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, 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, 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. 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, compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in New Jersey using data from . 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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1 / 30

#30. Empty Sky - 9/11 Memorial

- Rating: 4.6/5 (534 reviews)
- City: not available
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2 / 30

#29. Hamilton Park

- Rating: 4.8/5 (153 reviews)
- City: Weehawken New
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3 / 30

#28. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (200 reviews)
- City: Morristown Morris County New
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4 / 30

#27. Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey - Waterfront 9/11 Memorial - #8

- Rating: 4.6/5 (412 reviews)
- City: not available
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Tripadvisor

5 / 30

#26. Princeton University Art Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (729 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
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6 / 30

#25. Seaside Heights Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.1/5 (245 reviews)
- City: Seaside Heights New
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7 / 30

#24. Branch Brook Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (256 reviews)
- City: Newark New
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8 / 30

#23. Tropicana Casino

- Rating: 3.8/5 (964 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. The Playground at Caesars

- Rating: 3.7/5 (1,423 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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Tripadvisor

10 / 30

#21. Hoboken Waterfront Walkway

- Rating: 4.8/5 (641 reviews)
- City: Hoboken New
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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
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#19. Tanger Outlets Atlantic City

- Rating: 4.1/5 (836 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Duke Farms

- Rating: 4.6/5 (494 reviews)
- City: Hillsborough New
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14 / 30

#17. Caesars Atlantic City Casino

- Rating: 3.9/5 (2,496 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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#16. Asbury Park Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1,009 reviews)
- City: Asbury Park New
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#15. Washington Street Mall

- Rating: 4.4/5 (601 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#14. The Quarter at Tropicana

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,306 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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#13. Princeton University

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,011 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
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Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham

- Rating: 4.7/5 (226 reviews)
- City: Robbinsville New
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#11. Historic Smithville

- Rating: 4.4/5 (549 reviews)
- City: Smithville New
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Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. Wildwood Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,533 reviews)
- City: Wildwood Cape May County New
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#9. Borgata Casino

- Rating: 4.2/5 (2,562 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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23 / 30

#8. Sunset Beach

- Rating: 4.6/5 (607 reviews)
- City: Lower Township Cape May County New
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24 / 30

#7. Wildwood Beach

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,933 reviews)
- City: Wildwood Cape May County New
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#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
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Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. The Mills At Jersey Gardens

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,633 reviews)
- City: Elizabeth New
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27 / 30

#4. Ocean City Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,929 reviews)
- City: Ocean City Cape May County New
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#3. Liberty State Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,518 reviews)
- City: not available
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#2. Jersey Shore Alpacas

- Rating: 5.0/5 (796 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#1. Atlantic City Boardwalk

- Rating: 3.9/5 (5,723 reviews)
- City: Atlantic City New
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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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