Minibus & Charter Bus Rentals in Newark

The Newark Museum of Art

The Newark Museum of Art is New Jersey's largest museum, and it's packed with more than 80 galleries featuring everything from ancient artifacts to contemporary masterpieces. You'll find American art, Asian collections, African galleries, a planetarium with 150 seats, and even the historic Ballantine House—a fully restored 1885 mansion right on the museum grounds. And here's what most people don't realize: student groups of 10 or more get discounted admission at just $8 per person instead of the standard $10.

But parking? That's where things get tricky. The museum's on-site lot fills up fast, especially during weekend exhibitions and school field trip season from March through June. Street parking around 49 Washington Street requires feeding meters every two hours, and the nearest public garage charges $15-$20 for the day. When you book a charter bus, your driver can drop everyone off right at the museum's main entrance on Washington Street, then park off-site while your group explores. No meter feeding, no split-up parking searches, no one getting lost trying to find the entrance. Just a smooth arrival and a comfortable ride home after you've spent hours soaking in art and science.

The Newark Museum of Art - 49 Washington St, Newark, NJ 07102 - (973) 596-6550

Branch Brook Park

Branch Brook Park isn't just any park—it's the nation's first county park, spanning 360 acres across Newark and Belleville. And if you're visiting in April, you're in for something special. This park has more than 5,000 cherry blossom trees in 18 different varieties, making it home to the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the United States—yes, even more than Washington, D.C. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival draws over 400,000 visitors during its two-week run, and roads around the park become absolutely packed with cars circling for parking spots that don't exist.

Here's the reality: during peak bloom season, you could spend 45 minutes just trying to find parking near Prudential Concert Grove on the south end or the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center on the north end. The park has limited on-site parking that fills by 9 AM on festival weekends, and nearby residential streets post "No Parking" signs to keep out the crowds. With a charter bus, your driver drops your group at the park entrance you choose—whether that's near the historic Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart or closer to the lake—and everyone stays together. After you've walked the paths, photographed the blossoms, and enjoyed a picnic on the lawn, your air-conditioned bus is waiting to whisk you to your next stop.

Branch Brook Park - Lake St & Park Ave, Newark, NJ 07104 - (973) 268-2300

Prudential Center

Prudential Center—affectionately called "The Rock"—is Newark's 16,514-seat indoor arena and home to the NHL's New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall University's basketball team. This place hosts over 2 million visitors every year for hockey games, concerts featuring artists like Bruce Springsteen and Justin Bieber, comedy shows, and family events like Disney on Ice. It's consistently ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing venues in the world. But if you've ever tried getting there for a 7 PM Devils game or a sold-out concert, you know the parking situation is intense.

The arena has multiple parking garages and lots, but here's the catch: prepaid parking runs $30-$40 per vehicle for events, and if you don't book ahead, you're stuck circling or paying premium rates at nearby private lots that charge up to $50. Game day traffic on Lafayette Street backs up for blocks, and rideshare drop-offs get chaotic with surge pricing hitting 3x normal rates. Charter buses have designated drop-off zones right near the arena entrances, so your group walks straight in without battling crowds or hunting for parking spots blocks away. After the final buzzer or encore, your bus picks everyone up from the same spot—no waiting in rideshare lines, no splitting up to find cars in different garages, and no one stuck as the designated driver when everyone else wants to celebrate.

Prudential Center - 25 Lafayette St, Newark, NJ 07102 - (973) 757-6000

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

One Center Street. That's where you'll find New Jersey's premier performing arts venue—NJPAC. This place hosts 200+ shows annually across multiple theaters, from Broadway tours to jazz legends to comedy acts to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. It's been visited by two U.S. presidents and the Dalai Lama, and it's where Black Girls Rock! and America's Got Talent have filmed episodes.

Charter bus access? They've thought about it. NJPAC's located right in downtown Newark, two blocks from Newark Penn Station, and your bus can drop passengers at the main entrance on Center Street. Your driver parks across the street at Military Park Garage—633 Broad Street—which offers bus-accessible spaces and connects directly to NJPAC. Parking runs $10-$28 depending on the event, and the garage is open Monday-Friday 6am-12am, Saturday 7am-12am, Sunday 8am-8pm. Groups attending evening performances should arrive 30-45 minutes early to grab drinks at Nico's Restaurant inside the venue, check out pre-show art installations in the lobby, and settle into their seats before curtain. Box office is open for walk-ups, but buying tickets in advance guarantees your group sits together.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center - 1 Center St, Newark, NJ 07102 - (888) 466-5722

Newark Riverfront Park

Newark Riverfront Park is the city's only public green space along the Passaic River, and this 12-acre urban oasis is packed with amenities: a baseball field with synthetic turf, a full-size soccer field with the Essex County logo right in the center, tennis courts, basketball courts, two playgrounds, a spray park for kids, and walking paths with gorgeous river views. Summer weekends bring free outdoor movies, fitness classes, kayak rentals, and boat tours that launch right from the park's orange-accented walkways.

