A castle in suburban New Jersey? Here’s everything you can expect!
Visiting Medieval Times has been on my bucket list for years. The family-friendly dinner event has locations across the U.S., including Buena Park, Florida (near Walt Disney World Resorts and Universal Studios); Dallas, Texas; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
But a visit to Medieval Times never quite fit into our budget or our travel schedule. We never reached Dallas on our 2022 “Rockets and Roller Coasters” adventure. Every time we visit Central Florida, we spend our time at Disney or Universal or visiting family. I had no idea Medieval Times had 10+ locations across the U.S. and Canada, including one so close to our Long Island home.
I also never made it a priority because I wasn’t sure how much our kids would enjoy it. We aren’t particularly into medieval reenactment, knights, or sword fighting. Any pay-one-price dinner event is typically a waste since my daughter is a picky eater and rarely eats $10 worth of food, much less enough to justify the price of all-you-can-eat restaurants or special events.
But as a traveler who loves unique experiences, I also have always wanted to visit Medieval Times!
A friend of ours we know from paintball and Star Trek set up a get-together for Medieval Times in New Jersey, and I jumped at the opportunity. I didn’t realize we had a venue so close to us!
Since we haven’t been to any other Medieval Times Dinner and Tournaments anywhere else, this review will focus entirely on New Jersey Medieval Times. I would assume you can expect the same quality across the country, although I’ve read that dinner selections might vary.
One of our thrills as a traveling family is seeing our children’s reaction as we approach a vacation destination.
That gasp as we drove over the bridge and spotted the roller coasters at the world-famous Cedar Point.
Spotting Kalahari Resorts’ sign and the water slides as we drive down I-95.
The first time we saw the sign for Kings Dominion on I-95 and actually turned off to visit the park.
Driving through the Walt Disney World Resort gates. (If you know, you know!)
For most trips, I research in advance and always make sure the kids have their phones down, heads-up as we prepare for these magical moments.
But I didn’t know what to expect as we approached Medieval Times – Lyndhurst, NJ. I didn’t read a lot of reviews and people don’t really talk about it! It’s sort of just sitting there on a suburban New Jersey highway.
My daughter, miraculously, was looking around as we reached the venue. She declared, “Look at the Castle!! Is this where we’re going???”
We had a magical moment, purely unplanned. The view from the highway is breathtaking and only hints at the experience you can look forward to inside!
Although the line to get in was wrapped around the building, once the doors opened, we entered quickly and wandered the spacious concession and gift area (“the Hall of Arms”) which circles the arena, similar to any other sports stadium.
We even got a few photo ops and I grabbed a beer from the bar in a souvenir beer stein. My daughter ordered a fruity, alcohol-free drink in a souvenir plastic cup. We also splurged on flags to wave for our assigned knight – the Blue Knight! Everyone entering receives a cardboard crown indicating the knight you will be rooting for.
There are multiple packages you can choose, which include dinner and a show. It’s roughly $68 for adults and $41 for children 12 and under. There’s also a coupon code you can apply for 15% off. Prices may vary based on the region.
Once you select your date, time, and tickets online, you’ll be prompted to upgrade your package. Upgrades include:
Royalty: Priority access, preferred seating, VIP status, complimentary banner (+$15)
Celebration: All of Royalty, plus a slice of cake and framed group photo (+$22)
Queen’s Royalty: All of Royalty, plus “best seats in the house” and a framed group photo, but no cake (+$27)
We opted for the basic package and were pleased with our seats, in spite of being one of the last groups in line.
Again, prices may vary at other locations.
While various Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Event Reviews on TripAdvisor.com lambast the food, I was surprised by the quality. The meal included tasty tomato soup as a starter, and a main course of roasted chicken, sweet corn on the cob, potato wedges, and garlic bread. Trust me, these photos don’t do it justice!
The chicken didn’t taste much different than a Costco rotisserie chicken – but I mean that as a compliment! It was a generous, filling portion, and very flavorful. My family couldn’t get enough of the garlic bread! (It was essentially Texas Toast!)
It’s important to remember that you’re paying for the experience more than the food. Yes, you can go to a steakhouse or an Italian restaurant and get an excellent meal for $67, sans the show of fighting knights on horseback. Or you can sit at home and eat Costco rotisserie chicken and garlic toast for a few bucks. Or, you can get decent food and a spectacular show! In essence, I was expecting quality along the lines of theme park food (Six Flags, not Disney!) and was happy I enjoyed the meal so much.
The venue will also accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meal requests.
The show begins with a falcon taking flight as the crowd cheers.
The knights are introduced: Green, Red & Yellow, Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black & White. Competition and drama ensue through a series of battles on horse and on foot. The show runs for two hours, which offers plenty of excitement and time to enjoy your meal.
The Medieval Times website claims the show is based on authentic Medieval history and based on the tale of a noble family dating back to the 11th century. The horsemanship, swordsmanship, and footwork is impressive, especially when you consider the training and practice involved.
The Andalusian horses are bred and born in Denton, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, where they eventually retire in comfort after more than a decade of training and service at Medieval Times locations nationwide. The beauty of these horses is absolutely breathtaking (even if you aren’t a horse person) and it’s good to know the animals are cared for, before, during, and after their tenure as performers. You can read more about the horses and falcons on the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament website.
From start to finish, the Knights and show producers strive to create a fully immersive experience that is fun for the whole family.
Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ, is conveniently located just three miles from American Dream Mall, making it perfect for a day trip and dinner or a long weekend getaway if you are in New York City, upstate New York, Long Island, northern New Jersey, or even Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
We normally take day trips to American Dream, one of my favorite shopping malls in the U.S. But for this adventure, we decided to stay overnight since we attended the 8 PM dinner and show at Medieval Times.
Being so close to the Meadowlands Sports Complex and MetLife Stadium, a popular concert venue and home to the New York Giants and NY Jets football teams, there are plenty of hotels in the vicinity.
We chose the Hilton Meadowlands because I’m a Hilton Honors member and the price through Expedia was just $159 for a Saturday through Sunday stay. With no pool, few amenities, and dated rooms, I wasn’t impressed.
Fortunately, there are many hotels within minutes of Medieval Times and American Dream to choose from.
If you don’t mind a bit of travel and want more luxurious accommodations, I would choose The MC Hotel, Autograph Collection, by Marriott in nearby Montclair. You can see the American Dream wheel from your hotel room.
The rooms feature spacious accommodations and balconies, modern art, a fantastic on-site fine dining restaurant, and a rooftop bar with firepits for the ultimate escape. It’s just a short, 20-minute (12-mile) drive to American Dream and roughly the same to Medieval Times.
The walkable town has shops, restaurants, museums, an indie bookstore, a movie theater, and plenty of places to eat. If you’re visiting in late spring or summer, be sure to check out the Van Vleck House and Gardens, with 12 acres of greenery and a Fairy Garden!
Check out my article on the best ways to spend 48 hours in Montclair, NJ (if you’re geeks with teens, of course)!
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