As a fan of the clean aesthetic known as the 'American Craftsman' or 'Mission' style that was…read moreestablished over 100 years ago but still feels modern today, I had long wanted to visit the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany-Troy Hills but drove past the signs on NJ Route 10 for the museum hundreds of times without stopping to see what it was all about. Gustav Stickley, a key voice in the 'American Craftsman' movement, held very progressive retailing views for his era - launching a magazine as well as a chain of retail stores (including a 12-story flagship showroom and restaurant in New York City) that showcased his 'Arts and Crafts' design ethos of home furnishings with simple, unadorned, and comparatively plain designs. Think of Gustav as the IKEA of the early 20th century. The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms began as another of his innovative ideas that never came to fruition - a trade school for boys to teach them farming and vocational skills that was located on a 640-acre plot of land in Morris County, New Jersey. When the school failed to materialize, the Stickley family lived here in his Log House, designed and constructed by Stickley to reflect the epitome of the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, for several years. Facing financial challenges from his failing retail empire, Stickley sold the property in 1915 and it remained in private hands until 1989 when Parsippany-Troy Hills Township acquired it to preserve this historic landmark as a museum rather than letting it fall to the wrecking ball in favor of another townhome community. The Log House is only accessible to the public via 60-90-minute long docent-led guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00pm and 2:30pm. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for seniors; $7 for students with valid ID; and $5 for children up to age 12. Our docent Joan was very knowledgeable about the Stickley family, the original and reproduction artifacts in the home, and the other tiny details that make all of Stickley's creations unique. If you appreciate the Craftsman movement or just want to see where a design legend lived, this is a must-visit historic site. PRO TIP #1: Leave young children at home. With lots of fragile and irreplaceable artifacts within a toddler's reach throughout the museum, this isn't a child-friendly environment. PRO TIP #2: Renew your library card and check whether your local library offers complimentary museum passes for the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms or other local museums.

Emerging in the U.S. primarily between 1900 and 1929, American Craftsman style was a backlash…read moreagainst the Industrial Revolution and Victorian architecture. Craftsman construction spread across the country in part thanks to American furniture designer Gustav Stickley. The most identifiable feature of the home is a low-pitched roof with overhanging eaves and exposed rafters. Another characteristic trademark is a large front porch with sturdy tapered columns. Located off the beaten path of Route 10 inside a 30-acre country estate in Morris Plains, my partner and I had the chance to tour as first-timers this 1911 house of Gustav Stickley, internationally known for his multiple roles as a philosopher, publisher, social critic and associated today with his straightforward furniture, sometimes called "mission" or "Craftsman" furniture. A reservation was made on their website. Upon entering the Museum/Gift Shop, we were greeted by the staff. The tour of 12 people began with a short 5-minute intro video about the family in their renovated kitchen and through the house from the main floor and the second-floor bedrooms. The centerpiece is Stickley's massive Log House, restored to its 1910-1917 appearance, which exemplifies his philosophy of building in harmony with the environment by using natural materials. The tour ran only 1 hour but was packed with so much information and sights of historical background regarding Gustav Stickley and really brought what we were viewing to life. The docent tour leader husband/wife duo Bob and Jan were excellent. The price didn't dent one's pocket, which we could recommend for woodworkers, craftsmen, antique enthusiasts, and children over 10.

Visits to Historic Speedwell are free, maybe start with the eight-minute video in the visitor…read morecenter. $5 buys you a guided tour of the large Vail house (guided tours only) and the small factory with the wheel house (also self-guided tours). The factory explains how Alfred Vail prototyped the telegraph for Samuel Morse. The Ironworks exhibit in the large carriage house has detailed pictures and explanations along with artifacts like molds and patterns made by Stephen Vail and his men. Only the red buildings and the white mansion are original, others like the Estes House (under renovation in 2018) were moved in much later. Unfortunately the cast-iron water wheel wasn't running when I visited the factory, awaiting repairs and money in the Park Commission budget. Don't miss the bone grinder in the shed with the big water wheel! You do not exit through the gift shop here LOL.

Beautiful grounds, with a great little shop for visitors…read more We come here often as they offer historical and art lessons. The teacher is wonderful and it's a very unique experience. Recently we did one of the longer homeschooling lessons- it was calling "Open Heart Cooking" and all the students worked together to cook an entire multi course meal in the fireplace like olden times. They had a great time and what a lesson in teamwork and patience. I would call them to ask about upcoming programs and classes. Or even just visit as a tourist one day- they have two small museums and guided tours.

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.

We stopped here late in the day and didn't have much time to tour the museum. We looked around it a…read morebit and it seemed to be well done. The museum was free, which is always nice, and served as a visitor center/information desk for Morristown National Historical Park. It was good, as it explained Morristown's role in the Revolutionary War. I would go again, especially if they are done restoring Washington's headquarters, a colonial era mansion next to the museum.

One of my most recent Yelp Friends beat me to reviewing our largest library here in…read moreParsippany...Thanks Pallabi... I read a lot and a few years ago my wife dropped the hammer on my book buying because my bookshelves were ridiculous...and since then, when I buy a book, it really has to be something I want because it has to fit on the bookshelf to buy it...or a book has to get donated to make room (full disclosure, we donate a LOT of books each year). Thus my new-found love for the library. Not like I didn't know it was there, duh, I had just drifted from its wonders. Growing up, I used to bring home piles of books from our public libraries in Piscataway and the public libraries here in Parsippany have become a similar sanctum for the kids, at least my son who reads as much as I do. I was really glad when they moved to this new location. When they moved they modernized everything and they have great spaces, study rooms, an awesome kids area, lots of public access computers, and a great selection of books...and the best thing about the Morris County Library system is that if your local library doesn't have a book you want, and another library does, they'll get it for you. Thanks for helping to instill a love of reading to my kids...

