Princeton NJ Historical Sites Announcements

Princeton 250th Celebration Events

July 13, 2025

Nestled in the heart of American history and innovation, Princeton is proudly celebrating its 250th anniversary—a remarkable milestone for a town that has long stood at the crossroads of tradition, intellect, and community spirit. This year’s celebration is a vibrant tribute to Princeton’s rich past and dynamic present, featuring a series of exciting events that bring together residents, visitors, and alumni alike. From historical reenactments and art exhibitions to lively parades and community festivals, Princeton 250 is more than a commemoration—it’s a joyful reflection of the town’s enduring legacy and its bright future ahead. 

We will be updating this list all year long so please check back. Also, all events can be found on our Events Calendar 

 

June 21, 2025

Musket Firing Demonstration @Washington Crossing State Park, Visitor Center Museum  - 2 PM. Demonstration includes a history of Washington's Crossing, explanation of battle tactics, overview of how the musket functions and finishes with the firing of the musket. Age: all ages. $1 per person Call (609) 737-0623 or email clay.craighead@dep.nj.gov for more information. Weather dependent. 

 

June 22, 2025

Princeton History Walking Tour - https://princetonhistory.org/events/princeton-history-walking-tour-212/

Additional Dates - June 29, July 6, July 20,

 

Battle of Monmouth Monument Driving Tour - Monmouth Battlefield State Park Visitor Center 22-Jun 1:30 PM Description: Venture out on a driving tour to the Battle of Monmouth Monument in downtown Freehold, NJ. Age: all ages. Call (732) 462-9616 or email michal.timpanaro@dep.nj.gov for more information. Meet in front of the visitor center.

 

June 24, 2025

George Washington Takes Command: The Journey Through Jersey, 1775 Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site, Henry Guest House, 58 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 24-Jun 5:30 PM / 7 PM Description: Follow George Washington’s first “Journey Through Jersey” as Commander in Chief through Trenton, New Brunswick and Newark and across the Hudson River from Hoboken to take command of the Continental Army 250 years ago in 1775. Age: all ages Please call (908) 725-1015 or email wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov

Additional date: June 25 @7pm

 

June 28, 2025 

History of the Pine Barrens - Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Park office 28-Jun 9 AM Description: From millions of years ago, to the American Revolution and the Civilian Conservation Corps, learn everything there is to know about the history of the Pinelands on this 3-mile hike down our Cranberry Dot Trail. Age: ages 10 and up Call (609) 726-1191 or email finn.westphal@dep.nj.gov for more information. Weather dependent.

Musket Firing Demonstration @Washington Crossing State Park, Visitor Center Museum  - 2 PM. Demonstration includes a history of Washington's Crossing, explanation of battle tactics, overview of how the musket functions and finishes with the firing of the musket. Age: all ages. $1 per person Call (609) 737-0623 or email clay.craighead@dep.nj.gov for more information. Weather dependent.

Additional Date: July 12, 19, 2025

 

June 29, 2025

Battle of Monmouth Annual Reenactment - Monmouth Battlefield State Park.  29-Jun 10 AM. Reenactment marking the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth, the largest annual living history event in the state! Two days of history come alive! Revolutionary War campsites, sutlers, food vendors, historical programs for all ages, and of course, reenactments of the battle. Age: all ages. $12 suggested donation per vehicle. Call (732) 462-9616 or email michal.timpanaro@dep.nj.gov for more information.

 

George Washington: In High Spirits - Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site, Flounder Brewing Co., 2 Clerico Ln, Building 4, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 29-Jun 12 PM. Join George Washington in the historic Dutch barn of Flounder Brewing Co. for a discussion of the spirits of his age. Topics will include Gen. Washington’s foray into the commercial distilling of whiskey and corn liquor and experiments with viniculture and home brewing. Hear about Gen. Washington’s favorite wines, champagnes, and other beverages and enjoy anecdotes about some of his favorite watering holes in New Jersey and Philadelphia, New York, Virginia and other points in between. Age: all ages Please call (908) 725-1015 or email wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov

 

300th Birthday Party for General Rochambeau - The Trent House Association will hold a garden party on Sunday, June 29, 2025, from 4 to 6 pm in honor of the 300th birthday of General Rochambeau who led the French army in aid of the American Revolution. The party will be held rain or shine at the William Trent House Museum, 15 Market Street, Trenton, New Jersey and feature French wine, pastries, and savory hors d'oveours. French songs of Rochambeau's era will be performed by Mostly Motets in the historic house. Registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/Rochambeau300. Free parking is available behind the property off William Trent Place.

 

July 2, 2025

New Jersey’s Declarations of Independence: A Musical Discovery of Early America

Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site, 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 2-Jul 6:30 PM

Description: Historical musician and balladeer Linda Russell shares broadsides, ballads, love songs and humorous ditties as she tells the stories of everyday life in early America at the opening of the Revolutionary War. Included are such songs as "Johnnie's Gone for a Soldier," "Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me" and George Washington's favorite dance tune! Age: all ages Please call (908) 725-1015 or email wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov for more information. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets for this outdoors concert.

