April 5, 12, 19 & 26: Friday Evenings at Atsion

The Atsion Mansion will be open for evening tours each Friday in April!

Spend your spring exploring one of Wharton State Forest’s architectural treasures. Constructed in 1826 as a summer home for Atsion’s ironmaster, Samuel Richards, the house is now preserved as an important example of nineteenth-century domestic architecture in South Jersey. Evening tours are conducted by lantern light, as the building was never electrified.

Tours start at 6 and 7 p.m., are 45-55 minutes long and begin outside, between the mansion and office.

Tour tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the Atsion Office. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone to reserve your spot!

Atsion Mansion is located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088.

For more information or to confirm Atsion Mansion evening tour availability, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444.

April 6: Star Watch & Evening Walking Tours at Batsto

You’re invited to a Free Public Star Watch, organized by the West Jersey Astronomical Society (WAS). Members of the Society will have telescopes available for the public to view objects in the night sky.  The event is weather permitting, and visitors are encouraged to check the WAS website (https://www.wasociety.us) after 1 p.m. the day of the event to confirm it is still happening should there be cloudy skies.

The Star Watch Begins at 7:30 p.m.

EVENING WALKING TOURS

Historic Interpreters will also be on hand to lead evening walking tours through the village. Tours are open to all ages and are free of charge. Visitors interested in walking the village should meet behind the Visitor Center (near the Ore Boat). Tours are 45-55 minutes long and are offered at 7 and 8 p.m. 

Reservations are not needed, but comfortable shoes are recommended.

Batsto Village Historic Site is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037.

For more information, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.

April 7, 14, 21 & 28: Inside/Outside Tours of Batsto

Sunday afternoons in April, enjoy spring at Wharton State Forest with a tour of Batsto Village and its Italianate mansion! Tours meet on the mansion porch and begin with a walk through the village, stopping at notable buildings and locations along the way. Tours then move inside the mansion, where visitors are invited to explore the nineteenth century home.

Tours are approximately 90 minutes long and begin at 2 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes for the outdoor portion of the tour.

Tour tickets can be purchased at the Batsto Visitor Center and are $5 per person.

Batsto Mansion is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village.

April 8: Solar Eclipse Wharton State Forest is the ideal location to view the solar eclipse this April! Watch as the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking our view of the Sun and temporarily darkening the sky. The eclipse will be visible, weather permitting, from Batsto and Atsion from roughly 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Be sure to bring eclipse glasses to view the event safely. Eclipse glasses are also available for purchase in the Basto Visitor Center Store. Batsto Village Visitor Center is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037. For more information, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.

Atsion Mansion Tours

The Atsion Mansion reopens for weekend tours this April! Come see one of the most significant examples of Greek Revival architecture in South Jersey! Never “modernized” with plumbing or electricity, the house stands largely as it did when it was constructed in 1826.

Tours are Saturdays and Sundays at 1 and 2 p.m., 45-55 minutes long and begin outside between the mansion and office.

Tour tickets can be purchased at the Atsion Office and are $3 for visitors over the age of 12, $1 for visitors ages 5-11 and free for visitors under 5-years-old.

Atsion Mansion is located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088.

For more information or to confirm Atsion Mansion tour availability, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444.

Batsto Mansion Tours

Mansion tours continue this spring at Batsto Village! Originally built in the eighteenth century as a small ironmaster’s house, the mansion now stands as it appeared after Joseph Wharton renovated the home in 1878. Serving as a vacation home for his family, the Batsto Mansion is an excellent example of the Italianate and Eastlake styles, both popular with the Victorian upper class.

Tours are Wednesdays through Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m., 45-55 minutes long and begin on the mansion porch.

Tickets can be purchased at the Batsto Visitor Center and are $3 for visitors over the age of 12, $1 for visitors ages 5-11 and free for visitors under 5-years-old.

Batsto Mansion is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village.

For more information or to confirm Batsto Mansion tour availability, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.

Batsto Visitor Center Store

The Batsto Visitor Center Store has everything you need to enjoy the warmer weather and long days of Spring!

Want the most popular shirt in the Pine Barrens? Our glow-in-the-dark t-shirts featuring both the Batsto Mansion and the Jersey Devil will be restocked soon. Call the Batsto Visitor Center Store for updates!

Planning on viewing the April 8th solar eclipse at Batsto? Stop in the store to pick up the special glasses needed to safely view the spectacular event.

If you would rather avoid the sun and stay in the shade, check out one of Wharton State Forest’s new hats—perfect for enjoying the outdoors this Spring.

Batsto Visitor Center, Store and Museum are located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village.

Want to join the Wharton State Forest team?

Looking for a part-time or summer job? Wharton State Forest is now hiring seasonal lifeguards, maintenance, office, and visitor service assistant positions.  Apply here https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/jobs.html and check the drop-down box for Wharton State Forest or Atsion Recreation Area.