This was a neat little house/museum that I hadn't heard of but was just randomly looking up things to do in the area and found it. It's right next to Princeton's campus and the Battle of Trenton Memorial. My husband is a big fan of all the Signers of the Declaration, and unlike a more restored house about the people who owned the house, it focuses on the Stockton family who lived here and the American Revolution and a special exhibit. We were actually here for a few hours since there's a lot of signs to read and a lot of Richard Stocktons who lived in the house, followed by some governors. When I went, there was also a really interesting exhibit on Ma Bell and the history of telecommunications upstairs. This was a great historical site, a cheap price, and a nice space. Would love to come back when the garden is in bloom, and I will look out for future exhibitions as they rotate in. read more

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I was fortunate to be able to go when they were offering a cream tea which I can highly recommend. It was quite wonderful. The tour was interesting and ok but with limited things to see. There was information about some Stockton family members who lived there but would have liked to have more broad information. The house is quite beautiful and the garden is very nice. I did enjoy the visit but the cream tea was really the best. read more

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The Princeton University Mathematics Department has their Annual Reception here each year and this was the first time in my undergraduate studies that I bothered to show up and boy, was it great! The museum and the garden are incredibly beautiful and a 10/10 venue for any sort of event. Don't know if the catering service that was present was part of the Morven offerings but wow, was the food that they had also amazing. Highly recommend a stop to this venue if you are ever in the area! read more

Staff very nice and informative. We went to see Ma Bell exhibit which is there till March 2023. An amazing beautiful house inside and out. read more

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By NYC or Philly standards the Morven Museum is quaint in the extreme but it is not without its pleasures. The first floor will take you through Morven's colonial, revolutionary war origins, subsequent sale to Robert Wood Johnson and more recent use as the New Jersey governors mansion up until the early 1980s. The portrait of former governor Brendan Byrne gloating in front of the eponymous Meadowlands sports arena he named after himself while in office and necessitated the introduction of the state income tax to pay for, is particularly galling. But I digress... The third floor is usually reserved for rotating exhibits, currently the history of NJ baseball, which I found to be extremely interesting and well done. Outside are the gardens which I would characterize as small but mighty but all are wonderfully maintained and occasionally feature agricultural exhibits, some more interesting than others. The Morven is a hidden gem well worth your time - and if paired with a visit to the excellent (and free) Princeton University Art Museum makes for a very nice afternoon. read more

My review is based on my visit to their Festival of Trees. Local businesses and organizations decorate Christmas trees and make the museum look super festive during the holidays. I took my mentee here on 12/17 and we really enjoyed our visit. The Morven Museum was built in the 1750's by Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It has been preserved and restored throughout the years, but it still maintains that colonial charm. Getting to the museum was a pleasant drive through Route 27. You can purchase tickets to the from the cute little gift shop. We paid $10 / $9 for an adult/student. We were greeted by a docent who welcomed us to the museum. The trees really add a nice holiday decorative touch to the "regular exhibits". We enjoyed walking throughout the museum and admiring at all of the hard work that went in to decorating these trees. We even went upstairs to learn more about Charles Lindbergh as they had an exhibit. Photos were allowed of the trees. Yay! This is a nice place to learn about New Jersey history and great to visit during the holidays and early winter season. After your visit, head to downtown Princeton for a pleasant stroll. They have various events throughout the year, from yoga to afternoon tea. Check out their website for more information! read more

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Not worth the $10 admission. It amounts to one room with portraits of the family members. The gardens are beautiful but do not require a ticket. Get some food nearby and enjoy the scenery but no need to enter. read more

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OK but not great. Went for the festival of Christmas trees Dash they had about 10 or 11 trees. I expected more. The display concerning the telephone company was great - if you're into the telephone company. I would've rather seen a bunch of old pottery and cutlery. read more

Went to the tree display and visit from Santa with children. Staff and volunteers were excellent. Especially the woman leading the song circle on the 2nd floor. Craft on the first floor gave kids something different to do. Very unique holiday experience. Wish it was bigger. Maybe expand or add more trees? read more

This museum is conveniently located just outside the Princeton University campus. Easy to find, it boasts an impressive entry to the main parking lot, bringing the driver (or pedestrian) down a sweeping dirt driveway across the front lawns and facade of the main building. Private parking is located next to the visitor center and gift shop. There are two separate gardens to wander, demonstrating the differences in the two main female influences on the property. These are separated by a brick wall with a garden door so the patron can fully appreciate the delineation between the two. There is a mansion, a pool house, and education center/convention area, an orchard, a splash pad, a maintenance barn, a gift shop, and a cute breezeway complete with tables and chairs to relax and enjoy the ambiance. The gift shop is where the patron starts- this is where tickets are purchased. Tickets are reasonably priced (it was $64 for four adults and three kids), as are all of the items for sale there. Items range from kitschy to classic, and most are relevant either to the house itself, or the state in general. Staff at the gift shop are very knowledgeable about NJ, and we're happy to tell us about the state bird, the state insect, and the history of the gardens. From the gift shop, we wandered the gardens and eventually made our way into the mansion. The gentleman at the front desk, Chris, checked us in and went over the rules for the museum. He was very friendly and professional. The museum is fully accessible and laid out on multiple levels. Elevators are available. Each room focused on different NJ specific topics ranging from the history of the property to Ma Bell and technological developments like satellites and video phones. There are several interactive exhibits, as well. My son played at being a rural telephone operator on a switchboard simulator! He had a blast. After spending about an hour and a half on the grounds, my son had amassed several questions. We went back to Chris at the front desk. Chris had the answers to every query. He's very helpful and informative. He was also very patient with my nine year old who has a way of taking ten minutes to ask a ten second question! Hahaha. Upon leaving, we made some purchases in the shop and asked the attendants about local landmarks. They were very helpful in providing directions to multiple areas of interest and had tons of advice on navigating the town. We had a lovely time at the museum. We highly recommend this experience! read more

