Bradley Beach was the first New Jersey town to require beach badges and New Jersey remains the only state where they are widely used.

Before Elizabeth Coleman White, a farmer and naturalist who lived and worked on her family’s cranberry bog, the highbush blueberry was a wild plant. Elizabeth had the idea to cultivate the plant into a crop that would be easy for farmers to grow, harvest, and sell.

Of course we had to include a fish! The brook trout is New Jersey’s state fish and the only species of trout native to the state.

New Jersey is considered by many to be the diner capital of the world, both because there are hundreds of diners throughout the state and because New Jersey historically manufactured as many as one-third of all diners found throughout the United States.

The Eastern Goldfinch is New Jersey’s state bird (and it’s Iowa’s and Washington’s, too). Alex previously illustrated a goldfinch for the cover of New Jersey Fan Club, but he drew a new one for the card!

There are over 20 fire towers located throughout New Jersey. They are an important line of defense against forest fires. You may come across fire towers while hiking in some of New Jersey’s state parks, and some of them offer tours which provide great views on a clear day.

People were always drawn to the Passaic River and the Great Falls–Lenni Lenape first lived in its shadow, and later Dutch settlers. During the Industrial Revolution, Alexander Hamilton chose the falls to be the site of America’s first planned industrial city. The falls powered factories in Paterson for hundreds of years.

The Hadrosaurus is New Jersey’s state dinosaur! When bones of this dinosaur were discovered in Haddonfield in the 1850s, it was the most complete skeleton ever found in North America.

This concrete barrier, often used in highway medians and for construction site safety, was designed in the 1950s at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.

New Jersey is a state filled with folklore, but our most famous story is arguably that of the Jersey Devil: a winged beast said to live in the Pine Barrens. A poll conducted in 2023 found that 16% of New Jerseyans believe in the Jersey Devil.

You’ll see jughandles elsewhere, but there’s a reason they’re also called “Jersey left”s–New Jersey is filled with these ramps designed as a safer alternative to making a lefthand turn at busy intersections.

Located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, the Barnegat Lighthouse has 217 steps to the top.

New Jersey is home to 11 lighthouses, including the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States (Sandy Hook)!

The marshy wetlands you’ve probably seen while driving on the Turnpike in North Jersey or from a train headed to New York Penn Station are known as the Meadowlands. The area is an important ecosystem for many species of birds and fish.

The Garden State Parkway is the longest highway in New Jersey at 172 miles from Montvale to Cape May (Exit 0).

Also called the Pine Barrens, this region of Southern New Jersey is one of the most unique ecosystems on the East Coast and is one of the largest areas of forest between Maine and the Everglades in Florida. In the Pinelands, you’ll find hundreds of varieties of plants, birds, and other animals. You might even find the Jersey Devil!

Nobody does pizza like New Jersey! Trenton style tomato pies are made in some of the oldest pizzerias in the country.

This processed meat, often enjoyed on a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese, is a uniquely New Jersey treat made in Trenton. Depending on where you are in the state, you will see it listed on menus as either Taylor Ham or Pork Roll. We included both names on our cards!

This sticky candy was invented in Atlantic City in the 1880s and can be found to this day on any Jersey Shore boardwalk.

The scene we chose to represent New Jersey’s Skylands region is of the High Point Monument, located in High Point State Park in Sussex County. The monument marks New Jersey’s highest point above sea level and honors war veterans.

New Jersey’s State House, located in our capitol of Trenton, is the second-oldest State House still in use in the United States.

A notable feature of the building is its dome, which is covered with 48,000 pieces of gold leaf.

When you travel on New Jersey’s highways, you’ll likely pass through some of our green tollbooths!

New Jersey has a unique history when it comes to tomatoes: at one time, the “Jersey Tomato” was the most popular variety of tomatoes in the world, used by big companies for their soups and ketchups. In the 1960s, commercial farmers began favoring other varieties that were easier to transport and had a longer shelf life once picked. The tasty Jersey Tomato can be found at many farmers markets throughout New Jersey during the summer!

Travel the two-mile long boardwalk in Wildwood the same way visitors have been doing since 1949: take a ride on the tram car! And while you walk the boards, you’ll be able to hear it coming when its speakers announce, “watch the tramcar please!”

Starting in the 1950s, travelers have used the Turnpike to drive from New York City to Philadelphia as well as many places in between.