At 7pm on a weeknight, the museum was closed but I still had the opportunity to enjoy the outside…read moreand appreciate it for what was written on the historical marker posted in front. "Dutch Colonial farmhouse built in the early 1700's. Both carved date of 1747 found on an old barn beam and the rubble stone construction of the house place it in this early period. Minutes of the East New Jersey Board of Proprietors and existing public records lead to the belief [that the] house was built by a Westervelt, early owners of the land (a part of the much disputed Ramapough tract). According to recently discovered records, the house served as a tavern during the 18th century. Thus came the persistent legend that Aaron Burr stopped here for liquid refreshment en route to the Hermirage. This house is on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places." I'd love to stop by when it's open. [Review 11521 overall, 1301 of 2019.]

A bit of a local treasure, this 1700's farm house was saved from demolition in the 1950's and…read moreturned into a local museum full of antiques. The main floor is furnished with period furniture, the upstairs houses a children's museum full of toys (temporarily closed) as well as a library. They stage events like cider making and St. Nick's Day in December, it's worth stopping by one of the open houses.

Mahwah, NJ - this is a sweet little local history museum that's home to the Donald Cooper Model…read moreRailroad as well as the Les Paul in Mahwah exhibit which includes a display of his guitars. You can also visit the Old Train Station and Erie Caboose, all part of the permanent exhibits. Guitar lovers and Les Paul fans can even book a session to play on one of the guitars owned and played by the legendary Les himself! We came especially to see the model railroad with our kiddo which is only open on Saturdays from 1-4pm, but checked out the other galleries too. The museum holds some changing exhibits as well as talks and events from time to time. Admission is a modest $5 and free for children under 18 and students under 20. Worth a visit if you're a local or just passing through.

Visited the Mahwah Museum today for the Les Paul presentation by Professor Sean McClowry who gave…read morea very informative session on the technical achievements of Les Paul - inventor of many innovations in the field of recorded music. From multi track recording, use of echo, solid body guitar development. On and on. Looking forward to the next presentation on Saturday, May 21st, where Sean will explain and show the process of cutting a disc using some of Les Paul's original equipment. Also, exhibits on Palisades Amusement Park, Mahwah History and downstairs. A huge train exhibit. Well work visiting this gem. All the volunteers were warm and friendly.

Interesting history lesson in the shadows of the Manhattan skyscrapers…read more Excellent presentation by the docent. Both park employees were quite knowledgeable about various topics. The tour covered many different topics of that era. You could see yourself imagining what life was like at that time. Don't miss the portrait painting on the 2nd floor.

Soooo if you happen to live in Northern NJ and happen to have family visiting, and that family…read morehappens to be huuuuge history buffs -- then y'all should probably visit the Dey Mansion, aka George Washington's Headquarters way back in the late 1700's. Full disclosure: it was my mother who looked up the Dey Mansion and requested to go there on a recent-ish visit. It wouldn't have been my first choice of things to do on a sunny Saturday but she's the guest and a total history nerd and it was something to check out. I can't say I didn't enjoy it at least a little bit... while my mom is a history nerd, I'm a design nerd and the house itself, built by the Dey Family, is beauuuuuufitul. The brick, the wide plank wood floors inside, the gorgeous [paint] colors used throughout were just striking on every level. Then the layout and design and function of the house back in the 1700's is so different then how we live in our homes now -- so interesting. The gardens surrounding the property are also so lovely. Here's my one issue with the historical site and tour -- when we inquired we were told it was 'less than an hour for sure' depending on how many people/questions. While the tour guide was nice enough, he was verrrrrrry long winded. There were 6 of us.. and that tour was most definitely longer than an hour. Not sure if that's the case every time but just something to be prepared for should you decide to visit. Cost for the tours was supposed to be $5 but during out visit they had just begun some restorations and certain spaces were closed off... so they didn't insist on guest paying. They still accepted donations though. Parking is also free, fyi. And the mansion is easy to get to from routes 23, 46 and 80.

4/10/26 (Update) After many years, I was so excited to see…read morethe reopening of the refurbished Lambert Castle. You can purchase your tickets online or at the new visitors center. The admission tickets are $10. Zak was a wonderful tour guide. He gave us the history of the castle owners. In 1892, the castle was built by Catholina Lambert (the owner of the Paterson Silk Mills for his wife). Please see my original review for the history. We were informed "Not to photograph any of the interior in order to preserve the interior for future visitors". Upon entering the castle, you will be required to put booties on over your shoes. This is in order to preserve the floors. The castle does have 3 levels along with an elevator. In the foyer overhead, you'll see a magnificent colorful rectangle shaped Tiffany light fixture. It extends approximately 2' Wide and 6' in length. The furnishings were very elegant, yet very homey. All the rooms are filled with stunning sculptures and artwork. Some of items were on loan from different places. For example: The beautiful Grandfather clocks really caught my eye. They were on loan from the Ringwood Manor. (The Ringwood Manor is presently being refurbished and will be reopening soon). Hope everyone gets a chance to see this beautifully refurbished castle. Lambert Castle has two levels of parking.

