Beyond the Revolution Tour

Visitors the world over have been coming to Morristown, New Jersey since the end of the American Revolution to visit the town that played host twice to General George Washington and the Continental Army during two winters. Morristown, located in Morris County, is 35 miles west of New York City, and has continued to grow and thrive as a destination for arts, culture and history. We are proud to be the home of four National Historic Landmarks (NHL).

DAY ONE

10:00 am – 11:30 am  Visit Morristown National Historical Park (NHL), military headquarters in 1777 and 1779-1780 for General George Washington. Drive to the four park units: the Ford Mansion and Museum, Fort Nonsense, the Cross Estate and Gardens and Jockey Hollow where you can tour the Wick House and Herb Garden and see the Soldier Huts where 10,000 soldiers camped during “the hard winter”. Constructed with the assistance of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), who also camped nearby while America’s first National Historical Park was being created, the park opened in 1933. The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, from 9 am to 5 pm. Bus parking is available in two lots on Washington Place and in front of the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center.

1:45 am – 1:00 pm  Have lunch in downtown Morristown at the Eclectic Grill at the Hyatt Morristown, 3 Speedwell Avenue. Or grab box lunches from the Morristown Deli, 7 Elm Street, and head to Fort Nonsense for a picnic and great views of Manhattan.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm  Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (NHL) is internationally recognized as one of the most significant sites connected with the American Arts & Crafts Movement and the only house Gustav Stickley designed and built for himself and his family. Think Mission furniture. Located off Route 10 West in Parsippany, the site is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm all year. Bus parking on site.

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm  Historic Speedwell (NHL) is an early 19th century farmstead and ironworks, and home to a number of historic Revolutionary War-era homes. It was here that Alfred Vail and Samuel F.B. Morse first demonstrated the telegraph in the factory building. Open April to October on Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm, and additionally on Sundays noon to 5 pm during July to October. Bus parking at the Cory Road entrance off Speedwell Avenue.

Evening Morristown boasts 75 restaurants for your pre-theatre dinner, such as the Dublin Pub, Origin Thai and the Red Dog Tavern, then take in a show at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum or the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre in Madison.

DAY TWO

10:00 am – 11:30 am  Visit the Morris Museum, formerly “Twin Oaks”, a Gilded Age mansion. The museum is home to the unique “Musical Machines & Living Dolls: Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata from the Guinness Collection” recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Other distinguished collections include costumes, textiles, fine art, decorative art, dolls and toys, natural science, geology, paleontology and anthropology. Open Saturdays 11 am to 5 pm and Sundays 1 pm to 5 pm. Bus parking in the museum lot off Normandy Heights Boulevard.

11:45 am – 1:15 pm  Enjoy lunch at Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille, located in the Madison Hotel on Route 124 between Morristown and Madison.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm  Experience Macculloch Hall. Built in 1810, this 20-room Federal-style mansion was home to George Macculloch, father of the Morris Canal. The museum features a collection of 18th and 19th century decorative and fine arts and is home to the largest collection of works by political cartoonist Thomas Nast whose former home, Villa Fontana (NHL), a private residence is across the street. Nast created the images of Santa Claus, the Republican donkey, Democratic elephant and Uncle Sam. Open on Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm. Parking is available along Macculloch Avenue.

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm  End your visit to Morris County in the 127-acre Frelinghuysen Arboretum, a collection of theme gardens and specialized collections of shrubs and trees. Managed by the Morris County Park Commission, the site also features the 1891 Colonial Revival Frelinghuysen mansion and carriage house. Open 9 am to dusk each day. Located on East Hanover Avenue by the entrance to Route 24. Bus parking on site.

For additional information, assistance with itinerary planning, or to pre-book tours or step-on guides, please contact Carol Barkin at the Morris County Tourism Bureau, 6 Court Street, Morristown, New Jersey 07960. Telephone: 973-631-5151