You’ve probably already heard that there’s a university in Princeton.

And, apart from its academic prestige, which is considerable, Princeton University’s serene and, yes, ivy-covered grounds are a great reason to spend a day exploring this New Jersey destination.

On a recent fall visit, the campus, with its eclectic mix of architectures and its carefully placed sculptures, exuded peace and a sense of gentle civility. You can admire the Greek Revival columns of Whig and Clio halls, the Richardsonian Romanesque style of Alexander Hall and the Georgian-Colonial look of Nassau Hall.  The latter, built in 1756 when the then-College of New Jersey moved from Newark to what had just recently been named Princeton, was at that time the largest stone structure in the colonies.

Blending styles in an interesting and effective way are more recent constructions, such as Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates’ expansion of Princeton’s original physics laboratory, Palmer Hall, into the new Frist Campus Center. Here, the new design reaches clever hands out to its Jacobean predecessor.

Particularly notable in this garden of fascinating buildings is the Princeton University chapel, a Gothic cathedral-like building that hosts not only regular Sunday services but a plethora of concerts and other performances. Its venerable organ was built by the Skinner Organ Company in 1928, then renovated and enhanced by Aeolian-Skinner from 1954-56. In 1991 it was given some more Baroque-sounding stops by N.P. Mander Ltd. Now it fills the resonant nave, complementing the spectacular stained glass windows, and sounding best on Romantic literature but handling Baroque with majesty.

Aside from the buildings, the campus is dotted with fascinating sculptures by prominent artists, and Princeton online offers a self-guided walking tour of the on-campus art.

If you can tear yourself from campus, the town itself has much to offer, historically and in other ways.  Princeton in the 1700s became an important stagecoach stop between New Brunswick and Trenton, and gained more prominence during the Battle of Princeton in January 1777, when Washington’s troops, having crossed the Delaware and stolen a march on the enemy, won a decisive victory. (The crossing of the Delaware is solemnly re-enacted every winter at nearby Washington’s Crossing, complete with costumes and an open boat.)

The town’s political importance continued as the state Legislature convened there in 1778, and Princeton hosted the Second Continental Congress from June to November 1783. Although Trenton became New Jersey’s capitol in 1790 the impressive former home of the Stockton family, Morven, became the first governor’s mansion in 1945. It was be replaced by the larger colonial structure of Drumthwacket, just down the street, in 1981. Morven, which now belongs to the New Jersey Historical Society, frequently hosts exhibits and activities for children, while governors up to and including the current one hold social events at the even more impressive Drumthwacket.

Leaving history behind, there’s lots to see and do in Princeton, with its up-to-date (if frequently changing) shops and numerous restaurants. It’s hard to give an overview of the eateries in walking distance of Nassau Hall, although it’s easy to start in Palmer Square with the charming Seward Johnson statue of a man munching on a burger (for more about Johnson sculptures, see an earlier column).

Perhaps winner of the anti-history category is Sotto, which for decades was the venerable Annex, favorite of generations of students from Princeton University and its neighbors, the Princeton Theological Seminary and Westminster Choir College. The new menu boasts Italian and the décor is much more upscale than previously, with carpets and black cloth napkins replacing linoleum and paper. Cheap happy-hour prices, long the attraction for college students, remain in place, however.

A restaurant with longtime prestige is LaHiere’s, which for years served award-winning French cuisine. Its current incarnation is American cuisine and less upscale. In the mood for reliable chain food? Winberie’s on Palmer Square will tempt you.

But for real history, go to the Nassau Inn’s Tap Room. Yes, that’s a real Norman Rockwell mural on the wall, painted in 1937 and showing a fanciful, if slightly foolish, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Sadly, the Inn was forced to glass it in to protect against vandalism.

After your meal, you may want to take a stroll down to Carnegie Lake, created for use by Princeton students but greatly enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Bordered by a tow-path, the shore is a mecca for bikers, hikers and strollers. At any time of year, it is a treat; in the fall, the still waters provide a perfect mirror for the colorful foliage.

Happy Traveling!

Captions: 1. The ivy-covered Nassau Hall once housed all students and classes for Princeton University, then called The College of New Jersey. 2. Princeton University Chapel rivals European cathedrals with its large organ and gorgeous stained glass. 3. This realistic statue startles unwary visitors to Palmer Square. 4. The man-made Carnegie Lake provides a welcome taste of nature within walking distance of the campus.