If you look across Budd Lake you will see a glowing white castle reflected in its waters. Do not worry, you are not seeing things. This fairytale building is actually the Pax Amicus Castle Theatre, a not-for-profit theater group now housed in what used to be the Knights of Columbus Hall. It’s actually several groups in one and includes the Castle Shakespeare Repertory, Magical Caravan Players (offering educational theater for children), Pax Amicus Castle Community Theater, Pax Amicus Generation Next (for young adult performers) and a plethora of guest artists. No matter when you are in town, something will be happening at the castle, so be sure to spend an evening there.
The Pax Amicus may have gotten you in the mood for more spectacles, so head over to nearby Morristown for the Mayo Performing Arts Center, where you can take in concerts, jazz, dance, family shows and more. Built originally to provide the town with both work and some much-needed light relief during the Depression era, the Center is now large enough to attract big-name performers, yet small enough to feel intimate and close to the action. It offers workshops, a series of “Afternoons with the Arts” performances by local artists and the “Starlight Series” of smaller, more intimate performances. Enjoy the outdoors and absorb some history at Morristown’s Jockey Hollow, the site of a Continental Army winter bivouac in 1789-1790 and where soldiers had to construct their own wooden huts and furniture. You will learn all about the encampment from a docent in period dress as well as a short film at the Visitor Center before you take off on a self-guided tour of the area.
If you want to hike the entire circuit trail, it will take you about two hours; but there are shorter trails and you may, of course, stay in the military encampment space itself. Park that car and come indoors for a visit to the Morris Museum, certainly a one-of-a-kind institution containing, among other displays, a unique collection of mechanical musical instruments and mechanical puppets from the Guinness collection. Additional permanent exhibits include mammals, digging dinosaurs, trains and railroads, rocks and minerals and Native Americans. Your children will in particular enjoy the train display: it’s very hands-on and you get to control the entire “city” by pushing buttons. And you may enjoy the weeknight jazz concerts at the Bickford Theatre, which is part of the museum. Most arboretums are not particularly kid-friendly, but that is not the case at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, where learning is at the center of all the beauty. The Haggerty Education Center offers a myriad of children and family programs, including “Garden Sprouts” for preschoolers, monthly seasonal scavenger hunts, “Family Discovery Backpacks” that provide activities up through the fifth grade and a Junior Master Gardener program. The entire family can enjoy the half-hour “Getting to Know Us” stroll through gardens, fields, woodlands and flowering-tree groves.
For even more family fun outdoors, head over to Loantaka Brook Reservation where you will join horseback riders, cyclists, walkers, joggers and rollerbladers out to enjoy themselves. There are paved paths and dirt ones that will help you get that wilderness feel without actually venturing far. Stop at a grocery market on your way over for some food and enjoy a picnic at the pavilion (there are charcoal grills available), stretch your muscles at the fitness cluster, watch a game of soccer or softball being played nearby and of course—take a walk.
Morristown offers an historic getaway, parks and outdoor activities, cultural heritage, historic and cultural venues and events and more… and you can explore it all from one of the hotels in Budd Lake, New Jersey, that are listed above.