Duke Farms

1112 Dukes Pkwy W, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844, USA

Address:	1112 Dukes Pkwy W, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844, USA
Phone:	+1 908-722-3700
Site:	dukefarms.org
Rating:	4.8
Working:	8:30AM–6PM 8:30AM–6PM Closed 8:30AM–6PM 8:30AM–6PM 8:30AM–6PM 8:30AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 16

Ron Nixon

The park is free to enter (even parking your car is free). Near the parking lot is a visitors center which has friendly volunteers to offer answers to questions about the history of the park, and who the Duke family were. There is bicycle rental and some simple parcels of crops that they are farming. Duke Farms is great for families and even a romantic walk. For those who are into light jogging and casual bicycling will be satisfied with the trials (which are paved for the most part), however, for those who are looking for a challenging hike, run, or bike will likely not be satisfied for the farm is flat and the trails are too short. As mentioned earlier, this is a great place for families, especially with young children. Lots of open space to let them run around and there is a greenhouse with interesting tropical flora and even butterfly garden.

Cody Obropta

Duke Farms has been closed to the public for quite some time. Its only within the past few years that theyve reopened and thank goodness they have. The scenery is stunning with beautiful lakes, trees, flowers and more. Ive seen turtles, cranes, herons and a huge variety of butterflies and other birds in past visits. The park has a plethora of bike and hiking trails for you to explore. Parking is free and you can BYOB (Bring your own Bike) or rent a bike for cheap. The Orchid House is really amazing and a great spot for pictures. My girlfriend really enjoys practicing macro-photography there. Duke Farms is definitely a must-visit for any Central New Jersey resident.

R A Doug

I both worked and lived on the estate during Miss Dukes lifetime. Working and living on the estate was 1 of my all time best experiences of my life. I can still remember various conversations with Miss Duke concerning various aspects of the estate, and traveling all throughout the grounds both outside and within the estate "park". Ive always had a soft spot in my heart for the Residence, Coach Barn and Dairy Barn. Getting to meet her various worldly friends of various fames/fortunes was always interesting.

Steven Hess

Duke Farms is the most unintentionally emo place in the universe. The group managing the old Doris Duke estate is letting it slowly return to a more natural state...and thus, it has become a celebration of death and decay, of the inevitable cold hands of Time and Fate overtaking us all and rendering our pitiable accomplishments moot. Im surprised I dont see more tour groups of black-clad kids with tons of eye makeup shuffling between swampy artificial lakes and sculptures overtaken by underbrush.

Sarah Drozd

A beautiful estate with lots of History. You can walk through and explore it for hours on your own, take a quick ride on their tram ( only runs in the spring and summer), or even take a leisurely bike ride. Throughout the year they do events such as Firefly night, a walk through learning about nocturnal animals, and some weekends they have a Farm Stand set up with local produce. Most of the paths are paved and the other path that are off the beaten Trail are wood chipped.

Chris Anderson

We spent our afternoon at duke farms and it was a glorious day all around. The estate is gorgeous, well kept and beautifully marked with trails and interesting historical and botanical information. There were at least a dozen excellent farm stands with fresh local vegetables, pastas, breads, meats, jams and jellies. There are walking paths, bike rentals and even a tram so people of all ages could easily enjoy the farm. We cant wait to get back!

brad smith

This private park is a model on how to run a popular and well maintained park with trails and it shows the weekends are usually very busy with bike riders and joggers. There are areas of interest too such as man-made lakes and a waterfall that no longer runs. The Duke family spent a lot of old money there so you can see a large mansion foundation and random sculptures around the park. The orchid greenhouse has events throughout the year.

Kevin Gallagher

What a great place. I know it mostly because I enjoy birding. I have seen some great birds and always walk away with more than expected. The park does not open until 8, which is kind of a bummer in terms of dawn calls, and bird activity, but overall its a great place. I love what they are doing there, creating different habitats. Easy to walk, concrete trails, and enough walking to keep you going for around 5 hours even with a steady pace.

Patrick Akey

Fantastic place to spend time enjoying the outdoors without leaving ythe comforts of civilization. Most of the paths are paved, a few are gravel or wood chips. Bring your own bike, or rent one at a very affordable rate. A tram is available to take you around the preserve, stopping at various sites, but with a bike you could easily explore the area in less than a day. All around pleasant experience for a range of visitors.

Dinsca avinsca

it is pathetic that Somerset County failed or did not bother to retrofit the mansion for the public use - like Morris County has done with so many of their mansions. But now that the mansion is gone a new high speed road can be built in its place County road 608 - and that was probably the whole point of rid of the mansion - once the road is there then subdivide and sell the land to developers might be in the works.

Ananya Gupta

We had an amazing time here and so did the kids. One day is not enough as there are so many activities and things to see, do and enjoy, especially during the summer when they have programs. The botanical garden is also beautiful. This place is superb. The staff are very kind and helpful. I also dont understand how can anyone rate this place lower than a 5 considering you get all this for kids and family for free!

Illsoo Kim

A good place to learn about the supreme importance of the environment to our daily living. This place shows us how to maintain a good quality of water and to produce organic food we daily consume. No admission fee. Well informed staff members and top facilities. Well maintained paths for walking and biking. Many thanks to the Duke family for the great and free sevices. Their wealth is well spent.

Sultan Mahmood

It is a great place for a summer weekend. There are long beautiful nature walkways. There is a free tram which runs every half an hour and stops at main spots. It is very convenient for family with kids or seniors to hop-on hop-off and still visit the whole farm. The best part about the farm is huge orchard garden. You will appreciate the large verity of orchard with beautiful tropical setup.

Orlando Lopez

This is the 4th or 5th time I went there and it was simply amazing (I live 5 minutes away from my house). I enjoyed going around the bike paths with my Schwinn Meridian multiple times. The nature always change by season (I like Fall). One last thing, the Orchard greenhouse was stunning, peaceful and beautiful. I think this place is "one of the best places to go before you die".

Gobinath Mallaiyan

Great outdoor for some friendly family walk, picnic. They have wonderful Tram service which is pretty much free for anyone who visits the location. Biggest let down for me is that you are not allowed to take an photographs i.e., if they think you are pro photographer then its a no to shoot.. So dont bother trying even to photographer your own family with pro cameras

Fausto Fondeur

Excellent place to spend a day, lots of trails , and cool places for pictures. Place us really well kept, especially considering you can enjoy most of the place without spending a penny. I havent been able to visit all places, but Im looking forward to doing so. Not sure what else people would like from a place to offers so much and asks nothing in return.