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This review is strictly for the free summer yoga classes. Gratitude Yoga is a donation-based yoga studio located in the heart of Princeton. Gemma, the owner of the studio, moves the practice once a month (May - August) outdoors to the Morven Garden. Practicing outside in the middle of a garden under the sunlight is just so serene. There are sometimes bugs but don't let them ruin your zen! Because of my busy summer schedule I was only able to make the May and August practice. Gemma is a great instructor and guides her yogis through a flow filled with sun salutations and even some pilates-type core strengthening. The practice is great for beginners and seasoned yogis alike. She is always giving modifications for beginners and regulars. She does not demonstrate the postures but walks around the garden with a microphone and gives the dialogue. Don't worry if you miss a step of two, just look around at the people next to you and you'll figure it out. Since the garden is obviously outdoors, you must take this into consideration when preparing for class. You will need a yoga mat, small towel, water, sunscreen and possibly sunglasses. There is a big tree in the center of the garden that provides a huge area with shade but if you want to work on your tan and practice there are sunny spots available, too. When I attended the May class there was an overcast with possible showers forecasted and the facility provided a big tent for people to practice under. Bummed you missed out on this opportunity? Gemma announced that they may do a September class so stay tuned and keep your eye on both the Morven and Gratitude Yoga website. With the great turnout all summer long, I am hoping that this is something that will continue every summer. read more

Sorry, but not worth $10. Not that much to see. Interesting history but meh. Walk a few minutes and go to the free Princeton University Art Museum instead :\ read more

Went recently to see both the Springsteen exhibit and the permanent exhibit. Our tour guide, Kim, was excellent and went into great detail on the local history as related to the house and happily answered questions from the group members. read more

I took my parents here last spring while they were visiting. I figured that since my dad likes gardening and history, this would be a great spot. Unfortunately, the tour was pretty lackluster- as were the gardens. It's a cheap enough entrance ticket if you're looking for something to do, and I find the history of this whole area interesting, but I was left wanting more. read more

Interesting place! There is some serious history here. I am not a history buff, and honestly get pretty bored by museums, so I was only mildly amused. If you like colonial America though, this is the place to go! We did have a very knowledgeable tour guide. read more

A great place to visit! So much history in the great town of Princeton! Absolutely loved the tour, the house, and the most friendliest people in the world that you can ever meet ! Tracy and Lindsay were definitely a breath of fresh air.. They made you feel welcome. They represented the museum in the best light and with class! I would recommend this tour to everyone young or old not just for the history lesson and the museum itself but for the staff that really is happy that you came to visit! read more

We went yesterday and found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable trip. The museum has an incredible history. Richard Stockton (1730-1781) built Morven in the 1750s on land granted to his grandfather by William Penn in 1701. After a fire in 1758, the home was rebuilt and christened Morven, ("big mountain" in Gaelic) by Richard's wife Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736-1801). Richard was a graduate of the first class of The College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and became a prominent lawyer. He was one of five New Jersey delegates appointed to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence. The British ransacked Morven later that year, capturing and imprisoning Stockton. He was released in January 1777. Ann is one of America's earliest published female poets, immortalizing heroes of the Revolution such as George Washington, who called her "the elegant Muse of Morven." Four more generations of Stocktons resided at Morven through the early 20th century before the property was leased to General Robert Wood Johnson, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson and the first non-family member to live there (1928-1944). He was followed by five New Jersey governors when Morven served as the state's first Governor's Mansion (1945-1981). The place is hard to find, at first. It's located right across the road from the Presbyterian seminary began by the elder Stockton, and you drive up a driveway to the back, where there is free parking. You purchase your tickets in a charming gift shop, which has lovely porcelains and other items for sale. The ground floor is best seen by tour; the docent, Sandy, was very knowledgeable, answered all our questions, and made the visit worthwhile. The Federal-style dining room was my favorite, along with the porcelain, and the Duke's sword. Currently, they have an exhibit on Charles Lindbergh and the kidnapping of his son on the second floor. There is no connection between Lindbergh and the actual history of the museum itself, but it was an interactive exhibit, well curated, and I found it to be very interesting. You can actually spend all day perusing the Lindbergh exhibit. A highly fascinating place to better explore American History in our midst. read more

The tour was great, as were the exhibits. Be sure to take a walk through the gardens!