New Brunswick and Rutgers: A Revolutionary 260-Year Walking Tour
Buy for a Group
Reviews
About the Tour
About the Tour
New Brunswick's streets carried history long before it became a college town, from an early public reading of the Declaration of Independence to the birth of American college football. On this walking tour, you'll discover how a colonial settlement became Rutgers University's historic campus, while exploring the food, traditions, history, and student life that make New Brunswick unique.
The tour starts in Monument Square, where Colonel John Neilson once stood atop a tavern table to deliver an early public reading of the Declaration of Independence. From there, you'll walk George Street and Easton Avenue, passing the Stress Factory Comedy Club and alumni-nostalgic eateries that makes New Brunswick feel like a mini-NYC. You'll then trek beneath the train station into Old Queens Campus, the university's original one-block footprint.
Along the way, you'll visit Kirkpatrick Chapel's Tiffany stained-glass windows and walk Will's Way, honoring an enslaved man who helped build the campus. You'll also hear how Rutgers president Mason Gross defended academic freedom when a professor's controversial political views sparked national pressure to fire him.
On this 120-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:
- Taste legendary stromboli at Stuff Yer Face, once staffed by future chef Mario Batali
- See the Geological Museum's mastodon skeleton and 2,400-year-old Egyptian mummy
- Learn why Rutgers students still trek to Princeton to paint a stolen cannon scarlet
- Browse the Zimmerli Art Museum's renowned Soviet nonconformist art
- Snap a photo with the Scarlet Knight and hear about the legendary
Fat Sandwich
- Explore the Scarlet and Black Project, examining Rutgers' founding ideals, the realities of slavery and exclusion, and modern perspectives on that history
By the time you reach The Barn, you'll understand why Rutgers calls itself the birthplace of college football, how this colonial institution became a modern university, and what makes New Brunswick more than just a college town.
- Note: This is an independent, unofficial tour and isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Rutgers University. It's the work of an enthusiastic Rutgers alumna, former university staff member, and longtime New Brunswick resident who loves sharing the university and city she called home.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Heidi Nicklaus
Hey there!
I’m Heidi, an American originally from New Jersey. After quitting my job and traveling solo, I fell in love with a Bulgarian man and moved to Sofia.
I have a not-so-subtle obsession with exploring the world. I’ve traveled through 50+ countries and spent months solo in the Balkans, always curious about the people, stories, and cultures I encounter.
After over a decade in Student Affairs and Higher Education, I learned to lead with empathy, listen deeply, and value diverse perspectives skills I now bring to every city I explore. That always-learning mindset turned me into the over-eager, unofficial tour guide who can’t stop sharing stories about wherever I am.
Now, as a group fitness instructor and whimsical yoga teacher, I combine my love of movement and exploration through my blog, HeidiRunsAbroad - helping fellow travelers stay active and turn every trip into an adventure. Walking tours are a natural fit: they get you moving, spark curiosity, and bring a place to life.
As a tour publisher, I focus on designing thoughtful, efficient walking routes that help you get the most out of your time exploring - whether you follow the tour start to finish or use it as the backbone for a longer day of wandering.
Through creating tours, I’ve also become fascinated by how language shapes travel experiences, especially when locals and visitors use different names for places and people. Those small differences often reveal a lot about history, identity, and power.
Though I’m not always a local expert, I’m always a passionate traveler - learning from locals through Couchsurfing, coffee shop conversations, and the streets themselves. Building and sharing a tour is one of the best ways I now learn about a city: connecting the dots, walking the streets, and telling the story.
Save with audio tour passes
How do passes work?
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 36
Honors College
Opened in 2015, the Honors College brings together 500 first-year students from six different Rutgers schools—engineers, artists, future doctors, business majors—living and learning under one roof....
View locations and route
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
-
State Theatre New Jersey
-
Stress Factory Comedy Club
-
New Brunswick Train Station
-
Old Queens
-
Kirkpatrick Chapel
-
The Yard
-
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
-
College Avenue Gym
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
-
Start location336-332 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
-
Total distance3km
-
Final location154-128 College Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
-
Distance back to start location1km
Directions to Starting Point
When arriving at Monument Square Park at the intersection of Livingston Avenue and George Street, position yourself at the top of the intersection to look forward at the two statues and the large Heldrich Hotel behind them.
Parking: You can find various paid parking decks in New Brunswick off of George Street. Visitors can park in Lot 48 across from the Busch Campus Visitors Center, free of charge daily from 6 AM to midnight. Please check Rutgers parking information for special-event or game-day restrictions. From there, take a Rutgers bus toward College Avenue Campus to reach the tour starting point in Monument Square.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
There are TONS of restaurants that are great options along George Street and Easton Avenue. Beyond Old Man Rafferty's is also Highland Park with additional food options (like my all-time-favorite Thai restaurant called Pad Thai)
Here are my favorite current options for you to consider in order of appearance along and nearby the tour route:
-Esquina Latina
-Delta's Restaurant
-Ramen Nagomi
-Tavern on George
-Veganized
-Khyber Coffee &Tea House
-Harvest Moon Brewery & Cafe
-Old Man Rafferty's (top recommendation for dessert)
-Dashen Etiopian Cuisine & Bar
-Hidden Grounds Chai & Coffee House
-25 Burgers (my favorite burger spot!)
-Efes Mediterranean
-Truly Yogurt (lots of frozen yogurt options)
-Tacoria (get the brussels sprouts - trust me)
-Mamoun's Falafel
-Noodle Gourmet (student favorite)
-Stuff Yer Face (top recommendation for stromboli)
-Thomas Sweet Ice Cream (top recommendation for ice cream)
Further down Easton Avenue after we turn back to campus:
-Playa Bowls
-Fritz's
-Hansel n' Griddle (a favorite of mine)
-Sahara Mediterranean (my favorite for dining in)
-Insomnia Cookies (dangerously good)
-Daniel's Pizza (there are lots of great pizza spots, but here is a favorite)
At The Yard:
-RU Hungry (for fat sandwiches)
-Honeygrow (healthier food)
-Krispy Pizza (my favorite pizza spot)
-Jersey Mike's (amazing sandwiches)
What can I say...best thing to do in New Brunswick is EAT!!
Besides food, consider stopping inside the Geology Museum and Zimmerli Art Museum (check their opening hours)
Best time of day
This tour works year-round, though spring (April-early June) and autumn (September-mid November) offer the most comfortable weather.
Given this is a university campus, the spring and fall semesters are when classes are occurring and the campuses will be busiest. The summer from mid-May to mid-August is when it is most quiet.
Precautions
Note: This is not a loop tour and the final destination is 1 mile from the starting location.
If the student center or certain academic buildings (Scott Hall) are open, you should be able to utilize the bathroom. Approximately halfway through the tour, at The Yard, there is a Starbucks and you can ask to use the toilet if needed.
Wear sunscreen and bring water (especially if you go in the summer). In case of rain, bring an umbrella or raincoat.
Download the tour in advance and fully charge your phone. Bring headphones, and if you're out for the rest of the day, consider bringing a portable battery and charging cord.
Get The App
Get The App
Scan to get app
Download the app for free
VoiceMap
App of the Day
Editor’s Choice
Last Updated
Questions and Reviews