Ok, full disclosure. I Love libraries. LOVE them. The first thing I do when I move to a new place…read moreis to get a library card. And the Parsippany Public library is my favorite. I can definitely say that this place had an significant hand in shaping the person I am today. Not only did I read like a fiend when I was younger (31 Babysitter's Club in 30 days), I participated in all the summer reading clubs, I volunteered with them the day I was old enough, my first job was here and I was one of the original members of the Teen Advisory Board, which has sadly dissipated. In short, LOTS of opportunities to get your kids involved at an early age. When they made the shift to the new location, I was like a kid in a candy store. The old location was cozy, but new location is SO spacious. Especially the children's section (though I heard it suffered some water damage). The librarians were kooky, but awesome. Really helpful and knowledgeable. The selection is great. I really like their travel section. The study spaces are awesome, though I wouldn't mind some more cubicle spaces. There's little nooks and crannies to sit down and enjoy a good book all around. The programming here is some of the best I've seen anywhere. I hope this place stays just as awesome so I can bring my kids here someday.

Came to Fosterfields on a Saturday early afternoon around 5pm for a day event. Amazing. I had an…read morewonderful time and the service was outstanding. The space of the park and the parking lot area was just perfect. A lot of restroom was available and it was clean. It was a huge turn out but the staff maintain a clean field throughout the entire event.

What an incredible morning. My all-time BFF Reddit alerted me to an amazing event at Fosterfields…read moreheld over the course of a few spring weeks every year: the Lamb Frolic. There wasn't really THAT much frolicking, per se - our lamb settled down pretty quickly per the attached pictures - but it was a delightful hour spent in a barn stall cuddling a very sweet wooly baby, and I'd basically recommend this to anyone with a soul. According to the event page, little lambs need cuddles/interaction to prepare for the big farm world, hence the need for the Frolic. We were happy to oblige. The sign-up process was a little old school, which isn't too surprising given that this is an historic farm. You had to call Fosterfields and leave a voicemail with your name/contact info and preferred time slot to cuddle the lamb. The Millennial Chum readily agreed to partake in this adventure and was blown away that there wasn't an online reservation portal of some kind, though she seems to be confusing a farm with a suburban restaurant, which is probably not the most realistic of expectations. Regardless, someone from the farm called me back within the hour and we were set up with the final slot this past Saturday at 10:30am. The price per lamb cuddle was $50 for a max of two people, so we split the cost. A magnificent deal in my estimation. The instructions provided via email indicated we should get there at least 10 minutes beforehand, and we were both promptly there at 10:15am. I've driven past the turnoff for the farm many times on my way to hikes over by Chester, so it was easy to find once you bypassed the atrocious traffic situation by the Morristown Green (not for the faint of heart at any time of day - no one ever knows what lane they're supposed to be in). The staff was very friendly and professional. Since we got there early, they also let us start hanging out with our lamb about 10 minutes early, which was pretty classy. They carried in a gangly lamb from the main stall across the way (there looked to be about six or seven mama sheep over there with their pups), and after a few seconds of nervous baahing, he was right at home. The lamb was born the prior Monday, so this is about as fresh as it gets. He didn't even have a name yet. His mother's name was Guinevere, so I thought Sir Lambsalot was an excellent new name with the added advantage of being on theme, but the Millennial Chum overruled me and named him Cornelius for the duration of our stay. We shared our stall with a mom and daughter (probably 10ish, which is very much the target demo of this adventure, not that we let that stop us), who got to cuddle our lamb's sister, temporarily named Marigold. Also a delightful creature. The Millennial Chum is on the verge of becoming a giant TikTok star, so a significant portion of our visit was dedicated to pictures, videos and more pictures and videos. I can't speak for all lambs, but Cornelius was very photogenic and made for social media. We figured out through trial and mostly error how to hold him so he'd settle down and fall asleep (like kittens and puppies, lambs seem to be either running around manically or snoozing). Keeping him in a firm grip and letting him nuzzle his head under the chin was our primo strategy. The staff stopped by every 15 minutes or so to make sure everything was going okay and that the lambs were relatively calm (our superstar obviously was). At one point, the mom sharing our stall told the staffer that her husband was going to switch with her (citing that two people max rule) and was told that as long as the lamb was chill, he could come in too and there was no need for her to leave. Very cool. I spent the remainder of the weekend recommending this event to everyone I know, especially my friends with young daughters. If you start your mornings off like I do reading the NY Post, the world really seems like a giant dumpster fire - the Fosterfields Lamb Frolic was about as pure and innocent as it gets. So refreshing.

Great library with kids section, DVD, CD and even vinyl records. Hosts small events on a regular…read morebasis.

This is an extensive modern two floor library offering a full range of educational and…read moreentertainment options. E=Books, autobooks, DVD movies, sheet music, film resources, WiFi, computers, 500+ continuing educational and personal development courses both self-paced and instructor led, as well as, a large children's section. My favorite part of the library is the online access to 7,000+ online newspapers and magazines. The worldwide selection of the top newspapers from around the the world is an indispensable resource for me. I also find my favorite periodicals as well, like Scientific American. Science News, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Discovery magazine. You can have most of their materials shipped to your local library which can be very convenient. Download their cloud library app for further offerings.

This place really does have an extensive array of rich educational information of the Partition and…read moreits participants, victims, refugees, etc. In my opinion, they have accumulated primary resources to aid in their collection and that is what is most unique about their mission.

One of a kind ! The initiative of documenting the ordeals…read moreof migrating population is a much needed one in the South Asian community. Thank you.