For millions of immigrants, Ellis Island was the first view of America. Today, it is a moving experience for anyone wanting to learn more about that era in U.S. history. The island, part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, sits in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Though quiet today, it’s amazing to think of what the Great Hall was like as new arrivals to the country passed through in search of a better life here.
Freedom Plaza, located adjacent to the N.J. Transit Metuchen train station, is dedicated to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Its walls list the names of the more than 700 New Jersey residents, including 13 from Edison and Metuchen, who died in the terrorist attacks.
The Old Colonial Cemetery of Metuchen was founded during the first half of the 18th century, likely between 1715 and 1730. The grave of John Campbell, who died in 1731, is the oldest in the cemetery. Among those buried in the cemetery are 66 veterans of the American Revolution.
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There is no more well-known symbol of New York City or the country, for that matter than Lady Liberty herself. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed colossal neoclassical sculpture, while Gustave Eiffel oversaw its construction. The Statue of Liberty, which sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886. For anyone who doesn’t want to take the boat to the island should consider the Staten Island Ferry for great views. It won’t cost a dime.