Just a 15-minute-drive from the 21st century and Asbury Park, this quirky museum is what remains of what was once a thriving 19th-century village called Howell Works, which produced bog iron for James Allaire's New York City steam engine works. Visit shops and historic gardens, all run by folks in period costume, and bake your own bread at the 1835 bakery (11am to 4pm Wednesday to Friday, to 5pm Saturday and Sunday in summer).
Hiking trails wind from here through the 3000-acre Allaire State Park. A birding list is available at the information desk.
