Metuchen is in the heart of the Raritan Valley Region, a suburban borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Located within the New York Metropolitan area, the Metuchen serves as the regional commercial hub in Central New Jersey.
Having become the town center in 1996 and a transit village in 2001, the Metuchen has earned praise for its intelligent growth development.
With its continuing evolution and progress, the tourism of Metuchen boomed as well.
Metuchen has now become a place to explore, experience, and enjoy.
Here are the 15 best things to do in Metuchen, New Jersey:
Visit the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Cathedral
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Started as a small mission church in 1871, the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Metuchen.
Since its establishment in the late 1800s, the parish was able to grow its community to 2,000 families by the year 1960.
Built in the Gothic Revival style, the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Cathedral seats about 1,000 people.
Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Visiting the church, you’ll admire the beauty of its interior, made of limestone and Italian marble.
Its design and maintenance also reveal much about the churchgoers’ spirituality and faith.
The St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Cathedral has a mass scheduled every day of the year from the morning to afternoon and evening.
Play Sports at Myrtle-Charles Park
You can play several sports in Myrtle-Charles Park, located near Hillside Cemetery and Image Up Studio.
The Myrtle-Charles Park is a playground for both kids and adults.
You can play many ball games like football, soccer, baseball, field hockey, and basketball.
There’s also a workout area for the gym rats.
The whole field lights up at night to accommodate some league games.
If you want to stay fit and healthy and bond with your friends, going to Myrtle-Charles Park is always a good idea.
For the convenience of visitors, Myrtle-Charles Park also has plenty of parking and a clean and working restroom.
Stroll at Middlesex Greenway
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The Middlesex Greenway is a 3.5-mile trail connecting Metuchen, Edison, and Woodbridge.
Connecting three different communities, the Middlesex Greenway has 12 entry points.
Established in 1875, 5he Middlesex Greenway, created by the Leigh Valley Railroad, transported anthracite coal to New York City.
In a picturesque open park, you can have a leisure walk, an afternoon or evening jog, or a bike ride at the Middlesex Greenway.
Take a moment and do simple recreational activities at Middlesex Greenway.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Relax at Roosevelt Park
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Located in Edison, Roosevelt Park is the oldest park in Essex County.
Opened in 1917, Roosevelt Park often gets compared to New York’s Central Park with its 196 acres of beautiful trees and eight acres of a lovely lake, ideal for fishing.
When visiting Metuchen and its neighboring cities, the eight-acre Roosevelt Park has become the first park to come to mind.
It’s only five minutes from Metuchen.
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The Roosevelt Park is also home to the Veterans Memorial, which won the 39th Annual New Jersey Concrete Awards.
The Veterans Memorial showcases a unique monument that honors and commemorates the war veterans in the county.
This memorial instills bravery, sacrifice, and obligation to its visitors.
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Visit the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park
The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, located in Edison, New Jersey, celebrates Thomas Edison’s incredible mind and encourages people to follow in his footsteps.
Through this initiative, the world expects a brighter future for the management of the museum.
The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park will also allow you to find the innovator in you.
In the two-room museum, you’ll see some original artifacts and informative exhibits all relating to the life of Thomas Edison and his life’s inventions.
The artifacts in the museum include a model of Edison’s laboratory, photographs, light bulbs, and more.
Tourists from everywhere visit the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park year-round.
This center is only five minutes from Metuchen.
Walk Your Dog at Edison-Metuchen Community Dog Park
The Edison-Metuchen Community Dog Park is a park designated for dogs and other pets.
Located in Edison, the Edison-Metuchen Community Dog Park welcomes dogs of both small and large breeds for a relaxing and fun walk and time at a park.
Your dogs need to get out of the house, too, after all.
As a convenient and well-maintained park, the community dog park has plenty of space for dogs to run and play.
The community dog park offers toys and playground equipment.
Just four minutes from Metuchen, the Edison-Metuchen Community Dog Park has everything your dog needs.
Admire Bizarre Sculptures at the Light Dispelling Darkness Statue
The Light Dispelling Darkness Statue, located in Edison, offers one of the most peculiar attractions in New Jersey.
In 1937, the artist Waylande Gregory designed the famous fountain called “Light Dispelling Darkness.”
Waylande Gregory, a ceramic sculptor, gained popularity through his works of art for even more prominent individuals such as Albert Einstein.
Through his influence and connections, the ceramic sculptor became head of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration Sculpture Project.
Afterward, he started his monumental creations in New Jersey, including the Light Dispelling Darkness Statue.
The sculpture demonstrates a heroic theme of battling the darkness of evil through the spreading illumination of knowledge.
The statue has a few pillars depicting educational, industry, and technology images.
You can reach this sculpture five minutes from Metuchen.
See a Play at Plays-In-The-Park
The Plays-In-The-Park is a popular venue for Broadway musicals in Middlesex County.
