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SUMMER GUIDE

7 rainy day places for summer fun

Kelly-Jane Cotter
Asbury Park Press
What to do on a rainy day?

On vacation, it is always key to have a Plan B.

The most anticipated day trip can be ruined by uncooperative weather. And if you're spending a week or more at the beach? You're likely to hit rain at some point.

You can laugh off one rainy day at the Shore.

Just sleep late, go for a big breakfast, take a nap, and soon the day will be done.

But two rainy days? Or more? You’re in trouble, especially if you have kids.

Best to be prepared. Luckily, there are plenty of options for rainy-day entertainment, both in the beach towns and a little farther inland. If you live in Monmouth or Ocean county, consider spending a rainy day in North or South Jersey  — and get away from the Shore tourists!

 

1. Book stores

If a rainy day makes you feel contemplative, then it’s a perfect time to browse the shelves at a bookstore. Book Towne, at 171 Main St. in Manasquan, keeps a healthy stock of classics and new titles alike, for adults, teens and young readers. Author appearances frequently are scheduled. Storytime for children ages 3 to 5 takes place at 10 a.m. Wednesdays.

Book Towne is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more info, call 732-722-7255 or go to booktowne.com.

River Road Books, at 759 River Road in Fair Haven, is another independent bookstore worth a visit, with author appearances and a well curated children's section in a cute downtown. 732-747-9455 or riverroadbooks.net. 

Barnes & Noble also hosts storytimes, book-signings and other events. Check out locations in Freehold, Holmdel, Eatontown, Howell, Brick and East Brunswick. barnesandnoble.com.

2. Libraries

Libraries offer a wealth of rainy-day options for all ages. Storytimes, arts and crafts, exhibits, lectures and performances abound at all the branches of Monmouth County Library and Ocean County Library, as well as the municipal libraries. Check the schedules for the county libraries throughout the summer through monmouthcountylib.org and theoceancountylibrary.org.

Star shows and laser programs set to music are among the programs at the Robert J. Novins Planetarium at Ocean County College.

 

3. Planetariums

Learn the stories of the stars at the Robert J. Novins Planetarium at Ocean County College, off College Drive in Toms River. The varied schedule includes star shows for all ages, along with special events like "Pajama Night" and laser shows. General admission is $10, or $8 for seniors 60 and older, $7 for children 12 and younger or Ocean County College students. For more info, call 732- 732.255.0343 or go to ocean.edu.

Other planetariums can be found at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, Rowan University in Glassboro, Liberty Science Center in Jersey City and at the Newark Museum.

 

4. Museums

Museums are a blessing on a rainy day. The Barnegat Light Museum, 501 Central Ave. in Barnegat Light, is cozy and welcoming. Artifacts, replicas and photographs document the history of the fishing industry and tourism on Long Beach Island. You also can get a closeup view of the original Fresnel lens from Barnegat Lighthouse. The museum is in a former one-room schoolhouse from 1903, so there also is emphasis on education. Children can embark on a scavenger hunt within the museum.

In June and September the Barnegat Light Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends only. In July and August, the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more info, call 609-494-8578 or go to bl-hs.org.

 

When skies aren't quite this blue, walk a few blocks from Barnegat Lighthouse to find the Barnegat Light Museum.

 

On the opposite end of LBI, the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven offers a look at the boats and ships on our waters, the storms that have ravaged the coast, and even info on some of the critters who live beneath the waves. Videos, aritifacts, books and photographs bring history to life. The museum also maintains a database of shipwrecks for research.

Summer events include programs for children and presentations by organizations such as the Alliance for a Living Ocean and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

For summer 2018, combine your museum visit with a peek at a tall ship. The A. J. Meerwald, a restored oyster dredging schooner from 1928, will visit Beach Haven from July 17 through 23 and will operate from the Black Whale Dock at Centre Street, one block South of the museum. 856-785-2060 or BayshoreCenter.org

 

The New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven.

 

The New Jersey Maritime Museum is at 528 Dock Road in Beach Haven. Daily hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in June, July and August. From September through May, the museum is open Fridays and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For info, call 609-492-0202 or go to njmaritimemuseum.org.

