Visit: Tours

Tours at Liberty Hall

Tours are one hour long and are available Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

All tickets must be pre-purchased online at least 1 hour before the scheduled tour. Tickets are timed to help us manage our tours. Please arrive as close to your reservation time as possible. If you are late for your reservation, entry will be permitted at the discretion of the museum staff. Please check in at the Visitor’s Center, the Blue House.

Group tours are available (min. 10 patrons) and can be customized, upon request, to include any of the special tours or educational programming we currently offer. Group tours must be reserved at least two weeks in advance to ensure staffing. Please call the museum for more information or to book your tour.

Tour Offerings

The Museum at Liberty Hall

Step back in time and learn about the history of Liberty Hall and the people who lived and labored here. Please note the walkways on the Liberty Hall property are gravel and the mansion is not ADA-compliant. Thanks to a grant from the NJ Historic Trust we are currently working towards making the mansion ADA-compliant.

Love Unveiled: 250 Years of Saying "I Do"

Did you know that white wedding dresses emerged after Queen Victoria married Prince Philip in 1840? This year marks the 250th anniversary of Liberty Hall hosting its first family wedding of Sarah Livingston to John Jay, and we've hosted more since then. Love Unveiled will showcase and highlight the numerous family weddings and traditions we hold dear but may not know where they started and why we continue to do them. Exhibit opens Wednesday, May 1, 2024!

Children's Tour at Liberty Hall

Give your child a hands-on experience with history at Liberty Hall! Join us on the 1st Sunday of the month for Children's Tour Day! Our special children's tour offers your little ones an engaging and personal experience of life from the 1700s all the way to the 1990s. This fun hands-on tour also includes a history scavenger hunt! Recommended for children 1st to 5th grade. *Offered the 1st Sunday of the month at 1 p.m.

Architecture Tour of Liberty Hall

Liberty Hall has been witness to over 250 years of American and New Jersey history. In that time, the main house has undergone many changes from its original 14-room building to the now 50-room structure. Join us on the second Sunday of the month for a special architecture tour in which we discuss the many changes to the main house along with the architectural styles of the time. *Offered the 2nd Sunday of the month at 1 p.m.

Uncovering the Enslaved of Liberty Hall

Take a special tour of Liberty Hall and learn the stories of the enslaved individuals who lived and labored at the historic home and on its grounds. Using letters, census records, manumission contracts, and even grave sites in Elizabeth uncover the stories of Abbe, Belle, Lambert, Henry, Sarah, Peter, and others. Learn about the ongoing research of Liberty Hall and Kean University as we give voice and narrative to the individuals once enslaved at this historic home. *Offered the 3rd Sunday of the month at 1 p.m.

Ladies of Liberty Hall Tour of Liberty Hall

From Susan Livingston, daughter of Governor Livingston, whose daring exploits saved Liberty Hall from the British during the Revolutionary War, to Mary Alice Barney Kean who worked tirelessly for the preservation of our historic structures, to Abbe, an enslaved woman who attempted to self-emancipate while in Paris, the ladies of Liberty Hall have played an important role in the history of our community and our nation. This is a special tour of Liberty Hall that highlights the incredible women who lived and labored at this historic home. *Offered the 4th Sunday of the month at 1 p.m.

Firehouse Museum Tours

Home to a unique collection of New Jersey firefighting memorabilia, including three historic fire engines, the Firehouse Museum at Liberty Hall reveals how brave firefighters have been extinguishing blazes for more than 200 years.

Arboretum Tours

Liberty Hall is home to some of New Jersey’s oldest and most historic trees. Take a self-guided tour of the the 12-acre arboretum and learn more about our formal gardens, apple orchard, herb garden and more!

Garden Tours

A piece of heaven, right in Union! Take a guided tour or stroll the beautifully manicured gardens on your own. Perhaps pack a lunch, eat at our picnic tables, and continue to enjoy the property.