News and Events from Wharton State Forest

Bundle up and visit Wharton State Forest this month! Jump on a Batsto Mansion tour, visit the Post Office in Batsto Village or check out the Annie Carter Nature Center. 

Jan. 17, 18 & 25: Visit the Annie M. Carter Nature Center

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center will be open to the public from 12 to 3 p.m. on the following dates in January:

Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18  

Sunday, January 25 

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center, located on the banks of Batsto Lake in Batsto Village, offers interpretive exhibits about Pine Barrens ecology including preserved wildlife specimen and interactive displays. Stop by and grab a coloring page, borrow a children’s book, or take a closer look at some nature artifacts at our study station.

Staffing availability, inclement weather, and other unforeseen circumstances could affect open hours. We encourage you to call, day-of, to confirm hours.

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037, in historic Batsto Village, along Batsto Lake, across from the sawmill. 

For more information or to confirm open hours, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at (609) 561-0024. 

Happening Throughout January

Batsto Post Office

Send a New Year’s greeting from Batsto’s historic Post Office! Bring your letters and post cards (with appropriate postage!) to Batsto Post Office to receive a unique postal cancellation and see how mail was sent over a century ago. Pre-stamped envelopes and post cards are also available to purchase and send.

Batsto Post Office will be open from 12 to 3 p.m. each Friday and Saturday in January.

First opened by Jesse Richards in 1852, Batsto Post Office is one of the four oldest post offices currently operating in the United States. It was never assigned a zip code, and stamps are still hand-cancelled at the counter!

Batsto Post Office is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037.

For more information or to confirm that the Post Office is open before please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024

Guided Tours of Batsto Mansion

Experience winter in the village from inside historic Batsto Mansion, complete with modern heating! 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 January:

• Wednesday and Thursday: 1 p.m.
• Friday: 3 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m.  

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.

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

Shopping at Wharton State Forest

Winter is the perfect time to take a step back, find a good book, and relax! The Batsto Museum Shop has an assortment of books about New Jersey history and nature

including many written by local authors.

New this month, we are featuring books from New Jersey author, Rich Romano. Rich was born in Belleville and now resides in Wayne, New Jersey. He has had a

lifelong interest in the history of New Jersey.

In addition to being an accomplished author, Rich is an exceptional photographer and includes his own photographs in his books. We currently have three of Rich’s

books in stock and we are eagerly awaiting his next one to be released at the end of this month.

Book Signings Throughout the Spring

Once you’ve gotten through your winter reading, stop by the Batsto Museum Shop throughout the spring and meet some of your favorite local authors.

Every month, we will host a book signing for different authors including Rich Romano and his newest book! Be on the look-out for those announcements this year. 

Don’t miss the chance to meet the authors and talk about some of the books and places you love.

Batsto Visitor Center Store (Batsto Museum Shop) is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village.

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

For more information or to confirm inventory availability, please call the Atsion Store at 609-268-0444 or the Batsto Visitor Center Store at 609-561-0024.

Camping & Cabins

Camping in Wharton State Forest is available year-round. Winter in the New Jersey Pine Barrens offers a unique experience for new and seasoned campers alike!

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 now closed for the season and will reopen in spring 2026. It’s now time to plan a 2026 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 https://dep.nj.gov/wharton

Wharton State Forest Office Locations

Atsion Office
744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088, (609) 268-0444

Batsto Office, Museum and Store
31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ  08037, (609) 561-0024

Both offices are open 7 days a week (except major holidays) 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.