Manalapan Township is conveniently located in Central Jersey. It is a popular town for commuters who work in New York City because bus route 139 brings commuters into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. For people who travel for work, Manalapan is only 32 miles away from Newark Liberty International Airport.
Manalapan Township is home to many historic sites that played important roles in the Revolutionary War. Part of Monmouth Battlefield State Park, where the Battle of Monmouth was fought, is within the towns boundaries. Today, the park preserves its history and has trails for hiking and horseback riding.
The town is also home to the Old Tennent Church, which was founded in 1692. The current building was completed in 1751-53 and was temporarily used as a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Revolutionary War. The Old Tennent Cemetery, which is on church grounds, is the final resting place of Joshua Huddy, who was the commander of a New Jersey Patriot militia unit.
For those who want to do more than explore the town's history, there are several shopping centers in town. There are also two malls, the Freehold Raceway Mall and the Monmouth Mall, in neighboring towns.
Manalapan makes up most of the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District. The school district has one preschool, serving students in Pre-K and kindergarten. It also has 5 elementary schools. Milford Brook School and Taylor Mills School house grades K-5, while Clark Mills School, Layfayette Mills School, and Wemrock Brook School house grades 1-5. The township has two middle schools. Pine Brook School only houses 6th grade with Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School housing 7th and 8th grade. Once they graduate from the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, students enter the Freehold Regional High School District.
Manalapan High School is part of the Freehold Regional High School District. As a member of this district, Manalapan is able to send its high performing students to magnet programs that suit their interests. Manalapan High School is home to the Science/Engineering Specialized Learning Center, which admits a small number of students with a high aptitude for engineering, science, and math.