Butterflies and a Battle at Red Bank Battlefield Park
If you are looking for a fun place to see butterflies and learn some Revolutionary War history then search no more. Head to Red Bank Battlefield Park.
Where is Red Bank Battlefield Park?
Red Bank Battlefield Park is located at 100 Hessian Avenue National Park, NJ 080763.
What are the hours?
Red Bank Battlefield Park is open from sunrise to sunset year-round except for on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day.
The Whitall House is open for tours from Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 pm to the public from April to mid-October.
The butterfly house is open from Thursday to Sunday from 10 am to 12:30 pm.
Where do I park?
There are two parking lots when you arrive. One of the lots is closer to the bathrooms, playground and picnic pavilions. The other lot is closer to the river and various plaques.
Are there bathrooms?
There are bathrooms next to one of the parking lots. There is also a water fountain that also has a water bottle filler as well.
When we went for the Butterfly Festival they had also brought in an additional large portable restroom trailer for the event as well.
What things can I find at Red Bank Battlefield Park?
There are a variety of walking paths with historical points of interest. As people walk they also receive a history lesson if they read the signs scattered through the park. There is also a butterfly house and the James and Ann Whithall house. Around the house there is also an herb garden, dye garden and Colonial garden.
The park is adjacent to the Delaware River so there are great views and a nice breeze. There are lots of benches to rest as you walk and there are also a few View Finders along the way.
Visitors will find plenty of shade and plenty of geese. They are newer playgrounds here that have fun nautical elements which kids will have fun “sailing” and reenacting their own battles with the mini cannon.
What is the history behind the park?
The park was initially the plantation of James Whitall in 1748. Then in 1777 Fort Mercer was built here and part of the James and Ann Whithall house was used as a command center for troops. Fort Mercer and Fort Mifflin were important in helping try to protect Philadelphia from the British. Those along with the chevaux de frise in the water showed the British that advancing towards the city would be difficult. The British ended up having to march over land to reach Philadelphia and take on September 26th, 1777.
Fort Mercer was attacked on October 22nd, 1777. Jonas Cattell had already heard plans of the attack in Haddonfield and ran to Fort Mercer ahead of the Hessian soldiers. The warning helped the American soldiers defeat the British and Hessian soldiers when they arrived even though they were greatly outnumbered. After the battle the Whithall house was also used as an impromptu hospital to help the Hessian and American soldiers that had been wounded in the battle.
Where are the butterflies?
Butterflies can be found at the butterfly house next to the Whitall House. There are also some cool steps near there with a butterfly painted on them.
Are there special events throughout the year?
Yes! We just attended for their popular annual Butterfly Festival. Read about our experience below.
There is a Family Archaeology Day on June 23rd from noon to 4 pm. During this event the Whitall house will be open, you can meet with an archaeologist and the Rowan Field School and there will be kid activities.
There is a Family History Day on August 18th from noon to 4 pm.
On July 19th the Lorax will be shown in the park at 8:30 pm.
On October 19th there is a Jonas Cattell Run & Fort Mercer 5K at 8 am.
On October 20th there is an 18th Century Field Day from 10 am to 4 pm with free admission. There will be living history demonstrations, canons, Revolutionary war soldiers to meet and more!
What happens at the Butterfly Festival?
We just attended the Butterfly Festival and it was a great family event. We arrived a couple hours after the start of the event. Even though it was crowded we were still able to find parking close to the event. The event was held at Red Bank Battlefield Park adjacent to the James and Ann Whithall House. The playground and restrooms were right next to the parking lot where we parked.
As we walked toward the event we heard upbeat live music. There were multiple craft vendors selling things related to butterflies and flowers. There were also plenty of perennials and herbs available to purchase so that you could inexpensively make your house join the Pollinator Pit Stop Program. We were able to purchase some parsley and black-eyed susans to add to our own garden.
People who were hungry could purchase food at multiple food trucks and there were frozen treats available to purchase from Kona Ice and Mr. Softee. We enjoyed a picnic lunch we had brought under a large pavilion next to the parking lot that was adjacent to the playgrounds. Even with the hot day we were able to keep cool since there were plenty of trees, multiple outdoor canopies, a misting station and a water bottle refill station right near where we parked.
Throughout the day there were free butterfly house tours and free balloon animals. We opted not to do these since these had longer lines but they looked like lots of fun. We look forward to heading back soon to do a butterfly house tour on a different day.
The Gloucester County Certified Gardeners did a great job with all of the activities and education. There was a schedule of different educational events such as The “Buzz” on Bees and Bugs on the Go. My husband was excited to learn more about monarch butterflies. My kids enjoyed looking at some of their educational materials as well as seeing various butterflies and moths identified that they had recently seen on hikes.
The kids loved the free popcorn at the popcorn machine and the crafts at the event. This may have been the most free crafts I have seen at any festival. They each made 6 different crafts including a foam shape butterfly, clothespin butterfly, 3-d hanging butterfly, binoculars, bug masks and bracelets with UV beads. The bracelets are great if kids are not a fan of wearing sunblock since it is a clear way to show them that when the beads change color that is a good time to be putting it on.
At the end of the day there was also a Bug Parade that kids could join. They also had an array of wings for people to borrow if they were not already wearing a bug-related outfit or wings. Both of our kids had fun flapping their wings in the parade and I enjoyed the butterfly puns. At the end of the parade each participant also received a participation prize.
Our family also headed towards the river for a bit before heading home. It is a great place to watch planes landing since you are not far from the Philadelphia airport. Close to where we were there was also a misting station set up, coloring sheets and multiple lawn games such as ladder ball and corn hole.
This event was a lot of fun and it is definitely one that I would attend again. I also look forward to returning to the park another time to do a tour of the Whithall house as well as the butterfly house. We have been to the this park in the past and it is a great one to visit with the great views along the Delaware River. The multiple planes and boats that can usually be seen also make it extra exciting for kids. Walking along the paths also takes you to different plaques, cannons and more.
Is there a video I can watch about the Butterfly Festival?
I made a video about the Butterfly Festival at the park. It can be watched here: Video of Butterfly Festival at Red Bank Battlefield Park.
This park is a great place to visit with its glimpses into a historic battle, scenic views, playgrounds and butterflies. The Butterfly Festival is a great event to learn about butterfly life cycles and identification as well as planting a pollinator garden.