Looking for something fun to do in New Jersey during the crisp winter season? New Jersey may be known for its roughly 130 miles of shoreline, iconic boardwalks, and hot summer season, but it has quite a bit to offer during the colder months! From bumper cars on ice to indoor amusements and festive downtowns, here are 12 fun things to do in New Jersey this winter 2023/2024!
1. Visit the Newark Winter Village
The Newark Winter Village is an open-air festival offering ice skating, bumper cars on ice, curbside eats, private igloo rentals, and a marketplace. This is the perfect spot for a winter date night, a family outing, or a fun night out of the house! Enjoy the festivities at the Newark Winter Village now through January 2024! Purchase tickets and learn more about their attractions here.
2. Explore the American Dream Mall
The American Dream Mall is a great spot in North Jersey to spend the day. The Mall is open every day and visitors can enjoy a variety of indoor activities such as retail shopping, skiing/snowboarding at Big Snow, ice skating at The Rink, North America’s largest indoor waterpark, the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, blacklight mini golf, the Legoland discovery center, and more! Keep in mind that The American Dream Mall resides in Bergen County, so local laws prohibit most retail shops within the mall from being open on Sunday. The first 30 minutes of parking is free at the American Dream, and after that, visitors are required to pay $5 per vehicle for the duration of their visit. Learn more about the American Dream here.
3. Go to an Indoor Water Park
Looking for a taste of summer? If you are into water parks, then Big Kahunas (formerly known as Sahara Sam’s) in West Berlin is a fun spot to bring the kids and get out of the house! This South Jersey water park is currently open on weekends only (although they have some weekday opening around Christmas), and tickets can be found here. Learn more about Big Kahunas and plan your next visit on their website.
4. Go Ice Skating at One of NJ’s Outdoor Rinks
New Jersey has plenty of rinks throughout the state open for public skating! During the winter months, you can skate on New Jersey’s beautiful outdoor rinks as a fun way to get out of the house. Check out my guide to outdoor ice skating rinks in NJ.
5. Visit an Aquarium
New Jersey is home to many beautiful aquariums! Visiting an aquarium is a fun and interesting day trip the whole family can enjoy. Check out NJ MOM’s list of 10 aquariums in NJ where you can spend a day under the sea.
6. Enjoy Indoor Entertainment at Humdingers
Looking for the ultimate fun center in North Jersey? Humdingers has you covered! Located in Paramus, Humdingers is North Jersey’s ultimate destination to “Bat, Bowl, Eat and Play”. Visitors can dine at the café and enjoy offerings such as pizza, burgers, boneless wings, salads, ice cream, and lots more! Humdingers is also BYOB with the purchase of food. Play a round of bowling featuring the immersive Spark® options, hit up the batting cages and practice your swing, traverse through the laser maze, and enjoy a plethora of arcade games at Humdingers!
7. Go Snow Tubing
Snow tubing is a childhood favorite of mine! Get a taste of thrill and excitement at one of New Jersey’s top snow tubing spots, listed by NJ MOM.
8. Hit the Slopes
New Jersey is not necessarily known for its ski slopes, but the state is home to a few mountains you can check out this winter! Mountain Creek in Vernon is a popular local spot that skiers and snowboarders head to during the winter season. Featuring a variety of trails at different levels, Mountain Creek tends to get quite crowded on weekends. Visitors can expect more crowded slopes, but none-the-less, it is still a good local option within New Jersey. Campgaw in Mahwah is another North Jersey ski, snowboard, and snow tubing spot! While Campgaw is small compared to most ski mountains in the east coast region, it can be a relatively inexpensive spot to visit, especially on weekdays! Pricing info for Campgaw Mountain can be found here.
9. Check Out a Retro Arcade
Go back in time at one of New Jersey’s retro arcades! YESTERcades has three locations across the State: Red Bank, Somerville, and Westfield. The Silverball Retro Arcade on the Asbury Park Boardwalk makes for a fun date night. Starcade in May’s Landing is a retro arcade in South Jersey offering a wide variety of games from the 80s and 90s, plus pinball machines from 1978 and onwards! Check out this list of retro games available to play at Ram Arcade Museum in Haddonfield! There are many retro arcades across the Garden State to check out this winter for a unique indoor activity.
10. Walk and Shop Around a Festive Downtown
Get in the holiday spirit by walking around a festive downtown! Check out my post from last year 10 Cute Christmas Towns in New Jersey to Walk Around This Holiday Season. One of my personal favorites is Downtown Princeton!
11. Enjoy a Holiday Light Show
New Jersey is home to numerous holiday light shows at the end of the year! From the largest animated drive-thru light show, Winter Wonderlights, at the Middlesex County Fair Grounds to Smithville Village’s Holiday Light Show, there is plenty to enjoy this December! I highly recommend reading New Jersey Isn’t Boring’s December Guide to 50+ New Jersey Holiday Events 2023 for a list of festive activities to check out.
12. Spend a Winter Weekend in Cape May
Cape May is one of New Jersey’s BEST beach towns! While most South Jersey beach towns hibernate during the off-season, Cape May still has plenty to offer during the holidays! I love spending a weekend in Cape May during December as the town is beautifully decorated for the season. Enjoy shopping at the Washington Street Mall, visiting the historical Congress Hall, and dining at great restaurants! For a look at how I’ve spent a December weekend in the charming town of Cape May, feel free to check out my YouTube vlog here from 2021.
Comment below which of these activities you would try this winter in New Jersey!
