, as some 10,000 workers brought the master inventor’s ideas to life. Preserved with time-capsule perfection as the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Edison’s offices and labs today are the ultimate choice for inspiring tours.
After marveling at the heavy machine shops and exhibits, including original motion picture equipment and phonographs, groups can visit nearby Glenmont, home to Edison and his wife Mina from 1886 until his death in 1931. Set within private Llewellyn Park (passes required), the nation’s first planned residential community, dating from 1853, their Queen Anne Victorian mansion is available for guided tours.
Great minds also gather at the Westminster Hotel in nearby Livingston. Ideally situated just 20 miles west of New York City and 20 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport amid a concentration of pharma and Fortune 500 companies, this AAA Four Diamond property, featuring 183 spacious, elegantly styled rooms, is made to measure for corporate meetings and social functions.
Hosting groups from 25 to 900, the hotel offers 16,000 square feet of flexible space, including divisible meeting rooms and a ballroom with its own entrance. Business travelers can opt for Club Level rooms and suites, with 24-hour access to the exclusive Westminster Club; there’s free shuttle service to the airport; and for on-site dining and private events, the Strip House, from legendary New York restaurateurs Penny and Peter Glazier, is an irresistibly seductive choice.
Yet another brain trust is Princeton and its collection of leading conference centers and group hotels, such as the historic 188-room Nassau Inn, and Crowne Plaza Princeton, offering more than 37,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space split between 54 conference rooms, including a 360-seat amphitheater.
Other venues include the 296-room Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, offering more than 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space; the newly renovated 300-room Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, with 34 meeting rooms and 35,000 square feet of versatile space, and fresh off a $19 million transformation, the 330-room Hyatt Regency Princeton, with 32,000 square feet of space.
Fertile Finds
New Jersey is among America’s farming leaders, with food and agriculture together representing the state’s third-largest industry behind pharmaceuticals and tourism. The Garden State, for example, is the nation’s third-largest producer of cranberries, spinach and bell peppers, fourth in peaches and fifth in blueberries. With 9,070-plus farms covering some 715,057 acres of farmland, that means abundant opportunities for tours and activities, many listed at visitnjfarms.org.
The natural bounty extends to group-capable parks and gardens, such as Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, about 11 miles south of Princeton.
Located at the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds, this enchanting 42-acre venue showcases a regularly changing collection of dynamic outdoor sculptures. Versatile group spaces include the contemporary Seward Johnson Center for the Arts, hosting up to 350 guests for standing receptions, and Rat’s Restaurant. Corporate and private groups can also arrange for special tours and teambuilding activities such as art workshops and sculpture hunts.
Across from Lower Manhattan in Jersey City, Liberty State Park is one of New Jersey’s most dramatic locales. Plentiful program options for groups include ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; private dining and events at Maritime Parc restaurant; visits to the event-capable Liberty Science Center; and special events by permit.
With its wide beaches and recreational trails, peninsular Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area in the coastal Atlantic Highlands area is home to America’s oldest continuously operating lighthouse and the evocative structures of historic Fort Hancock. Ruins of former coastal defense fortifications and gun batteries, plus an old Naval firing range, add to the ambience.
Back in Central New Jersey, Summit’s event-capable Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a landmark former country estate surrounded by 12 acres of landscaped gardens and flower beds.
Nature-seeking groups can also escape to northwestern New Jersey’s scenic Skylands region.
Set on 582 acres, Ringwood Manor is a National Historic Landmark with a rich legacy that includes two centuries of ironmaking history and Gilded Age estate before becoming a museum and state park in 1938. Diverse programs include the after-hours Enchanted Evening Tour for 20 people.
Open year-round, the nearby New Jersey Botanical Garden features 96 acres of specialty gardens surrounded by woodlands and miles of marked trails. The grounds are also home to Skylands Manor, a Tudor-style stone and timber treasure from the 1920s with 24 rooms and suites and seasonal indoor and outdoor event space for corporate meetings, social functions and weddings.
