Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park protects the 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic River and the historic mill district built around them in Paterson, New Jersey. This guide covers opening hours, entrance fees, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical tips for planning a visit.
This guide was updated in September 2026. One point to note: the park currently has no visitor centre and no indoor restrooms, since the planned visitor centre at Overlook Park has not yet been built. Only portable toilets are available, from 9am to 4pm, staffing permitting.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Grounds: sunrise to sunset daily. Main parking lot closes after dark, reopens between 7:45am and 8:45am |
| Ticket prices | Free. No entrance fee or pass is required |
| Address | 72 McBride Avenue Extension, Paterson, NJ 07501 |
| Nearest transport | NJ Transit train to Paterson station, plus city bus routes into central Paterson |
| Typical time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park opening hours
The park grounds are open sunrise to sunset, though the site itself has no gate and is technically accessible at any hour. The main parking lot at 72 McBride Avenue Extension closes every day sometime after dark and reopens each morning between 7:45am and 8:45am.
Rangers are on site Wednesday to Friday from 9am to 4:30pm, with guided walking tours at 2pm on those days and at 11am and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays, staffing permitting. Call the park at 973-523-0370 on the day of your visit to confirm a tour is running.
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park ticket prices
Entry to the park is completely free, and no entrance pass is required. The nearby Paterson Museum, a National Park Service partner, does not charge admission either, though it suggests a $2 donation per adult.
The National Park Service does not sell America the Beautiful passes on site. The nearest location to buy one in person is Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange. Since Paterson Great Falls never charges an entrance fee, the NPS’s annual fee-free dates offer no extra benefit here, though they can help with paid sites elsewhere in the region.
Fee and access information were checked on the official website and last updated in September 2026.
How to get to Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
By car, the park is reached from Interstate 80 or the Garden State Parkway. Both routes lead onto Spruce Street and then McBride Avenue Extension, following signs for the Great Falls Overlook parking area. Full turn-by-turn directions from each route are on the official directions page.
By train, NJ Transit’s Main Line runs from New York Penn Station via Secaucus to Paterson station, about a one-mile walk from the falls. By bus, NJ Transit’s #190 runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City to Market Street in Paterson, a short walk from the park.
Parking at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Free two-hour parking is available at Overlook Park, the main lot at 72 McBride Avenue Extension, though space is extremely limited on weekends and holidays. Additional free street parking is available on Maple Street, beside Mary Ellen Kramer Park near Hinchliffe Stadium. Further paid parking is available at Paterson Parking Authority locations downtown, including the newer Hinchliffe Stadium garage.
How long to spend at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Most visitors spend 1 to 2 hours, covering the Overlook Park viewpoint, a walk through the historic raceway district, and either the self-guided walking tour or a ranger-led tour. Add extra time for a stop at the nearby Paterson Museum.
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Accessibility at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Most visitor services and facilities are accessible to wheelchair users with assistance. Pathways run through a busy urban area with both paved and unpaved sections, and some city sidewalks are narrow or steep, though alternative routes around stairs add only a couple of minutes. Ranger-led tours can follow paved, wheelchair-accessible routes, though assistance may be needed on narrow sidewalks. Accessible parking is available at Overlook Park, and accessible restrooms are available at the Paterson Museum. There are currently no wheelchairs available to borrow on site, and service animals are welcome throughout the park.
What to see at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
The Great Falls themselves drop 77 feet over a basalt cliff into a gorge on the Passaic River, and are designated a National Natural Landmark. Under a 2020 relicensing agreement, the hydroelectric operator increases the flow over the falls to about 400 cubic feet per second during weekend daylight hours, and the agreement also transferred 2.4 acres of land to the National Park Service for future visitor facilities.
In 1791 and 1792, Alexander Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) founded Paterson around the falls as America’s first planned industrial city, harnessing the water to power textile mills, locomotive works, firearms manufacturing and other factories that later helped drive the Industrial Revolution in the United States.
The raceway system, built and modified between 1791 and 1848, channelled water from the falls to mills across the district using the drop in elevation around the gorge. A walk through Upper Raceway Park follows the start of this system past several former mill buildings that once relied on it.
Beside the falls, the hydroelectric plant, built between 1912 and 1914, required diverting the river and blasting through the basalt cliffside to install its turbines. It was decommissioned in January 1969, rededicated in 1987, and still generates power today from within the same historic brick building.
Paterson also has a significant labour history, from the children’s 1835 “Baby Strike” to the Great 1913 Silk Strike, and the American Labor Museum, about a 10-minute drive away, covers this history in more depth. Paterson has also been designated New Jersey’s American WWII Heritage City, one such city per state, recognising its wartime manufacturing and civil defence efforts.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Download the self-guided walking tour app before arriving, since there is no on-site wifi. |
| Crowds | Weekday mornings before the lunch rush are usually the quietest time to visit. |
| Layout | Call ahead to confirm a ranger-led tour is running, as schedules depend on staffing. |
| Entry process | No tickets or reservations are needed for a general visit; just arrive and park. |
| On-site logistics | Bring water and snacks, since there are no food concessions and only portable toilets. |
Frequently asked questions about Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is there an entrance fee for Paterson Great Falls? | No, the park is free to visit and does not charge for entry. |
| Is there a visitor centre at Paterson Great Falls? | No, there is currently no visitor centre or indoor facilities on site. |
| Are dogs allowed at Paterson Great Falls? | Yes, on a six-foot non-retractable leash, with waste cleaned up promptly. |
| Can I fly a drone at Paterson Great Falls? | No, drone use is prohibited throughout the park. |
| Is public transportation available to Paterson Great Falls? | Yes, via NJ Transit train to Paterson station or bus #190 from New York City. |
Things to do near Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
- Paterson Museum – exhibits on Paterson’s industrial history, a 2 to 3-minute walk from the falls.
- American Labor Museum (Botto House) – a historic house linked to the 1913 Silk Strike, about a 10-minute drive.
- Hinchliffe Stadium – a restored Negro Leagues baseball stadium in central Paterson.
- Garret Mountain Reservation – a wooded county park with views over the falls and city.
- Lambert Castle – a 19th-century stone tower and museum atop Garret Mountain.
Alternative attractions
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park, West Orange – Edison’s laboratory and home, about 30 to 40 minutes’ drive.
- Ringwood State Park and Manor – a historic ironworks estate in the Ramapo Mountains, about 25 to 30 minutes’ drive.
- Morristown National Historical Park – Revolutionary War sites known as the “Crossroads of the American Revolution”, about 40 minutes’ drive.
- Bushkill Falls, Pennsylvania – a series of eight waterfalls in the Poconos, about 1 hour 35 minutes’ drive.
- Buttermilk Falls, Delaware Water Gap – one of New Jersey’s tallest waterfalls, about 1 hour 40 minutes’ drive.
