Retreat Center - Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center

Located near Barnegat Bay and close to the New Jersey coast, 90 minutes’ drive south of New York City and about the same distance east of Philadelphia, Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center occupies twenty lovely partially-wooded acres. Adjoining it is a 200-acre wildlife preserve with nature trails leading through woods to the wetlands on Barnegat Bay, encompassing several ecosystems. We’re open all year.

Meeting and Dining

The center of activity is the Lodge. The Fireside Room is filled with futons for get-togethers and meetings, with a large fireplace, store and reception area, while the Dining Room is perfect for both meetings and meals, with comfortable seating for up to 50, and Murray Grove’s long history displayed on the walls. There’s a large

kitchen for your own food preparation; and a catering service is also available and/or you can order deliveries from local restaurants. Our Welcome Center/Office is at one end of the building. For outdoor meeting and dining in indoor comfort three seasons of the year, the Screen House sits conveniently next to the pool; and we have barbecue grills for cooking in the open air. The detached Cone House cabin affords further meeting space for smaller groups.

Lodging

The two main guest houses are Weakley House, with eleven attractively decorated bedrooms for two (twenty comfortable twin beds and one queen), and large shared bathrooms with 3 toilet stalls, sinks and showers in both Men’s and Ladies’ Rooms; and Friedrich House, recently refurbished, with ten rooms accommodating two beds each (8 of which are expandable to 3 beds), living room and shared bathrooms that include 2 sinks and toilet stalls and one shower in both Men’s and Ladies’ Rooms . A linen roll that includes 1 bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth, fitted sheet, top sheet and pillow case is provided. Guests need to bring all of their own toiletries including soap and shampoo.

Together with the Lodge and the woods, the Friedrich and Weakley Houses frame a grassy courtyard for relaxing or meeting. Campfires are common during the summer months, although we have to adhere to local fire hazard conditions.

Grounds

Besides lodging and meeting space for up to 50 people, we have a 20-acre wooded campus, a pool (in season), an eleven-circuit labyrinth, screen house, large athletic field, play structure, walking trails in a wildlife preserve immediately adjacent – and a history of over 170 years. We are easy to get to – 15 minutes south of Toms River near Barnegat Bay at exit 77 off of the Parkway.

In a corner of the property is the Universalist National Cemetery, and next door in the old Good Luck Cemetery is the Potter Memorial Chapel, on the site of the original meetinghouse built by Thomas Potter in the mid-eighteenth century. (See Heritage). It is available for worship services in season – it has no heat or electricity.

A new addition is the 39-foot, eleven-circuit labyrinth, of river cobbles set into the turf in front of the Memorial Boulder on the site of the original Red Brick Church.

Murray Grove is a peaceful place that allows guests to disconnect from the concerns of their everyday lives and concentrate fully on what brings them here. We’re open to all, year-round, and we invite you to contact us with your questions and requests for information.