New Jersey has a rich UFO history – maybe the richest in the country besides New Mexico, as it was home to the greatest UFO panic in American history as a dramatic reading of War of the Worlds by Orson Welles led many people to believe the country was actually being invaded! But that 1938 event didn’t make us skeptics – there have been several fascinating spottings of unidentified flying objects in the Garden State over the years, and maybe the best-documented UFO sighting in New Jersey happened in the quiet town of Wanaque in 1966. This wasn’t just one isolated incident spotted by a few people – it was days of mystery and panic, corroborated by some of the town’s most prominent citizens. What was in the skies over the Wanaque Reservoir? People are still debating over fifty years later.

Please note that there are no known photographs of the UFOs discussed in this story. The pictures used are for representative purposes and are either other reported UFOs or artist representations.

UFOs have fascinated Americans for decades, and few places are more captivated by them than New Jersey.
Donald Keyhoe/Wikipedia
That became very clear when Orson Welles' retelling of HG Wells' story of murderous martian invaders sent the region into a panic! It also left many people looking to the skies.
Henrique Alvim Corrêa/Wikipedia
That meant the residents of Wanaque were watching carefully on January 11th, 1966 when a policeman got a call of a strange, glowing light in the sky.
Mr. Matte/Wikipedia

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Soon, many of the town's top residents - including Mayor Harry T. Woife - would soon see a strange, bobbing object in the sky over the Wanaque Reservoir. But this would just be the start of a few very strange days.
Famartin/Wikipedia
In the shadows of the Ramapo Mountains, the object would appear repeatedly over the next day, and make a return appearance in October. Hundreds of people saw the strange flying object - and then it disappeared without a trace once more.
Mwanner/Wikipedia
The government has never confirmed if or what the strange flying object over Wanaque was, but it remains the New Jersey UFO sighting with the most witnesses - and the fewest explanations.
Thumperward/Wikipedia

Did you know about this fascinating UFO sighting in New Jersey? What are your favorite weird New Jersey stories? Tell us in the comments section! If you’re interested in digging more into the Garden State’s alien history, why not pay a visit to the state’s only War of the Worlds-themed coffee shop? If you’re looking for a place to sleep after a day of UFO-tracking, check into the Holiday Inn Express Haskell-Wayne Area.

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