From the great outdoors and mind-blowing animals to historic haunts, Camden County is packed with plenty of sites you have to see. Here are 5 to start with.
A founding fathers haunt
Indian King Tavern Museum – Haddonfield
Wander the halls of a 200-year-old tavern where our founding fathers would meet to discuss freedom, legislators passed laws and travelers stopped for food, lodging and lively conversation. Admission to the museum is free and guided tours are available. The museum is open Wed. through Sat. from 10 am to noon, and 1 to 4 pm; on Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. For more information, visit the website.
A historic battleship
Battleship New Jersey – Camden
The newly refurbished Battleship New Jersey is back home on the Camden Waterfront and open for tours. Explore the country’s most-decorated battleship to see where the sailors slept, climb into the 16-foot gun turret and learn more about life aboard the battleship. Self-guided and guided tours are available every day from 10 am to 4 pm, and specialty tours are also available. For more information, visit the website.
Sharks
Adventure Aquarium – Camden
The largest collection of sharks in the Northeast can be found just steps from the Delaware River. Adventure Aquarium’s Shark Realm holds 550,000 gallons of water and six species of sharks, that you can watch every day while walking thru the Shark Tunnel. And if that’s not close enough, the aquarium also offers special experiences where you can swim with the sharks (and stingrays!) of Shark Realm. For more information, visit the website.
A dinosaur discovery
Hadrosaurus foulkii Leidy Site – Haddonfield
Up until the mid-1800’s, the only dinosaur remains that had been found in North America were small scattered remains (think, random teeth). Then a nearly-complete dinosaur skeleton was found right here in South Jersey – Haddonfield, to be exact. The Hadrosaurus foulkii was discovered by William Parker Foulke in 1958, and you can visit a recreation of the dinosaur on Kings Highway, as well as a marker at the site where the skeleton was unearthed, Hadrosaurus Park.
A Poet’s Nook
Walt Whitman House – Camden
Did you know one of the country’s most famous poets spent some time in Camden? And you can visit the home where he spent the final years of his life. Guided tours are required to explore the home, and you must reserve a time by calling ahead. Tours are available Wed. through Sat. at 11 am and 2 pm, and Sun. at 2 pm. For more information, visit the website.
