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TCNJ | Life > Experiences

Guide to the Perfect MET Day Trip from the Central NJ Area

Gabriella Rees Student Contributor, The College of New Jersey
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

See Below for the Perfect Itinerary!

Traveling can be difficult, especially when it’s somewhere as crowded and busy as New York City. There are so many things to see in NYC, from Broadway plays, historic landmarks, souvenir shops, and even riveting and immersive museums across the entire city. For me, getting up to Central Park to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art has always been something that’s been a goal of mine. To save you all from the struggle to figure out how to get there from the Central NJ area (yes it exists), let me share with you my fine tuned itinerary and inside tips that will ensure that you make the most out of a day trip to the MET in NYC.

If you’re anything like me and don’t want to risk your car being harmed from all the traffic, pedestrians, and other risks that come along with driving in NYC, then you’ll know that getting to NYC via car is not an option. That leaves two feasible options when you’re traveling from Central Jersey: train or boat. For me, I chose to do the trains, especially since there are so many options to board the train from the Central Jersey area. I chose Hamilton, but you could also do Princeton Junction or Trenton stations, all of which have safe pay to park areas that will ensure that the car will be fine. The next step would be to purchase a round trip ticket from that train station to Penn Station up in NYC, which is in the Times Square Area. The ticket should cost around $40, $20 each way. 

Once you’re at Penn Station (the train ride should be about an hour and a half long, bring airpods!!), I would recommend that you find the exit connecting you to 8th street, and then follow that all the way up to Central Park. Once you hit Central Park, you can do a little sightseeing around there as you make your way Northeast towards the MET. I did this by veering to the right and following all the paths, and we were able to explore the large rocks, see some bridges, and even the Balto Statue on our way up to the MET! This entire walk should take you about an hour or so, depending on how many traffic lights you hit, any sightseeing you do along the way, or how fast you are walking. 

Once you arrive at the MET, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut students have a special “pay what you wish” to the entire Museum, so long as you have your student ID with you! I paid only $1 for my entry, but you can pay whatever you want!! 

Once you have your ticket, feel free to explore the MET for a few hours! I believe that I did for about 4-5 hours. I would recommend the Greek and Roman art section, as well as the European Paintings sections as those were my personal favorites. There are also plenty of places to grab a quick bite to eat or sit down (don’t bring food or water near any of the art pieces), as well as souvenir shops and stands so that you can find the perfect souvenir to commemorate your trip. Don’t forget to get cute pictures as well, the MET is so photogenic, it’s insane. 

Once you successfully explore the museum and are ready to leave, I would recommend doing so by 3-4 PM, so that you can have enough time to catch your train as well as grabbing a quick bite to eat at any of the restaurants along the way. Remember that the walk from the MET to Penn Station can be upwards of an hour long, depending on your speed and any other stops you make on the way. Personally, I stopped at FAO Swartz, the Atlas Statue, and Chick Fil A on my way back to Penn Station. 

Upon your arrival at Penn Station, pay close attention to the intercoms and the train schedule screens in the NJ Transit Area as you will need to know where your gate is and they only announce it once the train is physically in the station. Failing to pay attention can cost you valuable time in catching that train, and limit you in what seats you’re able to snag, or even miss the train entirely. Pay attention to this because once it’s announced everyone starts running towards the designated gate and it can be very stressful to get through that crowd, especially if you’re on your own. However, once you get on that train, it’s smooth sailing back to the Central Jersey area and you’ll be home in no time for a warm meal and hot shower. 

Hopefully this itinerary will be helpful for you if you’re ever looking to visit the MET, or any other museum or attraction that you want to see in NYC! Safe travels!

For the Perfect Itinerary:

  1. Arrive at your chosen train station (Hamilton, Trenton, Princeton Junction) at 8:00 in the morning. 
  2. Board the train to Penn Station by 8:30am, and you should arrive around 10:00am.
  3. Begin the walk towards the Central Park area to get to the MET by 10:15, and you should arrive by 11:30am. 
  4. Explore the MET for a few hours (11:30-4:00)
  5. Begin the walk back towards Penn Station by 4:30pm and arrive at 5:30pm.
  6. Board the train back towards the train station (Hamilton, Trenton, or Princeton Junction) by 6:00pm and you should arrive back at that station by 7:30pm. 
  7. Trip complete!!
Gabriella Rees

TCNJ '26

Gabriella is a Communications major with a specialization in Interpersonal and Strategic communications at the College of New Jersey. She has a double minor in management studies and public health, a member of the college's Honor College, and communications honor society Lambda Pi Eta. Gabriella likes to spend her free time reading, swimming, horseback riding, skiing, or playing board games with friends.