As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of independence, New Jersey’s Revolutionary War landmarks are seeing renewed interest from historians, educators, and travelers.
Known as the “Crossroads of the American Revolution,” the state hosted hundreds of military engagements, encampments, and raids between 1776 and 1783—more than most colonies.
Here are 25 of the most significant Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey, with official resources for planning visits:
1. Washington Crossing State Park (Mercer County)
Site of Washington’s famous Delaware River crossing in 1776.
Official site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/washingtoncrossingstatepark.html
2. Princeton Battlefield State Park (Mercer County)
Location of the decisive 1777 Battle of Princeton.
Official site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/princetonbattlefieldstatepark.html
3. Morristown National Historical Park (Morris County)
Washington’s winter headquarters during multiple encampments.
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/morristown/
4. Monmouth Battlefield State Park (Monmouth County)
Site of the massive 1778 Battle of Monmouth.
Official site: https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/monmouth-battlefield-state-park/
5. Old Barracks Museum (Trenton)
Revolution-era barracks used by British and American forces.
Official site: https://barracks.org/
6. Trenton Battle Monument (Trenton)
Commemorates Washington’s victory at Trenton.
Official info: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/trentonbattlemonument.html
7. Rockingham Historic Site (Kingston)
Washington’s final wartime headquarters in 1783.
Official site: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/historic/rockingham/
8. Boxwood Hall State Historic Site (Elizabeth)
Historic home visited by George Washington.
Official site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/boxwoodhall/
9. The Hermitage (Ho-Ho-Kus)
Revolutionary-era estate tied to Washington and Aaron Burr.
Official site: https://www.thehermitage.org/
10. Proprietary House (Perth Amboy)
Home of New Jersey’s last royal governor.
Official site: https://proprietaryhouse.org/
11. Hancock House (Salem County)
Site of a 1778 British raid and massacre.
Official site: https://www.hancockhouse.org/
12. Indian King Tavern Museum (Haddonfield)
Where NJ ratified the Articles of Confederation.
Official site: https://www.historichaddonfieldnj.org/indian-king-tavern
13. Red Bank Battlefield Park (National Park, Gloucester County)
Site of the 1777 Fort Mercer defense.
Official site: https://www.gloucestercountynj.gov/parks/park_locations/red_bank_battlefield_park.php
14. Fort Lee Historic Park (Fort Lee)
Overlooks the Hudson River, tied to Washington’s 1776 retreat.
Official site: https://www.njpalisades.org/fortLee.html
15. Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage (Somerville)
Associated with Washington’s Middlebrook encampments.
Official site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/wallacehouse/
16. Van Campen Inn (Walpack Township)
Frontier inn used during wartime movement.
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/dewa/learn/historyculture/van-campen-inn.htm
17. Ringwood Manor / Craig House (Ringwood)
Ironworks that supported the Continental Army.
Official site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/ringwoodmanor/
18. Absecon Lighthouse (Atlantic City area)
Coastal region tied to wartime maritime activity.
Official site: https://www.abseconlighthouse.org/
19. Seabrook-Wilson House (Middletown)
Historic Bayshore home tied to Revolutionary-era activity.
Official site: https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?Id=2546
20. Sandy Hook Unit – Gateway National Recreation Area (Sandy Hook)
Strategic British-held naval base during the war.
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandy-hook.htm
21. Jockey Hollow (Morristown NHP)
Encampment site of Continental Army soldiers in winter 1779–80.
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/morristown/planyourvisit/jockey-hollow.htm
22. Paulus Hook Battlefield (Jersey City)
Site of the 1779 American surprise attack on British forces.
Official info: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/paulushook/
23. Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment Site (Bernards Township)
Early American artillery training center under Henry Knox.
Official info: https://www.nps.gov/places/pluckemin-cantonment-site.htm
24. Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church (Bernards Township)
Used as a wartime encampment and medical site.
Official site: https://www.baskingridgechurch.org/history
25. Mount Holly Historic District (Burlington County)
Location of the Battle of Iron Works Hill.
Official site: https://www.mounthollynj.org/historic-district
From Washington’s dramatic crossing of the Delaware to the brutal winter encampments at Morristown and the coastal defenses along Sandy Hook, New Jersey’s Revolutionary War sites form a dense historical landscape unmatched in colonial America.
As interest grows ahead of the nation’s semiquincentennial, these 25 destinations continue to offer a firsthand look at the places where independence was won—not just in famous cities, but across every corner of the Garden State.