I usually do not update my reviews but after hearing about the reopening of Lambert Castle in…read moreJanuary 2026 after a 5 year renovation project, I decided to visit and do an update review. Lambert Castle was built by Catholina Lambert in 1892 by an English immigrant who made his fortune in the silk industry in Paterson, New Jersey. The castle reflects the trappings of the Gilded Victorian Era. Lambert accrued a prominent American and European painting and sculpture collection which he showcased in a 100' x 35' art gallery. This luxurious residence was visited by notable rich and famous people of the day which included President William McKinley. Lambert Castle is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historical Places in 1976. Admission is $10.

Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum was established in 1957 by the Blauvelt-DeMarest Foundation. Hiram…read moreBlauvelt was a philanthropist, conservationist and collector. His art museum is focused on wildlife art. The museum is a renovated old carriage house which is about 100 feet from the Blauvelt Estate which is now in disrepair. While you are not allowed entrance to the estate it is nice to wander about and take photographs. The museum has multiple rooms on the first floor with paintings, photographs and sculptures of wildlife. I really enjoyed the sculpture of the wolf as you first enter through the older section of the carriage house. Upstairs has an amazing collection of taxidermy which I was not invited to see. There are permanent exhibits, as well as, rotating exhibits from national artist groups. The art museum also has an artist-in-residence, The museum is open Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., and Sunday. They keep the front door locked but there is a sign that says "ring the door bell". There is no admission fee for this museum and photos are not allowed inside. I did receive a book of wildlife photographs. Some of the photos are displayed below.

the person working there needs a lesson in how treat people visiting the museum. it was the most…read morestressful 20 minutes I have ever had in visiting a museum. if you have children or grandchildren, this is not the place to go. I have been here before with my children and thought it would be great to bring my grandchildren. The person who works there acted as if we were going to misbehave and more less let us know it. NEVER AGAIN!!

Great Restoration Hard Working Volunteers Keep Improving The Grounds County Got This One Right…read more Built in the early seventeen hundreds this piece of history had gone uncared for many years until the Garretson Forge & Farm Restoration folks tirelessly restored the property. They hold events throughout the year that range from recreating a Dutch farm garden to Dutch Christmas complete with a visit from Sinterklaas. Fish weirs, mostly built by Native Americans of the Lenape Nation can still be seen in the Passaic River near the farm. They provided the early settlers with a reliable and valuable source of protein consisting of shad, alewives, striped bass and eels. A weir can be clearly seen approximately 200 feet North of the Fair Lawn Avenue Bridge, the only reason they still exists is due to the fact that this part of the river was not navigable for commercial purposes and restoration efforts. Allen Lutins & Anthony P. DeCondo reaserched and wrote a great article for the Archaeological Society of New Jersey you can read it here http://www.lutins.org/weir/ HISTORY "One of the oldest sites in Bergen County, this pre-revolutionary sandstone house is officially listed on the New Jersey State and the United States National Register of Historic Places. This living Dutch farm museum, located at 4-02 River Road, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, sponsors activities involving restoration, preservation, historic digs, compilation of local history and folklore, educational programming, colonial agriculture, horticulture and crafts. Garretson Farm is owned by Bergen County and is administered by volunteers of the Garretson Forge and Farm Restoration, Inc. The history of the Garretson family in America began with the emigration of Gerrit Gerritse, his wife Annetje Hermansse and their son Gerrit from Wageningen, Gelderland, in 1660. The junior Gerrit, purchased the Slooterdam Patent from David Daniellse in 1719. This tract of land extended from the Passaic to the Saddle Rivers. The house was built shortly afterwards by Gerrit's son, Peter. Six generations of the Garretson family resided on the farm. The Garretson homestead is on what was once an extensive farm, but through the years the land was sold off. The present site consists of 1.84 acres along River Road. Archeologists believe that the property was once the site of an Indian encampment due to the numerous artifacts found along the Passaic River. The kitchen wing, the older section of the house, is built of rubble and undressed stone. On a late 19th century photograph of the house, remnants of a brick beehive oven can be seen on the outer wall and thus has been restored. The main section of the house, added in 1760, was built using dressed stone. The sandstone blocks are held together with a mortar made of river mud, mixed with straw and hog's hair. It was under this section that the fragments of clay pipes (c. 1720) and other artifacts were uncovered. Extensive changes were made in the house in 1902. The present gambrel roof replaced a steep gable roof; a second front door was replaced with a window. An inner stairway to the basement replaced cellar hatches and a stairway to the second floor was built. The large pillared porch was also added. A mid-nineteenth century carriage house still stands on the property along with several other out - buildings." Preserve History!

Really enjoyed visiting the Garretson Forge and Farm for their butterfly festival. Volunteers do a…read morevery nice job with the garden and the event was a lot of fun for kids. Interesting place to visit.

Like so much of what is out there, you will get out of this site what you put into it. The Center…read moreoffers teachers training as well as printed and digital resources a plenty! It is up to the teacher to properly prepare the class for their mission. The staff is knowledgeable, informative and accommodating. When asked to reflect on their experience, our 8th grade Gifted &Talented students report that this experience was very hands on and realistic and provided a solid introduction to the perils of space travel and the responsibility crew members have to work collaboratively to make each mission a success!

Our group of 5th graders seemed to have a great time. They were taught by trained teacher. Each…read moreperson in the group is assigned a job from take off to landing as they explore the moon. Extremely educational. Small place, but well worth your time.