Things to Do in Trenton

Rather than focusing on one angle of its state's history, the New Jersey State Museum encompasses four: archaeology, fine arts, culture, and natural history. Since 1895, the American Association of Museums–accredited complex’s staff has been dedicated to expanding field research and, more recently, public-school outreach. These efforts have culminated in collections of more than 2 million archeological specimens, 2,000 ethnographic artifacts, 12,000 works of art, and 13,000 state cultural artifacts. These pieces pique viewer curiosity in themed exhibits, exploring periods in local art, relationships between native Americans and European settlers, and the state flower’s childhood diaries.

The archaeology collections—assembled by museum staffers and university archaeologists—highlight textiles, beads, and hide works from Delaware Indians and other North American–natives. The fine art collection assembles works by American modernists and abstract artists. Massive Trenton-made furnishings, Civil War–flags, and maritime artifacts populate the cultural exhibits.

Though focused on history and art, the museum also immerses visitors in science with its 150-seat planetarium, which dazzles eyes with images of the solar system, faraway stars, and astronaut training during shows. Audiences witness traditional sky projections and laser-created programs comprised of 6,000 stars on the ceiling of the full 360-degree dome.

The ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Trenton Titans compete against the country's top hockey prospects in the Atlantic Division of the league's Eastern Conference. Founded in 1999, the Titans won the Kelly Cup in 2005 behind captain Rick Kowalsky and leading-scorer Scott Bertoli, capping off an impressive six-year span in which the team missed the playoffs only one time. As the Titans continue their quest to replicate past glory, raucous fans clad in red cheer them on at Sun National Bank Center, aided by the team mascot Rivet, who energizes fans without throwing AA batteries into the stands.

StudiOMango's trio of certified yoga instructors invites students of all experience levels to unite their minds and bodies in invigorating Vinyasa-flow-based classes. The studio's ample natural light, blond hardwood flooring, and moniker-reinforcing mango-hued walls conjure the inviting atmosphere of one's living room, only instead of catnapping on the couch with Bob Barker infiltrating their dreams, guests move from one strengthening and lengthening pose to the next, pausing to regain slow, even breaths in downward-facing dog. In beginner-friendly classes, the instructors initiate newbies by covering the basics and helping them establish a foundation for the practice with sun salutations, balancing poses, and backbends. More advanced sessions lead yogis in working up a sweat with a continuous series of postures and more challenging poses, but all poses can be modified to accommodate any skill level. Music gently motivates students during every class, helping them channel their focus and steer their minds from daily responsibilities or embarrassment over accidentally calling the instructor mom.

Tucked alongside the Assunpink Creek, Trenton's Mill Hill neighborhood houses brick-faced 19th century homes and their lush gardens within a cozy 10-block area. For more than 200 years, residents of the historic neighborhood have taken pride in cultivating their scenic community. Each year, local homeowners open up their yards so that visitors can peek into their diminutive urban gardens. The scenic tour drew the attention of CBS Philadelphia, which wrote that “between and behind these historic homes, you'll discover some of the Delaware Valley's most cleverly designed compact gardens.”

Christine Donahue started her yogic practice at age 8, learning at the knee of her first mentor, her mother. She has since journeyed to India, been certified to teach by swamis, and been granted the honorary name Girija, which means daughter of the Himalayas. Throughout all her journeys, the main pillar of her yogic practice has always been community. Now, at her own Higher Power Yoga, she strives to tailor her teachings to suit the community that surrounds her. Christine invites both longtime and new practitioners to sample her variations on classic Vinyasa yoga, such as hot and spicy yoga and urban yoga, in which students reach for the skies in the skyscraper pose and just-reelected mayor pose.