Day Trip: Camden

Continued growth and a commitment to change are restoring the city—one block at a time.

Posted May 28, 2008 by David Chmiel

Susquehanna Bank Center

Christopher Villano

Adventure Aquarium

Christopher Villano

Anchors aweigh: At the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial (62 Battleship Place, 866-877-6262, battleshipnewjersey.org), tour the nation’s most decorated battleship. Go below deck, check out the ship’s nooks and crannies, or even experience a simulated Tomahawk missile launch.

Could you eat a horse? Then head over to the 20 Horse Tavern (835 S 2nd St, 856-365-9211, 20horsetavern.com), where you can nosh on great food and quaff cold beer in a historic building. Owner Jack Lyons makes you feel like a regular at this local watering hole.

Whit’s end: We all know that Walt Whitman spent the last years of his life in Camden. A tour of his home (328 Mickle Blvd, 856-964-5383) is a treat. History buffs should visit the Camden County Museum (1900 Park Blvd, 856-964-3333), added in 1966 to the Camden County Historical Society building.

Take me to the river: Sure, the Camden waterfront offers spectacular views of Philadelphia, but there’s plenty of action on the Jersey side. A corridor of activity stretches from Campbell’s Field (401 N Delaware Ave, 866-742-7579, riversharks.com) to the Tweeter Center (top right, 1 Harbour Blvd, 856-365-1300, tweetercenter.com/philadelphia), a year-round concert venue that opens up come spring to become an outdoor 25,000-seat amphitheater.

Something’s fishy: Spend an hour or a day at Adventure Aquarium (1 Aquarium Dr, 856-365-3300, adventureaquarium.com). From displays of hippos (Button and Genny), penguins, or the baby shark-petting tank, you can get a fish fix, inside or out, or take a dip in the 550,000-gallon tank and swim with the sharks. 

Brain power: The Rutgers-Camden city campus has nearly 4,000 undergraduate students. The Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts (N Third St between Pearl and Cooper sts, 856-225-6245, rcca.camden.rutgers.edu) provides a full calendar of cultural events, including art installations at the Stedman Gallery and theatrical productions at the Gordon Theater. 

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