With a history dating back to pre-Revolutionary times, New Brunswick is now a vibrant city of more than 55,000 residents and many more visitors, Rutgers University students, and workers. This is a community with richly diverse neighborhoods, a bustling downtown City Center, and an innovative and popular cultural arts center. In the 24-block downtown area, nearly 50 restaurants compete for your palate, while arts events are around every corner.

What to Do

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center

The $170M NBPAC has propelled New Brunswick’s Downtown Cultural Arts District into the spotlight as the region’s most exciting and dynamic performing arts center. It features two state-of-the-art theatrical venues, dedicated rehearsal studios, collaborative work spaces for arts organizations across the region, as well as 207 residential rental apartments and public parking. Its member companies include the American Repertory Ballet, George Street Playhouse, Rutgers University Mason Gross School of Arts, and Crossroads Theatre Company.
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick – (732) 745-8000

State Theatre New Jersey

This historic, 1,811-seat, independent, non-profit venue is credited as a major factor in New Brunswick's return to economic vitality. State offers international orchestras, Broadway musicals, world-class dance, stand-up comedy, children's theater, world music, and more -- annually attracting some 200,000 patrons.
15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick – (732) 246-7469

Zimmerli Art Museum

Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University is one of the largest and most distinguished university-based museums in the country. The museum collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits world-class works of art to provide the university community and diverse regional, national, international audiences with direct experience of the visual arts.
71 Hamilton St, New Brunswick, Rutgers University – (848) 932-7237

The New Brunswick Jazz Project

Since 2010 the New Brunswick Jazz Project has been making Central Jersey a destination for great jazz, presenting world class jazz performances in to New Brunswick city center and other central New Jersey venues. In New Brunswick, they present live jazz at Tavern on George every Tuesday and Thursday.
361 George St. New Brunswick – (732) 640-0001

The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center

The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center offers over 100 annual film screening and events, annually. It is dedicated to the noncommercial exhibition of independent, classic, international, and experimental films and videos plus the added benefit of meeting with the filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and other members of production crew. It features the New Jersey International Film Festival, held annually at the start of summer, and the New Jersey Film Festival, held bi-annually in the fall. In 2023, it will host the 35th Annual United States Super 8mm Film + Digital Video Festival.
New Brunswick – (848) 932-8482

Learn more:

Online Visitor’s Guide