 

July 3, 2025

Antique American Flag Display

Allaire State Park, Allaire Village Chapel 3-Jul 11 AM  - Additional Dates: July5, July 6

A display of antique American flags, just in time for Independence Day. Age: all ages. Donations appreciated. Call (732) 938-2371 or email inga.gabliks@dep.nj.gov for more information.

 

July 4, 2025

Fourth of July @Morven & Battlefield State Park, 12-3pm - Join us for our annual Fourth of July Festival! This is a free public event featuring activities at Morven Museum & Garden and the Princeton Battlefield State Park. Stop by Morven any time between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for activities and artmaking with community partners; garden tours; face painting; music from the Vintage Vibe Tribe; food trucks; a chance to sign the Declaration of Independence; and more. The museum will be open with half-price admission. A short distance away, check out the Princeton Battlefield State Park where you can visit the historic Clarke House and hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Will Krakower, Resource Interpretive Specialist with the NJDEP, at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The Clarke House is open free of charge. Click here for more informationReading of the Declaration of Independence followed by a Musket Firing

Washington Crossing State Park, Visitor Center Museum 4-Jul 2 PM. A dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence and a Musket Firing demonstration by a Continental Soldier. Age: all ages. Call (609) 737-0623 or email clay.craighead@dep.nj.gov for more information. Weather dependent.

 

July 4 - 8, 2025

The Kiwanis Club of Trenton is proud to partner with the City of Trenton and the community to present "Heritage Weekend -- History was made here" celebrating Trenton's rich history and diversity, July 4 - 8, 2025. All are welcome to join us for five days full of fascinating programs, inspiring celebrations and, of course, great food! Heritage Weekend culminates with the 249th annual Proclamation of the Declaration of Independence on Tuesday July 8, 2025 at noon on Warren Street. The reenactment is at the same location and time as the first reading of the Declaration in Trenton in 1776. The full Heritage Weekend calendar can be found here - https://princetonol.com/announcement/celebrate-heritage-weekend-july-4-8-in-trenton

 

July 5, 2025

New Jersey's Unknown Intelligence Network, Washington Crossing Park Copy  2:00 PM

Russ Dutcher will speak about New Jersey's Unknown Intelligence Network during and after the Ten Crucial Days campaign (December 25, 1776 – January 3, 1777). The presentation will be held in the Visitor Center Museum’s auditorium at 2:00 PM. The Visitor Center Museum will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. featuring The Swan Historical Foundation’s Collection of 500+ Colonial and Revolutionary War artifacts. For more information call (609) 737-0623.

 

July 6, 2025 - 

Talk and Exhibit Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of Washington's Command of the Continental Army and the History of Black Soldiers During and After the Revolutionary War  -  On Sunday, July 6, 2025 @2pm, the Trent House Association will host a free talk presented by Paul Soltis, "George Washington Takes Command: The Journey Through Jersey, 1775," commemorating the 250th anniversary of Washington's appointment as the Continental Army's Commander in Chief. Accompanying the talk will be display of the traveling exhibit "Oh Freedom! Blacks on the Battlefront and in the Aftermath of the Revolutionary War in New Jersey." The talk and exhibit will be at the William Trent House Museum at 15 Market Street in Trenton, across from the Hughes Justic Complex. Free parking and the museum entrance are at the rear of the property off William Trent Place.

 

July 7, 2025 

Reading: "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" - Virtual - Princeton Public Library, 7:30pm. Community members read an amended version of Frederick Douglass' influential speech, given on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, to the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society. To register, please click on this Google form. This year's opening speaker is President Jonathon L. Walton of Princeton Theological Seminary.

Click here for more information

 

July 8, 2025

Declaration of Independence Reading, Trenton Kiwanis Club - 23 South Warren Street, 609-208-9991

249 years after the first reading, Trentonians gather again to read aloud the Declaration of Independence at the same site as the first reading in 1776. A cross-section of civic leaders and citizens young and old led by Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora will each read a portion of the document as well as the names of the signers from each of the original 13 colonies. 12pm

 

July 10, 2025

Mr. Frelinghuysen Goes to Trenton: New Jersey’s First Provincial Congress, 1775 Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site, Raritan Public Library, 54 E. Somerset Street, Raritan, NJ 08869 10-Jul 6:30 PM

Follow Frederick Frelinghuysen from the Old Dutch Parsonage of Somerville and Gen. Frelinghuysen House of Raritan to the Provincial Congress of New Jersey at Trenton in 1775. Age: ages 8 and up Please call (908) 725-1015 or email wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov  for more information.

