News and Events from Wharton State Forest- October 2025
October 1: World Postcard Day at Batsto
Postcard printed by the Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc. The reverse reads “The Jersey Devil—Legendary figure of the New Jersey Pine Barrens reputed to roam The Cedar Swamps.
Help us celebrate World Postcard Day on October 1st! World Postcard Day was established in 2020 to commemorate the first modern postcard, sent through the Austrian Post on October 1, 1869. Stop by the Batsto Post Office to learn more about the history of postcards, mail service in the United States, and how Batsto stayed connected to the rest of the world.
Postcards with postage will be available for purchase in the Batsto Post Office. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own pre-stamped postcards and letters, which can be mailed from Batsto’s historic Post Office.
For more information, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.
October 4: Parlor Concert and Open House at Atsion Mansion
Start your fall at Wharton State Forest with an afternoon of music at Atsion Mansion! The historic house will be open and free to explore from 10 AM to 4 PM. The lively Libby Prison Minstrels will perform an acoustic selection of historical and Civil War-era music from 12 to 3 PM.
While at Atsion, be sure to check out the selection of nineteenth-century games for all ages, historic artifacts, and a selection of locally made goods and souveniers in the Atsion Office Store.
For more information, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444.
Atsion Mansion is located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088
October 19: Country Living Fair
Batsto’s annual Country Living Fair has all the best South Jersey has to offer and something for everyone to enjoy! Spend the day exploring the historic village,
take a fall hike through the Pine Barrens, and
browse the vendor booths and exhibitions located throughout the site. Featuring locally-made crafts, historical exhibits, live music, old-time engines and cars,
food, antiques, pony rides, farm equipment, and
more; the Country Living Fair is a celebration of South Jersey!
This year please stop by the Annie Carter Nature Center in Batsto Village! Visitors of all ages are invited in to learn more about the plants, animals, and natural
environments of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
The Country Living Fair takes place, rain or shine, on October 19 from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Traffic Note: The Country Living Fair is Wharton State Forest’s biggest event of the year. Expect traffic delays as you approach Batsto. Please consider car-pooling!
October 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 & 31: Folklore Lantern Tours at Batsto
Evening Folklore Lantern Tours return to Batsto this fall! Join Wharton State Forest’s natural and historic interpreters on an evening walk through the village,
illuminated by lantern light. The tour includes stops at points of interest throughout the village, accompanied by stories from Batsto’s unique history, as well as
the legends and folklore of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. Warm clothing and comfortable shoes are recommended! Lanterns will be provided.
Tours are approximately 75 minutes and promptly begin on the Batsto Mansion porch at 6:30 and 8:00 PM. Folklore Lantern Tours tickets can be purchased
over the phone or in person at the Batsto Visitor Center. Tickets are $10 per person. Space is limited, and tours fill very quickly! Interested visitors are strongly
encouraged to call ahead to reserve their spot.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.
October 24 & 25: Moonlight Wagon Rides at Batsto
Ride through Batsto this fall and explore the village in a horse-drawn wagon! Evening wagon rides will coincide with the first two nights of Folklore Lantern Tours. If you’re planning on attending both in the same night, be sure to schedule your wagon ride before or after your Lantern Tour. Wagon Rides are weather-permitting and tickets are non-refundable.
Wagon Rides are approximately 20 minutes and promptly begin behind the Visitor Center each half-hour, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wagon Ride tickets can be purchased over the phone or at the Batsto Visitor Center and are $25 per person. Space is limited and fills quickly! Visitors are highly encouraged to call ahead to reserve their spot.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.
October 25: Public Star Watch at Batsto
Star Watch
You’re invited to a Free Public Star Watch at Batsto, 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 PM. the day of the event to confirm it is still happening should there be cloudy skies.
The Star Watch begins at 6:30 PM. At 6:45 PM in the Batsto Visitor Center Auditorium there will be a Comet Demonstration and at 7:45 PM there will be a Laser-Guided Constellation Tour in the telescope observation field.
Photo Caption: The Moon, with darker grey patches know as the Lunar Maria (singular mare). In this image we can see the Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Nectaris, Mare Tranquillitatis and the Mare Serenitatis. Below the seas we see a vast region of craters. Photo Credit: WAS Member, John McDaniel.
For this month’s star watch, Saturn and Neptune can be observed! The nearly 4-day old waxing crescent Moon can be seen in the southwest. In the telescope, Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis) can be seen between the lunar limb (edge) and the terminator (line dividing lunar day and night).
October 26: Haunting in the Pines
The Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc. invites you to this year’s Haunting in the Pines at Batsto Village on Sunday, October 26 from 12 to 3 PM! There will be plenty for the whole family to enjoy including Halloween treats, games, and pony rides. This event is free and intended for families and children under 12. Guests are encouraged to wear their costumes while attending!
For more information, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.
Batsto Village Historic Site is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037
Happening Throughout October
Atsion Mansion Tours
You’re invited to explore one of the most notable examples of Greek Revival architecture in South Jersey! Guided tours of Atsion Mansion are available each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afteroon throughout October. Inside, visitors can see the house largely as it was in 1826. Built by Atsion’s Ironmaster, Samuel Richards, nearly 200 years ago, the building has never been “modernized” with plumbing or electricity!
Tours of Atsion Mansion are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning at 1 and 2 PM. Each tour is approximately 45-55 minutes long and begin outside, between the mansion and office.
Scheduled events and public programming may impact Atsion Mansion’s tour schedule, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead on the day of their visit to confirm tour times and availability.
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
Fall is the perfect time for a stroll through Batsto Village and a tour of its impressive mansion! 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 of Batsto Mansion are usually offered at the following times throughout October:
- Wednesday through Friday: 11 AM, 1 and 2 PM
- Saturday and Sunday: 10 and 11 AM; 1, 2 and 3 PM
Tours are approximately 45-55 minutes long and begin on the mansion porch.
Scheduled events and public programming may impact Batsto Mansion’s tour schedule, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead on the day of their visit to confirm tour times and availability.
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.
Shopping at Wharton State Forest
We’ve been busy in the Batsto Museum Shop! We have new merchandise, and we are working on bringing in more great products that showcase the history and natural resources in Wharton State Forest. This month, stop by and check out...
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Camping & Cabins
Camping in Wharton State Forest is available year-round!
Camping is permitted in developed campgrounds with a permit at Atsion Family, Batona, Bodine Field, Buttonwood Hill, Godfreys Bridge, Goshen Pond, Hawkins
Bridge, Lower Forge and Mullica River.
Atsion Cabins are open! It’s time to plan a 2025 trip and reserve your cabin! Availability is limited.
About Wharton State Forest
Located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, Wharton State Forest is New Jersey's largest state forest. It encompasses approximately 125,000 acres covering parts of Atlantic,
Burlington and Camden counties providing a variety of recreational activities including hiking, biking, swimming and horseback riding. It is home to historic Batsto Village,
Batsto and Atsion Mansions, and the Atsion Recreation Area. You can find more information about Wharton State Forest and other New Jersey state parks on our website at
