Tripadvisor
1 / 30#30. Empty Sky - 9/11 Memorial
- Rating: 4.6/5 (534 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Highest-rated free things to do in New Jersey by visitors
Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.
Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.
That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in New Jersey.
From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.
To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in New Jersey using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.
Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!
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Tripadvisor
2 / 30#29. Hamilton Park
- Rating: 4.8/5 (153 reviews)
- City: Weehawken New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
3 / 30#28. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (200 reviews)
- City: Morristown Morris County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
4 / 30#27. Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey - Waterfront 9/11 Memorial - #8
- Rating: 4.6/5 (412 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
5 / 30#26. Princeton University Art Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (729 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
6 / 30#25. Seaside Heights Boardwalk
- Rating: 4.1/5 (245 reviews)
- City: Seaside Heights New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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7 / 30#24. Branch Brook Park
- Rating: 4.4/5 (256 reviews)
- City: Newark New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
8 / 30#23. Tropicana Casino
- Rating: 3.8/5 (964 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
9 / 30#22. The Playground at Caesars
- Rating: 3.7/5 (1,423 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
10 / 30#21. Hoboken Waterfront Walkway
- Rating: 4.8/5 (641 reviews)
- City: Hoboken New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
11 / 30#20. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
- Rating: 4.7/5 (554 reviews)
- City: Barnegat Light Long Beach Island New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
12 / 30#19. Tanger Outlets Atlantic City
- Rating: 4.1/5 (836 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
13 / 30#18. Duke Farms
- Rating: 4.6/5 (494 reviews)
- City: Hillsborough New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
14 / 30#17. Caesars Atlantic City Casino
- Rating: 3.9/5 (2,496 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
15 / 30#16. Asbury Park Boardwalk
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1,009 reviews)
- City: Asbury Park New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
16 / 30#15. Washington Street Mall
- Rating: 4.4/5 (601 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
17 / 30#14. The Quarter at Tropicana
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,306 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
18 / 30#13. Princeton University
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,011 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
19 / 30#12. BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham
- Rating: 4.7/5 (226 reviews)
- City: Robbinsville New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
20 / 30#11. Historic Smithville
- Rating: 4.4/5 (549 reviews)
- City: Smithville New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
21 / 30#10. Wildwood Boardwalk
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,533 reviews)
- City: Wildwood Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
22 / 30#9. Borgata Casino
- Rating: 4.2/5 (2,562 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
23 / 30#8. Sunset Beach
- Rating: 4.6/5 (607 reviews)
- City: Lower Township Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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24 / 30#7. Wildwood Beach
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,933 reviews)
- City: Wildwood Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
25 / 30#6. Cape May County Park & Zoo
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,673 reviews)
- City: Cape May Court House Middle Township Cape May County New J
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
26 / 30#5. The Mills At Jersey Gardens
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,633 reviews)
- City: Elizabeth New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
27 / 30#4. Ocean City Boardwalk
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,929 reviews)
- City: Ocean City Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
28 / 30#3. Liberty State Park
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,518 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
29 / 30#2. Jersey Shore Alpacas
- Rating: 5.0/5 (796 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor
30 / 30#1. Atlantic City Boardwalk
- Rating: 3.9/5 (5,723 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.
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