Put some spark into your rainy day by petting a tarantula or a hissing cockroach, hopefully not at your beach rental. You’ll find live specimens to meet and greet at Insectropolis at 1761 Lakewood Road, off Route 9 in Toms River. This “bug museum” allows you to watch industrious bees and ants at work. Bug-themed exhibits and computer games teach you all about insects, their lives, and their role in the environment. Expect to spend about an hour exploring.

Insectropolis is open year-'round from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $8 for ages 3 and older. For info, call 732-349-7090 or go to insectropolis.com.

Monmouth Museum is known for its children's wings as well as its main galleries.

Monmouth Museum, 765 Newman Springs Road in the Lincroft section of Middletown, offers several wings of permanent and changing exhibits on art, science and culture. Events range from teddy bear tea parties for children to "Sip and Snap" Lego and wine events for adults.

Hours for the main gallery, with art exhibitions that change about once a month, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The Wonder Wing, aimed at children ages 6 and younger, has a hands-on, permanent exhibition on sea creatures. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The Becker Children's Wing, for ages 6 through 12, is open from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 2 to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Admission to Monmouth Museum is $8, with babies under 2 admitted free. 732-747-2266 or monmouthmuseum.org.

 

At Pinot’s Palette, there’s an array of designs you can paint.

5. Arts and crafts

Make a souvenir of a rainy day at Just Bead It, a jewelry-making center with locations at 1616 Long Beach Blvd. in Surf City and at 1305 Long Beach Blvd. in North Beach Haven. Hobbyists and novices alike can ignore the rain and make accessories with metal beads, gemstones, charms and other materials.

For hours, call 609-494-8177 for the Surf City store or 609-492-2323 for the North Beach Haven location. For more info, go to justbeadit.net.

Paint-your-own ceramics and pottery studios offer another option for rainy-day souvenirs. Some offer additional artistic endeavors, and some ramp up the social element, with “sip-and-paint” parties for wine lovers. Among the many centers of creative fun are A Time To Kiln, 50 Broad St. in Red Bank; and Color Me Mine locations at 1877 Hooper Ave. in Toms River, and in Freehold Raceway Mall and Menlo Park Mall in Edison.

Paint-and-sip studios offer a chance for adults to escape the weather and explore their artistic sides. Typically, the studio offers a program with a theme, from an anonymous landscape to "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh, and an instructor leads the class in re-creating the picture. Students are welcome to bring wine and snacks, which creates a party vibe.

Pinot's Palette is one of the best-known such companies, with locations including Red Bank, Manalapan, East Brunswick, Brick, Wall, and Princeton. pinotspalette.com.

"Charlie's Angels" is one of many TV shows honored with a pinball machine.

6. Amusement centers

Any boardwalk arcade will serve as a port in the storm, but Silverball Museum in Asbury Park is a destination unto itself. Authentic vintage pinball machines, video games, air hockey and skee-ball offer enough fun to outlast cloudy skies.

Timed passes range in price from $10 for 30 minutes to $25 for all day. You can come and go, so the full day pass is a good deal if you're in Asbury Park for the day, or night. For seasonal hours, call 732-774-4994 or go to silverballmuseum.com.

What if you — or the kids — are too stir-crazy to be creative or curious on a rainy day? What if you just want to get moving?

Kids who’ve had their hearts set on boardwalk rides will feel better on a rainy day if you take them to iPlay America, at 110 Schanck Road in Freehold, an indoor amusement park with rides, laser tag, arcade games and other entertainment.

Concerts frequently are scheduled for kids and adults.

For seaonal hours, updates and admission prices, call 732-577-8200 or go to iplayamerica.com.

Whee! Cullen Swayze, then 5, of Brick, has fun in the foam zone at Sky Zone, Ocean Township.

 

7. Trampoline parks

Children, teens and adults can bounce around and burn off energy at indoor trampoline parks.

SkyZone, with locations in Lakewood, Ocean Township and South Plainfield, offers excercise classes, open jump, glow-in-the-dark jump, toddler time and sensory-friendly hours. For specifics for each location, go to skyzone.com.

Air Trampoline in Aberdeen underwent renovations in the spring. For updates, go to the Air Trampoline page on Facebook or airtrampolinesports.com.

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