Nice little museum in Morristown, very much worth checking out on a Sunday afternoon. We got there…read morea little before opening time and we were invited in even though they hadn't quite opened. We're interested in the local history but are far from really being knowledgeable in the topic, but the tour hosts made the stories descriptive and accessible nonetheless. They sat us down in the first room and told us about the history of the house and we felt a connection even if we weren't experts. The rest of the house has artifacts of the era even if they might not be directly from the original house, also super interesting to see. They also tied the house in with the nearby Washington's Headquarters (which is also highly recommended to visit).

My friend and I visited the Schuyler-Hamilton House today shortly before closing. Despite the late…read morehour, Pat was nice enough to not only show us the house, but tell us about its owners, Dr. Jabez Campfield and Dr. John Cocrane, as well as its place in the history of Revolutionary America. She discussed Washington's battles and strategy, explaining how Morristown played a strategic role both in its location and natural resources. In addition to the wealth of information she offered, Pat was also funny and enlivened her discussion through her humor. My friend and I stopped by because we saw this listed on a map at the Morristown National Historical Park, and it made for a fun detour. A great place to visit on an afternoon!

It has been over a year since I last visited Acorn Hall. I was given an inside tour after helping…read morewith a redesign of the gardens. It was pre-Covid-19 and the members of Rutger's agricultural extension office were invited to participate in restoring the grounds. The exterior had already been worked on. What the status of Acorn Hall is today, I could not say. This is a review of Acorn Hall in September of 2019. Acorn Hall began with the construction of a modest home in 1853. With the renovation and enlargement of the home by the Crane family in 1860, Acorn Hall became one of the prominent homes in the area. Named after the two large oak trees which once presided over the front lawn, this Victorian-Italianate mansion gives visitors a glimpse of mid-Victorian life. There are two floors open for viewing. Some pieces are original to the Crane family while other furnishings, fabrics and art work have been donated from other collections and Victorian homes in the Morris County area. In addition to the permanent collections , Acorn Hall is now displaying the Florsheimer custom wedding gowns from the 1980's created by the renowned designer Paula Varsalona. Also on temporary display, beach fashion of the early 1900's along with photographs .I found this display joyfully amusing. Acorn Hall was open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am-4 pm with the last tour at 3{15 pm. Sunday tours are from 1 pm-4 pm, also with the last tour at 3}15 pm. Admission is Adults $6, Seniors $5, Students $3 and children under 12 are free. The gardens are open from dawn till dusk. Access to the Patriot's hiking path starts east at the Carriage House which is behind Acorn Hall. Check with Acorn Hall to determine their visiting hours at the present time.

The old oaks are no longer standing out front but their leaves and acorns live on inside on the…read morewallpaper and furniture. Built 1853, significantly enlarged 1860, electrified in the early 1900s, yet somehow all those families never had the energy to replace the original wallpaper nor change the carpets! Acorn Hall today is stuffed with period decorations and furniture, preserved over the decades by family members then donated intact to the Morris County historical society in 1971. The hall is mostly the history of the Schermerhorn, Crane and Hone families, plus one upstairs room dedicated to Greystone psychiatric hospital, plus one more room showing the history of Arnold's tavern. The $6 admission includes a half-hour tour by the docents, going through on your own would be a mistake because the portraits are not labeled and the docents give a nice sense of what's there. Don't bring young children here LOL, just far too boring, what kids enjoy gazing at 12 foot tall mirrors and other gorgeous wood furniture? Getting a big paint job in spring 2018, the old mustard yellow and dark red color scheme will be replaced with gray.

Cute little historical museum in the heart of Morristown. Plenty of street parking in this…read moreresidential neighborhood. It's $10 admission, and you learn about the Maccullochs but most of the content is on Thomas Nast, the famous 19th century political cartoonists. There is a good collection of his drawings but even more impressive were a few of his giant political paintings. Only a few of his paintings survived the play they were made for - 2 are here, one is at the library, and 5 are in DC not currently on display. So it's definitely a unique find. The founder of the museum mixed in a lot of his collection that doesn't relate to Nast of the Maccullochs, but there are beautiful sculptures, paintings, and furniture on display from the 17th to 19th century. It's self-guided, but there was a guide around who gave us more information and answered questions we had. It was a great albeit small art collection. There is a big garden outside that is free to stroll around in. It's a nice place to visit to spend the afternoon.

The experience was too teir! Staff was amazing and so so nice! The exhibits are very informative…read moreand explore many different time periods ranging from the 1700s-1800s!

