New Jersey - Landmarks and Points of Interest

By Smithsonian.com
Smithsonian.com, November 06, 2007

(Atlantic City)
Follow the bright lights to Atlantic City and enter the fast-paced world of casino gaming thrills and unparalleled nightlife, award-winning restaurants, and world-class entertainment. You can also pay homage to Monopoly here. Game maker Charles B. Darrow named his games’ properties after the city’s streets. And certainly, no visit to Atlantic City would be complete without a walk down America’s first boardwalk. Try some salt-water taffy on the walk. This is, after all, where taffy started.

Jersey Shore
A natural landscape of enchanting blue skies and 127 miles of white sand beaches, the Jersey Shore is the state’s most famous destination. Enjoy boating and deep-sea fishing, surfing the waves and leisurely boardwalk strolls. Take a tour down the coast to see the eleven historic lighthouses that dot the shores and the waterways of the state. The octagonal white tower in Sandy Hook is the oldest operating lighthouse in the U.S.

Cape May
Flock to "America’s oldest seaside resort" to bird watch, enjoy a quiet romantic getaway, or climb the winding steps of the historic 1859 Cape May Lighthouse. Stroll through the streets of stately gingerbread Victorian inns, historic hotels and charming bed and breakfasts, or test your palette along a wine trail.

Lucy the Elephant
Nearby in Atlantic County, Margate Beach is the site of a 65-foot tall wooden elephant. This structure, which can be seen from a distance off-shore, has survived a long life—owner-after-owner, and even a couple of stints as a saloon—until in 1976, the U.S. Department of the Interior solidified Lucy’s place in history by naming it a National Historic Landmark.

Liberty State Park
Venture to Jersey City’s Liberty State Park, your boarding point for a scenic ferry ride to the famed Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, immigrant portals that welcomed more than 12 million people into the United States.