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 Find all the fun things to do and enjoyable places to visit in New Jersey, and even learn a little something along the way, in this exciting fun and facts guide.
It’s a Fact: New Jersey is a fun place to work and play!
Did you ever wonder why the state was named “New Jersey” or why National Geographic magazine called New Jersey “America in Miniature?” This handy “New Jersey Fun & Facts Guide” not only highlights all the fun things to see and do in the Garden State, but will also expand your brainpower about New Jersey's fun facts and figures.
The best place to start is right here.
From the enchanting blue skies along the 127 miles of beautiful, white sandy beaches to our rugged mountains and scenic forests, there's more to see and do in New Jersey than you can possibly imagine!
You can also visit Hangout NJ - a specially designed website for kids at: www.state.nj.us/hangout_nj/
Discover a cartoon history of our state, information on how New Jersey government operates, monthly features, games and more entertaining options.
New Jersey may seem like a small place, yet it is brimming with so much to discover and explore. To help you get around, the state is divided into six major regions running north to south: Skylands, Gateway, Shore, Delaware River, Greater Atlantic City and Southern Shore Regions.
Download New Jersey Fun & Facts Guide
PDF format, 3.3MB.
Cool stuff to do in New Jersey!
New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism
www.visitnj.org
20 West State Street, PO Box 820
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0820
1-800-VISITNJ
Fast Facts about State stuff..
State Seal
New Jersey’s state “seal” doesn’t live in the ocean! Pierre Eugene du Simitiere designed the state symbol in May 1777. The three plows in the shield honor the state’s agricultural tradition, while the horse head represents speed and strength. The female figures of the seal are Liberty on the left and Ceres on the right. Liberty carries the liberty cap on her staff while Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain, symbolizes abundance and cradles a cornucopia filled with harvested produce. The banner below, “Liberty and Prosperity,” is the official state motto.
State Flag
Adopted in 1896, the state flag proudly displays the official state colors: Buff and Jersey Blue. The state seal is emblazoned in blue on a brilliant buff background. The buff and blue on the flag are the same colors General George Washington selected for uniforms worn by New Jersey soldiers during the American Revolution and in 1779, the colors on the insignia were chosen from the state’s early Dutch Settlers.
State Bird
The Eastern Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) was adopted as the New Jersey state bird in 1935. Keep your eye on your bird feeder to see if an Eastern Goldfinch whistles you a “hello!”
State Tree
Once we had a state bird, we needed to give it an official place to nest. The red oak (Quercus rubra) was named the official state tree in 1950. We also named the dogwood as the state memorial tree in 1951.
State Flower
The state flower of New Jersey, the violet (Viola sororia), is just one of many beautiful flowers firmly rooted in the Garden State.
State Fruit
New Jersey is the birthplace of the cultivated blueberry, thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth C. White of Whitesbog in 1916. In 2004, the blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) became New Jersey’s official state fruit. New Jersey is the 2nd ranked state in the nation in blueberry production growing 38 million pounds per year.
State Insect
Where would the state flower be without a state insect? In 1974, the honeybee (Apis mellifera) became the state insect. Give the next bee you see a big state salute, but be careful - don’t get stung!
State Fish
With more than 1,400 miles of trout streams, it’s only natural that the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) became the state’s official fish in 1992. So the next time you catch a brook trout, let it off the hook so it can continue to carry its prominent title from stream to stream.
State Animal
The horse (Equus caballus) became the state animal in 1977. Trot over to Gladstone and see where the U.S. Equestrian Team has been headquartered since 1950.
State Shell
The next time you are collecting shells at the Jersey Shore, keep your eyes open for the knobbed whelk (Busycon carica gmelin), the official state shell since 1995.
State Dinosaur
The Hadrosaurus foulkii became the state dinosaur in 1991. This historic find in 1891 in Haddonfield was North America’s first complete dinosaur skeleton and provided scientific evidence that dinosaurs walked upright. Since then, fossils of at least eight primitive mammals that lived alongside the dinosaurs have also been discovered.
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