New Jersey gets a bad reputation as New York's ugly neighbor. The truth is, though, that New Jersey is the anchor of the mid-Atlantic region, and not even the great Empire State can compare to Jersey's hundreds of miles of ocean shoreline and boardwalk entertainment that make it so appealing for both adults and kids alike.
This family hot spot is less than 70 miles from Newark, Philadelphia and New York. It features the world's tallest and fastest coaster (as of April 2010), Kingda Ka, which shoots passengers 45 stories high and jets around at 128 mph. Kids must be 54 inches to ride most of the park's scariest coasters, but there are plenty of alternatives available. Wiggles World and Bugs Bunny National Park offer slower rides, such as Monkey Around and Road Runner Railway for the little ones.
The 350-acre Wild Safari is home to 1,200 animals, including giraffes, elephants and lions. Visitors can drive their own vehicles through the one-hour safari. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, a 45-acre tropically-themed water park, is also located adjacent to the park.
Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari
1 Six Flags Blvd.
Jackson, NJ 08527
732-928-1821
sixflags.com
It's not quite "Pirates of the Caribbean" on this boat at Riverfront Marina, but it's about as close as you'll get to a real-life high seas adventure in New Jersey. The Sea Gypsy is full of a friendly pirate staff and can accommodate more than 30 junior pirates. Targeting ages 3 to 10, the staff transforms its sailors into pirates in less than an hour. Kids receive bandannas, a treasure map, face painting and even an original pirate name. No need to worry about sea sickness or rough waters here, as the ship departs down a calm bay protected by a break wall.
Jersey Shore Pirates
Riverfront Marina
281 Princeton Ave.
Brick, NJ 08724
732-899-6100
jerseyshorepirates.com
Adventure Aquarium features almost 200,000 square feet of marine life and caters particularly to school-aged children (2 to 12). It's all about hands-on learning at this facility, as licensed divers teach the young ones what it's like to be next to some of the ocean's most extraordinary creatures. Kids over age 12 with a participating adult can actually put on a wet suit, take a short snorkeling lesson and swim with tiger sharks, sandbar sharks and nurse sharks. For those who can't quite find the courage to be face-to-face with sharks, there's the Positively Penguins Adventure. Biologists educate kids ages 5 and up, accompanied by an adult, on the habitat and history of penguins, then take them into Penguin Island, which houses more than 20 black-footed African penguins. The aquarium also offers shows, exhibits and a chance to feed and command grey and harbor seals.
Adventure Aquarium
1 Riverside Drive
Camden, NJ 08103
856-365-3300
adventureaquarium.com
