Plays in the Park
Nestled in the beautiful landscape of Edison’s Roosevelt Park is the Stephen
J. Capestro Amphitheatre, home of Plays-in-the-Park. For more than 57 years,
Plays-in-the-Park audiences have enjoyed lavish productions of beloved Broadway
musicals with live orchestras under the stars on summer evenings. In December,
Plays-in-the-Park partners with the State Theatre in New Brunswick to present the
annual production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which just
celebrated its 25th Anniversary.
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JOHNSON PARK H3
Piscataway/Highland Park
This popular 484-acre park, just across
the Raritan River from the revitalized
City of New Brunswick, is named after
the family that founded the Johnson &
Johnson pharmaceutical firm and donated
the park’s original 100 acres of land to
Middlesex County. The park offers picnic
groves, sports fields, a restored 18thcentury
village and an animal haven. A
variety of farm and exotic animals is on
view at the animal haven, open daily from
dawn to dusk.
JOSEPH MEDWICK MEMORIAL PARK
M1 Carteret
This park is dedicated to Major League
Baseball Hall of Famer and Carteret
native Joseph Michael “Ducky” Medwick.
Middlesex County took ownership of
the 86-acre park in 1970, and the Board
of Chosen Freeholders raised $15
million to make the major renovations
that were completed in 2012. This park,
with its sports areas, picnic groves, and
observation decks overlooking the Rahway
River, is the largest recreational facility in
Carteret.
MERRILL PARK K1
Woodbridge
Located on the South Branch of the
Rahway River, and home to the Progressive
Playground, this popular park has 179
acres of playing fields, picnic groves,
playgrounds and an animal haven. The fun
and educational animal haven is home to
a wide variety of farm animals and is open
daily with free admission from dawn to
dusk.
OLD BRIDGE WATERFRONT PARK
M5 Old Bridge
This 71-acre park is a cooperative project
of Middlesex County and Old Bridge
Township, including 1.3 miles of boardwalk
and walkways with beautiful views of the
Raritan Bay. The first phase of the project
in the Paul’s Beach section was dedicated
in 2002, with the second phase in Laurence
Harbor following in 2005. After Superstorm
Sandy in 2012, the County made repairs
and improvements, including two new
playgrounds, beach and dune restoration
and new railings on the piers. Each
year, Old Bridge holds a fair at the park
reminiscent of “Salt Water Day,” a festival
dating back to the 1800s. Visitors can
access Old Bridge Waterfront Park in Paul’s
Beach, Laurence Harbor and at Pirate’s
Cove in Cliffwood Beach.
JOHN A. PHILLIPS PARK K7
Old Bridge
This 111-acre park, located within the
1,700-acre John A. Philips Open Space
Preserve, has extensive sports fields, two
playgrounds, a nature trail and paths for
walking and biking. The remaining 1,600
acres of the preserve are for passive
recreation. The park and preserve
were named in honor of the former Old
Bridge Mayor and Deputy Director of the
Middlesex County Freeholders.
RARITAN BAY WATERFRONT PARK
L4 South Amboy/Sayreville
The first County park to be built on the
banks of the Raritan Bay, this nautically
themed park has breathtaking views
of the New York skyline and features a
landmark pavilion overlook. In addition to
paths, sports fields and a playground, the
114-acre park has 86 acres of wetlands,
providing a nature study area for visitors.
Raritan Bay Waterfront Park is the site
for the “Victims of Terrorism” memorial.
Thanks to the stunning backdrop of Raritan
Bay, the park’s gazebos are popular
locations for wedding ceremonies and
photos.
ROOSEVELT PARK K2
Edison
Dating back to 1917, the 217-acre
Roosevelt Park is the oldest park in the
Middlesex County Park System. Roosevelt
Park offers sports courts and fields,
picnic groves, playgrounds, a skating
rink and a theater showing Plays in the
Park. The eight-acre Roosevelt Park
Lake, surrounded by a paved pathway, is
stocked for fishing by the state. Roosevelt
Park is home to the Veterans Memorial
and the 1936 fountain sculpture “Light
Dispelling Darkness,” created by Waylande
“Kid” Gregory as part of the federal Works
Progress Administration. The 40-foot-wide
fountain, inspired by Thomas Edison’s
experiments with electric lights in nearby
Menlo Park, was restored in 2004.
SPRING LAKE PARK I1
South Plainfield
This 127-acre park offers tennis and
basketball courts, a playground, walking
and biking paths, a 5-acre lake and a
performance gazebo.
THOMPSON PARK H8-I9
Jamesburg and Monroe
At 616 acres, this is the largest developed
park in the system. It includes sports fields
and courts, playgrounds, picnic areas and
hiking trails, as well as a new disc-golf
course. It features Manalapan Lake, a 30-
acre stocked fishing lake that welcomes
canoes, kayaks and small boats powered
by electric motors. An animal haven with a
variety of farm and exotic animals is open
from dawn to dusk daily, and admission
is free. The popular 2.5-acre Dog Park
has separate sections for large dogs and
smaller dogs.
WILLIAM WARREN PARK L2
Perth Amboy and Woodbridge
Named after a former Middlesex County
Freeholder, this beautiful 126-acre park is
extremely popular for its first-class athletic
fields, its picnic groves and summer music
series, as well as being the home to the
Kids-in-the-Park summer theater program.
ALVIN P. WILLIAMS MEMORIAL PARK
M2 Woodbridge Township
In 1999, Middlesex County partnered with
Woodbridge Township to restore and
develop the Sewaren Peninsula into a
multi-use park facility. Building the park
enabled the County to reclaim the
waterfront and provide much-needed
recreation facilities for residents. This
36-acre park, named after a Woodbridge
Police Officer who made the ultimate
sacrifice while helping four young children
in 1979, was dedicated in 2001. Take in
the views over the Arthur Kill while strolling
on the paved path and learn the historic
and environmental significance of the site
through its interpretive signage.
Golf
The County of Middlesex offers
three beautiful and highly ranked
golf courses managed by Indigo
Golf Partners (www.indigogolf.com).
You’ll find short courses perfect for
learning the game in a fun and
relaxed setting and courses that
challenge even the scratch golfer.
Visit www.middlesexcountygolf.com
for tee times and information.
/DiscoverMiddlesex2021
/www.middlesexcountygolf.com
/indigogolf.com
