Located in a rustic 19th century building which served as a lock tender's house on the Morris Canal, the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum offers an entertaining and enlightening look at the history of New Jersey's largest lake. Step back to a time when the lake was actually two bodies of water and the Lenape lived along its shores. Learn of the building of the famous Morris Canal and the forming o
f modern day Lake Hopatcong, its main source of water. Travel back to the era when the Lake was a tourist mecca and some 40 hotels and rooming houses graced its shores. Relive the days when thousands flocked to Bertrand Island Amusement Park for dancing and "nickel nights." In an age before jets, before air conditioning and before super highways, Lake Hopatcong was a major northeast resort. Within easy reach of large cities to the east, the Lake's size and setting at over 900 feet above sea level made it a perfect resort. From the 1880's through the 1930's the Lake welcomed thousands each year, including leaders in government, industry and entertainment. Lower daytime temperatures and cool evenings made Lake Hopatcong a welcome respite from the urban centers to the east. Although other northwestern New Jersey towns were developed as resorts during this period, Lake Hopatcong quickly outdistanced all local rivals in popularity. While these other resorts shared Lake Hopatcong's proximity to the urban centers of the east, they could not match the lake's size or the ease with which it could be reached by rail.