The Plays-In-The-Park is a unique government-sponsored outdoor musical theater located at Pine Drive, Edison, five minutes from Metuchen.
Each year, especially during the summers, the theater stages children and adult musical performances at the outdoor amphitheater.
As one of the most celebrated events in Middlesex County, Plays-In-The-Park also brings the whole family together.
The live entertainment at the Plays-In-The-Park will bring you joy amidst any trouble.
See a Movie at AMC Dine-In Theatres Menlo Park 12
Take your movie night to the next level.
Located at 55 Parsonage Road, in AMC Dine-In Theatres Menlo Park 12, you can watch the latest films while comfortably having a food trip at the same.
Unlike other cinemas, the AMC Dine-In Theatres Menlo Park 12 has bigger tables per seat where you can eat all you can.
Do you want a movie and good food?
You can also rent the whole place just for you and your family and friends and see a movie by yourselves.
Book private rentals for birthdays and special events at the AMC Dine-In Theatres Menlo Park 12 in Edison, six minutes from Metuchen.
Have Fun at Topgolf
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If you want a unique venue to dine in and have fun and games, check out Topgolf in Edison.
Topgolf is a party venue, a sports bar, and an overall entertainment venue that offers food, fun, and game for all.
As a premier entertainment venue in Metuchen and Edison, Topgolf has made socializing a sport by blending technology and entertainment.
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You can play golf and drink at the same time here.
Celebrate birthday parties, corporate events, hand oliday parties,at Topgolf, seven minutes from Metuchen.
Topgolf is not only the best entertainment destination in Metuchen and Edison, but it also serves the best food and drinks.
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Explore the Triple C Ranch and Nature Center
On the other hand, if you want to spend some time in nature, you might want to visit the Triple C Ranch and Nature Center.
The Triple C Ranch and Nature Center, located at Tyler Road, Edison, is a grassroots non-profit organization that protects and restores the environment and human health by conserving natural resources.
Moreover, the nature center also raises public awareness of education and action.
Because of this, the Triple C Ranch and Nature Center gets over 1,000 visitors yearly, mostly from schools, churches, civic groups, and scout troops.
Visiting the nature center, different animals will also greet you.
You can find this place nine minutes from Metuchen.
Unwind at Papaianni Park
The Papianni Park, located at 1000 Municipal Boulevard, is a park in Edison ideal for a day of relaxation.
The park has a small lake, tennis courts, basketball, and lawns you can enjoy however you like.
Papianni Park also accommodates community festivals from time to time for some chill and al fresco fun.
Some people visit Papianni Park to walk; it’s also six minutes from Metuchen.
The park offers a 1.6-kilometer loop trail that takes about 18 minutes to finish.
Since it opens year-round, Papaianni Park gives you all the time you need.
Explore the Dismal Swamp Preserve
Five to ten minutes away from Metuchen, Dismal Swamp Preserve is a nature preserve in Edison, six minutes from Metuchen.
The Dismal Swamp Preserve, located in an urbanized area, is a wetland ecosystem that spans 650 acres.
Visiting the Dismal Swamp Preserve, you can do plenty of relaxing water activities like boating, birding, camping, dog walking, fishing, hiking, hunting, running, wildlife watching, and more.
The preserve is also happy to assist schools with some educational tours.
In the Dismal Swamp Preserve, you can see different species of animals you haven’t seen before.
There are 47 mammals, 200 species of birds, 96 species of butterflies, and more.
Boost Your Teamwork at Woodbridge Escape Room
The Woodbridge Escape Room, located at Woodbridge Mall in Woodbridge, New Jersey, is where you can show off your problem-solving skills in a fun escaping game.
This place is ten minutes from Metuchen.
There are different escape rooms in Woodbridge Escape Room where you’ll solve various puzzles and codes, and assemble clues that’ll help you get out before the time runs out.
With nine different scenarios to choose from, you’ll have some expertly designed storylines to enjoy.
Your 50 minutes in the Woodbridge Escape Room will be worth it.
Visit Rutgers University Ecological Preserve
The Rutgers University Ecological Preserve is on Rockafeller Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 11 minutes from Metuchen.
The Rutgers University Ecological Preserve is a 425-acre of underdeveloped forest land established in 1976.
Previously known as Kilmer Woods, the Rutgers Ecological Preserve is a nature teaching area with many plant life and wood-dwelling creatures.
The old-growth forest also has access to easy and scenic trails if you want to go on a hike or a walk in the woods.
Stretch your leg a bit and explore the short loops of the pleasant Rutgers University Ecological Preserve.
Final Thoughts
Metuchen is charming; its endless tourist attractions to visit, from recreational parks to amusem*nt parks, will give you a one-of-a-kind experience.
As one of the liveliest cities in New Jersey, Metuchen will show you that the fun never ends as long as you visit the right places.
Plan your trip today and discover the best things to do in Metuchen, New Jersey!