 

July 17, 2025

George Washington's Ten Crucial Days - Lawrence Headquarters Branch,  2751 Brunswick Pike Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 609-883-8292. As we celebrate Independence Day in July, take a moment to reflect on a pivotal turning point in the American Revolution—the "Ten Crucial Days" of 1776-77. Drawing from his book, Winning the Ten Crucial Days, historian David Price explores this decisive winter campaign, revealing how leadership, geography, weather, artillery, and contingency converged to secure General George Washington's victory and alter the course of the Revolutionary War. Join us for this illuminating presentation and honor the triumph that helped shape a nation. Registration is requested.

 

July 27, 2025

“Jersey Girls” of the Civil War: Clara Barton, Cornelia Hancock & Somerville’s Arabella Barlow

Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site, United Reformed Church Fellowship Hall, 100 West Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 27-Jul 2 PM 

Join a panel discussion introducing the New Jersey lives of Civil War nurses Clara Barton, Cornelia Hancock and Somerville’s Arabella Barlow and considering opportunities for historic preservation and heritage tourism to share the stories of the “Jersey Girls” of the Civil War. Age: all ages Please call (908) 725-1015 or email wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov for more information. Made possible by the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association with the sponsorship of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

 

August 16, 2025

Outwater’s Militia Encampment (Reenactment), Washington Crossing State Park

Outwater’s Militia (A reenactment group, portraying a Revolutionary War militia unit) will be encamped at Washington Crossing State Park, New Jersey, on Saturday, August 16th. Come and see the men of Outwater’s Militia join together and drill in preparation for action against his majesty’s troops. Stroll through the encampment when the men are not drilling and learn about the life and times of the Revolutionary War. The event will occur between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The Visitor Center Museum will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. featuring The Swan Historical Foundation’s Collection of 500+ Colonial and Revolutionary War artifacts.

 

August 18, 2025

The Conflict Ignites: The Battle of Lexington and Concord, Ewing Library
61 Scotch Road, Ewing, 609-882-3148. www.mcl.org.

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding with a presentation on the dawn of the Revolutionary War. The American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson called it "The Shot heard around the World" when a British raiding party went into the Massachusetts interior to seize stockpiled guns and met resistance before dawn on April 19, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts. The colonial militia responded, and the American Revolution had begun. View slides showing the areas where the battles took place, as well as replica uniforms from both sides. Presented by Michael Jesberger, an independent military historian who specializes in the American Revolution and Civil War time periods. Register.

 

August 23, 2025

Washington's and Rochambeau's Armies in Trenton, 1781

The Trent House Association will hold its fifth annual commemoration of the days in late August/early September 1781 when thousands of soldiers and support personnel camped in and around Trenton. This free program of activities and talks is on Saturday, August 24, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm on the Trent House Museum grounds at 15 Market Street, Trenton, across from the Hughes Justice Complex. Free parking is available at the rear of the Museum property. Imagine the impact of the army's presence on Trenton and how members of the army might have interacted with townspeople. On Saturday, August 23rd, visit the 5th annual re-enactment of the encampment at the Trent House. This family-friendly event includes activities for school-age children including a "scavenger hunt" with prizes, as well as talks by historians.

 

August 23, 2025

Songs and Stories of the American Revolution Performed by Matthew Dodd

Dressed in colonial clothing and performing rousing period songs and stories, Matthew Dodd will take you back in time to the days of the American Revolution. Mr. Dodd sings and plays the guitar, banjo, mandolin and recorder throughout the show. The outdoor performance will take place at 2 PM at Sullivan’s Grove next to the Visitor Center Museum at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, New Jersey. For more information call (609) 737-0623.

 

September 17, 2025

Princeton and the American Revolution - Updike Farmstead, 6:30-7:30pm

In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, join us for a talk covering highlights of the Revolutionary War, from its beginning at Lexington and Concord, up to the “Ten Crucial Days”, culminating in the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. With many illustrative images, this program focuses on Princeton’s early history, as well as the effects of the war on the town and its inhabitants. Hear the soldiers’ own words describing their sacrifice, bravery and perseverance, all which led to the creation of our free nation. The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 John Trumbull, Yale University Art Gallery Please register below, as space is limited.

Click here for more information

 

April 15 - July 12, 2026

“Nursery of Rebellion”: Princeton and the American Revolution - Princeton University Library 

Drawing on an array of PUL’s manuscript and rare book collections, this exhibition will commemorate the 250th anniversaries of U.S. independence and the Battle of Princeton, and showcase Princeton’s archival treasures from the revolutionary era alongside documents and artifacts that reveal local experiences of the American Revolution on campus and in the surrounding communities. Exploring the Revolution across lines of gender, class, race, allegiance, and status, the exhibition will offer visitors a range of perspectives on the Revolution’s ideals and contradictions, its anxiety and violence, and its achievements and tragedies.

More Info/Hours