Princeton, NJ Tourist Attractions
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A few miles north-east of Trenton lies the small town of Princeton, which owes its international reputation to its university and associated research institutes, including the Institute for Advanced Study, where Albert Einstein carried out his final work. The university, founded in 1946 as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, moved to Princeton in 1756. With Harvard and Yale it belongs to the "Ivy League" of prestigious universities in the north-east United States. Features of particular interest include the building of the Woodrow Wilson School for political science, built in 1965 to plans by Minoru Yamasaki, the Nassau Hall, the Marquand Chapel and the H.S. Firestone library.
Princeton University
Princeton University relocated to Princeton, from Elizabeth, in 1756 thus several of the original building on campus date back to that period in time. It served as a barracks and hospital during the Revolutionary War. It now encompasses over 1,600 acres and a wide variety of architecture is represented.The University is also home to the third-largest university chapel in the world, the Princeton University Chapel, noted for its Gothic architecture
Art Museum
The permanent collections of the Princeton University Art Museum range from ancient to contemporary art, and focus on the Mediterranean regions, Western Europe, China, the United States, and Latin America. A collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, including ceramics, marbles, and bronzes, and Roman mosaics from Princeton University's excavations in Antioch are also displayed.
University Chapel
The University Chapel at Princeton is one of the world's largest university chapels. Notable features include a pulpit and lectern, which date from the mid-16th century and were brought from France.
Natural History Museum (closed for renovations)
The Natural History Museum is dedicated to evolution and geology with displays of marine and land inhabitants from prehistoric to modern species.
Bainbridge House
Bainbridge House was completed in 1766 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Princeton. The house serves as the headquarters of the Historical Society of Princeton. It was the birthplace of Commodore William Bainbridge, a commander of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812.The interior of Bainbridge House contains almost 70% of the original interior woodwork.
Opera Festival of New Jersey (closed)
ATTRACTION NO LONGER OPERATES.Opera Festival of New Jersey performs both classic and modern repertory each summer. Opera Festival also presents informative lectures and pre-opera talks to enhance the opera medium. A children's opera tour is held each year.
Rockingham State Historic Site
Rockingham is believed to have been built between 1702 and 1710. Possibly built by the Higgins family, the house was originally a two story, two frame house situated high on a rocky hillside above the river. This was Washington's headquarters August-November 1783 while the Continental Congress was in session in Princeton.
Thomas Clarke House
Thomas Clarke House is a furnished Quaker farmhouse, built in 1770, and used as a hospital following the battle on January 3, 1777. American General Hugh Mercer died here of wounds suffered in the engagement. The house contains period furniture and Revolutionary War exhibits.