A Small & Free Community Museum Hidden in a Community Park…read more Morris Plains Museum is designed to teach how Morris Plains became the "Community of Caring" emblazoned on wall murals and local signage. They are only open on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturdays of the month from 10AM-2PM so you only have a few hours a week to discover more about the history Morris Plains. This is currently a free museum. So there are no worries if you want to stop in for a quick visit of this location and learn a little bit about Morris Plains. There is a donation bowl discretely set up on the entrance display if you would like to support the Morris Plains Museum financially. To find this little Easter Egg of a museum you can follow the signage on the front of the Morris Plains Community Center and in the middle of the parking lot next to Brown Field. Just head down to the lower lot and you will be right where you want to be. This place is surprisingly kid friendly. It has an Interactive Play Area for Children full of toys and games from when Morris Plains was originally being founded. We found it to be great fun for kids and kids at heart. It seems everything of value is safely behind a protective case so you do not have to hover over your little one(s) like a hawk while checking the museum. There is also a private restroom large enough to bring in a stroller and take care of your little one(s) needs. Learn about notable Morris Plains natives and establishments like Homer Davenport, Jonathan Roberts, Julia Beers, Monahan's Band, Morris Plains Fire Department, Greystone Park, and Local Churches. I particularly liked the exhibits on Davenport, the Morris Plains Fire Department, and St. Paul's Episcopal Church. We were fortunate enough to run into Larry who was once the Fire Chief of the Morris Plains Fire Department who was happy to tell us about the exhibits and share all of his insider knowledge about the Morris Plains Fire Department display. We happened to arrive on a day when the volunteers of the museum were meeting. They were more than happy to take time out of their meeting to ensure we felt welcome and tell us all about the pieces that they had on display at the museum. If you have a chance I highly recommend that you try to check out this museum during a volunteer meeting so that you can also experience all the wonderful things that the volunteers of the museum have to offer. Once you are done checking out the museum you can enjoy some time outside at the Community Park where there are baseball fields, tennis & basketball courts, a playground, a pond, and a community pool. It is these extra amenities that make this place a great place to check out on a Saturday afternoon.

Did you know that George Washington spent more time in New Jersey during the American Revolutionary…read moreWar than anywhere else? Morris County is often called the Crossroads of the Revolution, with more Revolutionary War battles and encampments. Morristown was the market center at the time for area farmers and iron miners. It was surrounded by dense forests that supported one of the era's key resources--lumber. Washington's Headquarters Museum, located in Morristown National Historical Park, is an excellent museum for those interested in American history, where my partner, his family, and I came for a visit today to end this historic weekend celebrating 250 years of America. This multi-floored museum is free to enter, self-guided, and has detailed exhibits on Washington and his troops' experiences while staying in the area. General Washington and his wife, Martha, set up headquarters at the nearby three-story Ford Mansion, a Georgian-style mansion built in 1774 in Morristown. It was owned by Col. Jacob Ford, Jr., and his wife, Theodosia, where free tickets were distributed for the tour at the museum. Our guide Jason was wonderful, knowledgeable, and welcoming to questions. We are officially in the thick of the nation's 250th birthday (the Semiquincentennial) and a great place to visit.

4/3/26: The Ford Mansion tour begins at Washington's Headquarters Museum…read more My recommendation is to view the museum first, before going on the tour of the mansion. The museum has an excellent video of Washington's stay during the winter of 1779 to 1780 with 96 inches of snow. In addition, you'll see soldier's uniforms, muskets, other weapons, furniture and a lot of very interesting facts of that time. Interesting fact: During the first encampment in 1777, Washington knew he couldn't beat the British without conquering smallpox first. He ordered his soldiers be inoculated against smallpox. This actually saved thousands of lives. The museum does have interesting interactive displays of how one would solve dilemmas during war time. So much to see at Washington's Headquarters Museum. Restrooms are located on the lower level. The museum does have an elevator. A wonderful gift shop is located on the first level of the museum.

Remember The Freemasons from The Da Vinci Code?…read more This Masonic Center is one of 6 that make up the 11th District of the most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey.During the winters of 1779-80 and 1780-81, George Washington was in Morristown with the encampment of the Continental Army. Among the soldiers from the Connecticut Line and a few from the Pennsylvania Brigade were men who belonged to the Society of Cincinnati. These men were members of a Military Lodge named American Union Lodge. Nowadays, this place hosts small group activity such as kids dancing class and family events. there are lost the exhibition in the hallways that worth visit.