James E. McGreevey
Governor

William D. Watley
Secretary of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523

New Jersey's Cultural Assets Grow

Trenton, N.J. (February 19, 2003)—The state's $31 billion tourism industry received a monumental addition to its catalog of cultural assets with the acquisition of the Golden Age Collection of rare stringed instruments by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

"We are delighted that the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is able to bring this acclaimed collection of performance instruments to the Garden State," said Nancy Byrne, executive director of the Office of Travel and Tourism. "Now, residents and visitors alike will have an opportunity to expand their cultural interests at performance venues across the state."

The collection is comprised of Stradavarius, Guarneri del Gusu and Amati instruments and was produced in Cremona, Italy.

For more information on the Golden Age Collection, contact the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at (973) 624-3713, ext. 234.

To learn more about New Jersey's cultural life and treasures, call 1-800-VISITNJ or visit the tourism website at www.visitnj.org

New Jersey encompasses less than 9,000 square miles, but it's surprisingly diverse, combining the best of metropolitan sophistication with rural farmlands, rivers and mountains are all accessible within a few hours. Ocean beaches stretch 127 miles, from Cape May Point to Sandy Hook. Vast expanses of forever-green acres are exemplified in the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and 1.1-million-acre Pine Barrens Reserve. There are mountains for skiing and climbing; trails for hiking, towns for shopping and culture. While super highways, express buses, trains and ferries provide quick and direct access into New York City and Philadelphia, back roads wind through historic hamlets, farmlands and pristine forests. Along the way are botanic gardens, historic architecture, museums, sporting events, gaming casinos and kids' action parks. New Jersey is a vacation destination for the best days of your life!