So, you’ve completed a NJ defensive driving course and scored a sweet discount on your auto insurance! It’s time to spend that extra money on a worthwhile cause. Sure, you could hook up one of your in-laws with a comedy defensive driving course, too, but do you actually like them that much? Nah. Instead, take the whole family on a road trip to New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari.

Six Flags is a fantastic destination all by itself, but the trip there can be a lot of fun, too. Here are some quirky, can’t-miss sights:

Six Things to See on the Way

Ashbury Park – Pinball Hall of Fame Silverball Museum Arcade

This beautiful town, located on the coast, gives you amazing views of the shoreline and one of America’s last pinball arcades. You can buy free play passes and let your kids go nuts on these classic old machines.


Franklin – Franklin Mineral Museum

The museum includes specimens of locally mined rocks which glow under UV lights. You can also edu-tain the kids with a two-story replica of a mine. There, you’ll see historical equipment and mining re-enactments.


Hammonton – Robot Auto Part Sculptures at El&M Auto Recycling

Hop out of the car for a quick look at this scrap yard’s innovative robot statues, created out of auto parts. The owners are friendly and encourage you to take photos.


Lyndhurst – Medieval Times Dinner Theater

If you’re staying in town overnight, you can celebrate, Renaissance Faire style, with a medieval-themed feast of foods designed to be dug into with your hands. While chowing down, you’ll be entertained with traditional medieval spectacles like jousting, sword fights, falconry, and horsemanship.


Stanhope – Waterloo Village

This attraction is a partially restored historical site that includes old-timey elements like a water mill and a ghost town. The ghost town has several buildings, some restored and some left in their original, creepy condition to add to the atmosphere. Guided tours are available.


Willingboro – Lucky’s Unique Antiques


For older kids or ones who like gothic and creepy things, this store may be a hit. Along with furniture and antiques you’ll find taxidermy, preserved animals in jars, animal mummies, and even Victorian-era human skeletons.


Once You Get to Six Flags

You made it to Jackson, NJ. Congratulations! Now the real adventure begins.

One new and popular attraction is the ‘Justice League Battle for the Metropolis,’ an interactive thrill ride in a 22,000-foot Hall of Justice building. You and your family will be issued laser guns and can fight the forces of evil there.

If you came for the rollercoasters, check out the ‘Nitro.’ This is one of the fastest rides in the park. You’ll be propelled at up to 80 miles per hour over hills, along turns, and ending in a 540-degree helix spiral.

Really young children can enjoy the fun too with a wide variety of rides with height requirements of 36 inches or less. Check out the Foghorn Leghorn’s Stagecoach Express. This themed ride takes kids on a magical journey through the Wild West.


Tips:

  • Six Flags has teamed up with local hotels, offering special deals on your overnight stay, admission tickets, and even food. Find out more here.
  • Your kids may beg for junk food, but keep the snacks light until you know how their stomachs can handle the rides.
  • Spend the night in town and you can get into Six Flags just as it opens, beating the crowds.
  • Check out the rides’ height requirements before making any promises to your kids.