But here's what you need to know about visiting: parking at Newark Riverfront Park is extremely limited. The small lot at 727 Raymond Boulevard holds maybe 30-40 cars, and during events or sunny weekends, it's packed by mid-morning. Overflow parking? You're looking at street spots in the surrounding Ironbound neighborhood, where residential permit zones and confusing signage make it easy to get ticketed. When you rent a charter bus, your driver can drop everyone off right at the park entrance on Raymond Boulevard or the Somme Street entrance, depending on which activities you're hitting first. Kids can run straight to the spray park, your sports team can head to the fields, and no one wastes 20 minutes hiking from a parking spot six blocks away. After a full day in the sun, your air-conditioned bus with reclining seats is ready to take everyone home—no sunburned walk back to scattered cars.

Newark Riverfront Park - 727 Raymond Blvd, Newark, NJ 07105 - (973) 733-5868

Red Bull Arena

Red Bull Arena—now officially called Sports Illustrated Stadium—sits just across the Passaic River in Harrison, New Jersey, making it an easy 10-minute trip from downtown Newark. This 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium is home to the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League. The stadium opened in 2010 and is designed specifically for soccer, meaning fans in the front row sit just 21 feet from the touchline—way closer than you'd get at a converted football stadium. It's hosted U.S. Men's and Women's National Team matches, international friendlies with clubs like Arsenal and Bayern Munich, and major concerts too.

Here's the parking reality at Red Bull Arena: the stadium offers prepaid parking in nearby lots, but it's first-come, first-served on game days if you didn't book ahead. Lots fill up 1-2 hours before kickoff for popular matches, and late arrivals get stuck in overflow parking that requires shuttle buses—ironically adding the exact complication you were trying to avoid. PATH train service to Harrison Station works great if you're coming solo, but coordinating 20-50 people on public transit before a game? That's a recipe for stragglers and missed kickoffs. Charter buses have designated drop-off areas near the stadium entrances, and your driver can park in the charter/tour bus lot while your group enjoys the match. After the final whistle, your bus is ready to go—no fighting crowds at the PATH station, no waiting for shuttles from remote parking, just a comfortable ride home while you replay the game's best moments.

Red Bull Arena - 600 Cape May St, Harrison, NJ 07029 - (973) 268-8420

Liberty Hall Museum

Liberty Hall Museum in Union, New Jersey is a 23-acre National Historic Landmark dating back to 1772. This mansion was home to William Livingston, New Jersey's first elected governor from 1776-1790 and a signer of the Constitution. Today, the museum offers guided tours through beautifully preserved rooms filled with decorative arts, period clothing, and furniture spanning multiple generations of the Livingston and Kean families. The property also includes an English garden maze, a Victorian carriage house, and changing exhibits that bring colonial and early American history to life.

Parking at Liberty Hall is straightforward—there's free on-site parking at 1003 Morris Avenue for regular visitors. But here's what makes a charter bus worth it for school groups and historical societies: Liberty Hall offers specialized educational programs and group tours that accommodate 15-60 students at once. If you're bringing a large class, that means coordinating multiple parent drivers, managing liability for student transportation, and hoping everyone arrives on time for your scheduled 10 AM tour slot. With a charter bus, everyone boards at school, your driver handles Route 78 or the Garden State Parkway traffic, and your students arrive together, on time, and ready to learn. The bus's overhead storage holds lunch coolers and bags, the onboard restroom means no emergency stops, and on the ride home, students can work on their history assignments using the bus's WiFi and power outlets.

Liberty Hall Museum - 1003 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 - (908) 527-0400

Turtle Back Zoo

Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange is one of New Jersey's favorite family destinations, featuring over 200 animal species across themed exhibits like the African Adventure, the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo Aviary, and the award-winning Wild Asia Trail. Kids love the carousel, train rides, and zip line, while adults appreciate that admission is affordable—$16 for adults, $12 for kids 2-12, and free for children under 2. The zoo draws massive crowds on weekends and school vacation weeks, especially during summer months when temperatures hit the mid-80s.

Here's the parking challenge: Turtle Back Zoo's main lot at 560 Northfield Avenue fills completely by 11 AM on Saturdays and Sundays from May through September. When the main lot is full, overflow parking opens in nearby South Mountain Reservation areas, requiring a 10-15 minute walk uphill to the zoo entrance—not fun with strollers, toddlers, and a diaper bag. During peak times, you might circle for 30 minutes waiting for someone to leave. Charter buses have designated bus parking areas separate from the main lots, with drop-off right at the zoo's entrance. Your driver handles parking logistics while your group heads straight to see the giraffes, lemurs, and red pandas. After hours of walking the zoo's hilly terrain, families especially appreciate stepping into an air-conditioned charter bus with reclining seats and an onboard restroom—no trudging back to a distant overflow lot with exhausted kids who are melting down after a long, hot day.

Turtle Back Zoo - 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ 07052 - (973) 731-5800