Ten walkable spots
Somerville is made for strolling! After enjoying a meal in Downtown Somerville, take a leisurely walk to explore ten free historic and cultural sites within one mile of Main Street. From public art and memorials to gardens and landmarks, these destinations showcase the borough’s rich heritage and welcoming community spirit.
All distances are measured from the intersection of Division Avenue and Main Street.
1. Daniel Robert House grounds
Location: 25 West End Avenue
Distance: 0.5 miles
Walk half a mile west on Main Street, then turn right at “the Point” toward Borough Hall. Along the way, enjoy outdoor sculptures and Gothic Revival architecture. Interior tours are available by appointment or during the Journey through the Past weekend in October. The library branch wing is open during posted hours.
2. Kugler-Anderson Bicycle Memorial Tour
Location: corner of Mountain Ave and West End Ave
Distance: 0.55 miles
Walk just past Borough Hall to explore memorabilia and learn about America’s oldest competitive bicycle race.
3. Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage state historic site
Location: 71 Somerset Street
Distance: 0.7 miles
Walk west on Main Street, bear left on Somerset Street, then turn left after the railroad overpass. Grounds are open on Monday and Tuesday. Tours are available Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, and on Sunday, from 12 to 4 pm. Please call ahead as tours may be in progress. General Washington rented this house for one winter.
4. Immaculate Conception meditation garden
Location: 35 Mountain Ave
Distance: 0.9 miles
Walk west on Main Street and turn right onto Mountain Avenue. The entrance is next to the chapel side door near Altamont Place. This garden is open during daylight hours and is a peaceful oasis in a busy downtown.
5. Victorian firehouse
Location: 23 North Doughty Ave
Distance: 0.3 miles
Walk west on Main Street to Doughty Avenue and turn right. The firehouse is located mid-block on the left and can be viewed only from the outside. The museum is open for limited hours on Saturdays. Somerville’s Fire Department predates the town’s incorporation, and the building includes a stained-glass window salvaged from a demolished Victorian mansion.
6. Locomotive smokestack sculpture
Location: Civic Center Plaza (Station Road and Paul Robeson Boulevard)
Distance: 0.3 miles
Walk along Division Street to Veterans Memorial Parkway and cross to the Victorian train station, then take the tunnel to the eastbound platform. You may also reach it via the pedestrian tunnel from Veterans Memorial Drive. Enjoy the tile-wall murals along the way. The sculpture celebrates Somerville’s rail history, which dates back to 1842. An interpretive plaque is located on the left wall as you face the archway to the platform.
7. Somerville Cemetery
Location: 192 South Bridge Street
Distance: 0.7 miles
Walk down Division Street, cross near the train station, then turn right onto Bridge Street to reach the New Cemetery, founded in 1857. This garden cemetery features a World War I Veterans Circle and one of New Jersey’s largest groups of Civil War U.S. Colored Troops interments.
8. September 11 memorial
Location: corner of East Main and Bridge Streets
Distance: 0.1 miles
Walk east on Main Street to Bridge Street and cross to the northeast corner. There, you can view a piece of the World Trade Center and a plaque honoring the 34 Somerset County residents who perished, both displayed beneath the memorial clock.
9. Court House Green
Location: E. Main Street, between Bridge Street and Grove Street
Distance: 0.2 miles
Walk east on Main Street to Bridge Street, cross, and continue up Main Street toward Grove Street. This area is home to Somerset County’s 1909 historic courthouse, along with several monuments and sculptures, many commemorating World War I (1917–1918).
10. Lord Memorial Fountain and Armory Plaza
Location: 20 Grove Street
Distance: 0.3 miles
Walk east on Main Street, cross at Bridge Street, and continue to Grove Street. Here you’ll find a historic fountain, originally designed to refresh both people and horses, and the site of Somerville’s National Guard Armory, from which local recruits departed for World Wars I and II. Multiple veterans’ memorials are located throughout the plaza.
More information
This page was last revised in 2025 by the Historic Advisory Committee. Explore more historic resources, including an interactive map showcasing all our plaques, monuments, and memorials.