Make some history this weekend.

From historic sites to hallowed ground, this day plan is built for those who want to jump right into history.

• Print or download your tour map.
• Start your day with a classic Jersey pork roll, egg, and cheese on a hard roll at Tony’s Freehold Grill.
• Follow in the footsteps of the Monmouth Campaign:
  • See where General Knyphausen’s division crossed Crosswicks Creek, the original 18th century Waln House, and a working grist mill at Historic Walnford.
  • The Village Inn served as Washington’s Headquarters in Englishtown during the Battle of Monmouth.
  • Tennent Church was a field hospital after the Battle of Monmouth, and is the final resting place of British Lieutenant Colonel Henry Monckton, the highest ranking officer killed during the battle.
  • General Sir Henry Clinton used the Covenhoven House as his headquarters while the British army was encamped around Freehold just prior to the battle.
• Have lunch at the historic Moore’s Tavern.
• Walk the fields of Monmouth Battlefield State Park.
• Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the country, and stood watch as the British evacuated New Jersey after the Battle of Monmouth in the first days of July 1778.
• Explore three centuries of New Jersey’s military heritage at the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey in Sea Girt.
• Enjoy some fresh seafood with a waterfront view at Bahr’s Landing in Highlands or Red’s Lobster Pot in Point Pleasant.

Enhance your historical experience with fun and family-friendly activities all weekend long!

• Print or download your tour map.
• Ride the coasters, go on a safari, or just take a leisurely ride on the cable cars at the largest amusement park in the New York/New Jersey area - Six Flags Great Adventure!
• Have a hands-on learning experience climbing aboard a pirate ship or piloting a space capsule at the children’s wing of the Monmouth Museum at Brookdale Community College.
• Pop on over to Red Bank for lunch at Surf Taco or Elsie’s Sub Shop.
• Take a train ride on the Pine Creek Railroad at the New Jersey Museum of Transportation at Allaire State Park, and afterwards explore the buildings of Allaire Village, the original 1830s iron-ore factory town.
• Cool off with some soft serve from Jersey Freeze and indulge your sweet tooth at Old Monmouth Candies.
• Play some ski ball, visit the aquarium, and enjoy some time at the beach at Jenkinson’s in Point Pleasant Beach.
• Grab some classic Jersey Shore thin crust pizza at Carmen’s Pizza or Federici’s.

From flea market antiques to one-of-a-kind boutiques, Monmouth County has your shopping needs covered.

• Print or download your tour map.
• Get the day started with some Rook Coffee.
• Monmouth County is home to two large indoor malls – the Freehold Raceway Mall and the Monmouth Mall. Take your pick!
• Want to snag deals at the outlets? Hit up Jackson Premium Outlets.
• Have Lunch at The Court Jester on Main Street Freehold, across the street from the site of the original Monmouth Courthouse after which the battle was named.
• If you prefer the adventure of flea markets, the enormous Englishtown Auction is only a mile north of where the Continental Army passed through Englishtown on the morning of the Battle of Monmouth.
• Downtown Red Bank is home to quaint boutique stores, fine antique shops, and great dining.
• Finish off the day with some Irish “Ól, Ceol, Bia agus Craic” – drink, music, food and good times – at the Dublin House.

Monmouth County is teeming with recreation, history and activities perfect for connecting with your better half.

• Print or download your tour map.
• Monmouth County is located in the heart of the Garden State, and summer is the perfect time to visit Battleview Orchards, Wemrock Orchards, or Delicious Orchards for world-famous Jersey sweet corn and tomatoes, and to pick fresh local fruits.
• Canoe, row or peddle boat at Turkey Swamp Park or Manasquan Reservoir.
• Test the bounds of your relationship at the Solve it Sherlock Escape Room or Amazing Escape Room in Freehold.
• Take an evening stroll along the boardwalk In Long Branch, Avon-by-the-Sea, Ocean Grove, or Asbury Park.
• While you’re in Asbury, score points on one of hundreds of pinball machines at the Silverball Museum Arcade.
• Enjoy a performance at the Count Basie Theatre or catch a concert at the famous Stone Pony, where local rock legends like Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes got their start.
• End the day with fine German beer and brats on the rooftop patio at the Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten or charm your belle or beau at the classic French brasserie Pascal and Sabine.

Before You Go

We’ve got some tips and advice for prepping for a visit to Monmouth County and surrounding areas, including hours, weather, accommodations, and directions – everything you need to make your visit a comfortable and memorable one!

• Check the weather so you know how to pack and what to wear.  
• Learn more about the Battle of Monmouth and the Revolutionary War.
• Find a place to stay that makes it easy to see as much as possible. We like the historic American Hotel in downtown Freehold, where, during the Civil War, the 14th New Jersey formed in front of to say farewell to their friends and family, the Radisson Hotel Freehold just outside of town, and the Colts Neck Inn Hotel in nearby Colts Neck, New Jersey.