Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Watch the Passaic River drop 77 feet over a basalt cliff in the middle of the historic mill district of Paterson.

72 McBride Ave Extension · Paterson, NJ

About Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

At Paterson Great Falls, the Passaic River drops 77 feet over jointed basalt in the heart of the city. Alexander Hamilton chose the site for the nation's first planned industrial city, and the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures, founded in 1791, built raceways here to power its mills. You can take in the falls from the overlooks, walk the park grounds along the raceways, and see Hinchliffe Stadium, one of four Negro league ballparks still standing.

#waterfall
#national historical park
#industrial history
#scenic overlook

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Museums
Paterson Museum
Under $25
A city-run museum in Paterson focused on the town's industrial, textile, and locomotive history, plus local archaeology and mineralogy.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sports & Outdoors
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
No admission fee
A nonprofit iris garden in Montclair, New Jersey, known for a large collection of iris varieties and a spring bloom season.
4.6 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Paramus Fritz Behnke Historical Museum
Check prices
A local history museum in Paramus, New Jersey, preserving artifacts and stories of the town and surrounding area.
5.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Shopping
Rainy-Day Pick
Westfield Garden State Plaza
No admission fee
Shop Macy's, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, dine at Fogo de Chao or Capital Grille, and catch a film at a Paramus mall open since 1957.
Transit: reachable by public transit
5.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
Sports & Outdoors
Local Gem
Branch Brook Park
Check prices
Walk under more than 5,000 cherry trees each April in the first county park opened in the United States, on Newark's north side.
Transit: reachable by public transit
10 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center
Check prices
A wooded preserve on the Palisades slope with trails, wetlands, and a nature center offering environmental education.
12 mi awayMore like this