The Newark Museum of Art: Gilded Age Halls and Homestyle Brazilian in Ironbound

The museum opens Thursday through Sunday from 12 to 5 PM. Closed Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26). $10 gets you general admission into New Jersey's largest fine art museum, where modern galleries sit beside the preserved rooms of a nineteenth-century brewer mansion. Planetarium shows are $10 extra, at 2 and 3 PM Thursday–Friday and 1, 2 and 3 PM on weekends. Only 50 seats a show, so buy it with your admission; if full, PJ's café inside is open. Newark residents get in free, and two hours covers the highlights.

Sabor Unido sits on a residential Ironbound corner, a family-run spot that's been cooking Brazilian and Portuguese comfort food in the Ironbound for years. Generous plates like garlic shrimp, pork chops, and hanger steak with collard greens run around $30. It's BYOB, so grab a bottle on Ferry Street on the way. On Sundays the kitchen closes at 6 PM, so eat first and see the museum after, or come Thursday through Saturday. If there's a wait, Seabra's Marisqueira is a few blocks away for Portuguese seafood.

From World Trade Center, the Newark PATH runs straight to Newark Penn ($3.25). Hop the Newark Light Rail ($1.90) two stops to Washington Street, or walk about 20 minutes to the galleries. After the museum, head back to Penn and walk 10 minutes into the Ironbound for dinner, making it a smooth afternoon trip from Manhattan, Jersey City, or Harrison.