The Peacock Inn Is a Delightful Escape in New Jersey

Featured courtesy of The Peacock Inn

This beautiful mansion in Princeton, New Jersey, is the perfect fall getaway for those who adore art and history.

Drive Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Now a boutique hotel, this stately Colonial-style mansion is located in downtown Princeton, just a five-minute walk from the Ivy League university. Since the 1700s, it has offered a distinctive brand of refined hospitality and a glimpse of the history of this charming town. The Peacock’s list of illustrious guests through the years has included members of the Continental Congress, Albert Einstein and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

For a romantic getaway, choose the Premier Suite, with its whirlpool tub for two. Make your day even more special with a deluxe afternoon tea served in the garden—or upgrade to a Champagne Experience. The Perch restaurant at the inn serves upscale, locally sourced fare and boasts an award-winning wine collection.

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Art and Academia: Take a guided walking tour of the Princeton University campus, with its diverse architecture and sculptures. Downtown, one of the university’s satellite museums, Art on Hulfish, is featuring Art about Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings through Nov. 5. This innovative exhibition gives well-known portraits by Renaissance and baroque artists a fun, whimsical spin while offering fresh insight using modern media and multiple dimensions.

Twenty minutes away in Trenton, Grounds for Sculpture displays nearly 300 works by renowned and emerging artists in a garden setting spanning 42 beautifully landscaped acres. Six indoor galleries also feature rotating exhibitions. Currently on display, Local Voices: Memories, Stories and Portraits focuses on the Indian diaspora community through first-person narratives, images and objects. Another highlight is Spiral Q: The Parade which highlights the renowned puppet-making organization, its colorful street processions and its initiatives for changing the social and political landscape. On Sept. 30, Grounds for Sculpture will host a Family Bird Excursion Tour perfect for kids ages 5-18.

Peacock Inn
Courtesy of the Peacock Inn

September Rates: $400–$530.

20 Bayard Lane, Princeton, New Jersey, (609) 924-1707, peacockinn.com.

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Main Line Today Restaurant Week runs October 13-26!