The Old Barracks was built in 1758 to house British soldiers during the French and Indian War--picture redcoats grumbling about colonial weather and terrible coffee. Later it became one of Washington's military hospitals during the Revolution, and parts of it are still original. They're doing some renovations now, but any history buff will find this place fascinating. Inside you've got galleries, a gift shop, meeting spaces, and staff who are genuinely passionate about keeping history alive. Go, learn something, enjoy the energy of the fun tour guides. It's under construction right now, but I've been coming here for years when I visit family in Jersey, and it's always worth the stop. Trenton may be scrappy, but the Old Barracks is one of its gems. read more

To be honest they really need to expand the museum portion and bring in more Items about the garrison and the role it played in the American revolution.It did not pay to see the three room the best part was talking to the people that dress up in the period clothing .But I was told they do a reenactment that is pretty cool in January on the attacks that happened to the garrison. read more

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Once you get past finding a parking spot (staff wasn't very helpful) the tour is quite good. I'm kind of amateur history geek, but I found the details and descriptions quite accurate and this is one of the few historical spots to visit in Trenton. They have a small gift shop and it's a worthwhile visit that can be completed in a couple hours read more

As near as we could tell this is one of the few remaining sites from the battle of Trenton. This is the barracks where the Hessian troops were quartered. Some of the building is original (I think on the south side). The north side was demolished to build a street extension but has been reconstructed. They had four small exhibit rooms, including a good one on the French and Indian war. They also had a few people in period costumes on the Saturday morning when we visited. read more

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What an excellent experience. A real living history museum. For people who love to learn about American history this place is a treat. There are re-enactors In period dress telling the story of the Revolutionary War and the period leading up to it. It's hard to believe that most of these old military barracks have been lost to history. This is not for very young children but it's a wonderful way to get elementary school age children and older, interested in American history. read more

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The National Park Service could really learn a thing or two from the staff at the Old Barracks Museum. I've been to nearly 50 NPS sites and while at some the site itself or its artifacts are enough to make it great, at a lot of sites it's the rangers who either make you glad you came or who make you wish that you stayed at home to watch lint collect in your belly button. When you come to OBM the first thing that strikes you is that none of occasional NPS lethargy applies here. Everyone you meet is highly appreciative that you came and the tour that we got from Bob was nothing short of fantastic. Let me back up for a moment. The building was built in 1758 during the French & Indian War as the largest building in Trenton. Originally there were around twenty rooms for soldiers with each room housing twelve men which equaled around 300 at any given time. During the Revolutionary War British & Hessian soldiers used the Barracks along with some residents who wanted to be protected. After Washington's improbable Trenton raid at the end of 1776 the Americans eventually used the building as a field hospital until the end of the war in 1781. Eventually the Barracks were divided into individual homes until being bought by the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution who bought the south section of the building in 1902. The state of New Jersey bought the north section in 1914 and the middle section was rebuilt to look as it did in 1758 with new corridors, windows, balconies and landscaping. The Barracks became a State Registered Landmark in 1970, a National Register Landmark in 1971 and a National Historic Landmark in 1972. A second restoration of the Barracks began in 1985 and ended in 1998 giving you what you see today. Getting back to the tour. First you can watch the short movie about Washington's 1776 Christmas Crossing and the battles of Trenton and Princeton. It is NPS/History Channel (back when they actually showed history pieces especially the good ones with Edward Herrmann narrating) quality and it is necessary watching. After that you are taken to a few different rooms showing where the rank and file soldiers bunked, the officers side of things and the little hospital-ish area which dealt with how the Army overcame Smallpox. We had Bob and he was nothing short of a beast. Both his knowledge of the subject and his delivery of that knowledge rivaled anything I've ever seen at any NPS site, period. Even if the Barracks weren't such a neat place to visit he made it fantastically interesting from beginning to end which was around 45 minutes. Also worth noting is the museum on the second floor which is well worth the visit although photography of that area in a no-go. All in all, especially if you get Bob for your tour the Old Barracks Museum is a winner as it was not only great, but was far better than what I thought it would be. Even though I've read/heard the story of Washington's Crossing many times, it's my favorite and this place helps to retell it perfectly. If you go: The Barracks are open Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm. Tours start at the top of the hour and the last one obviously starts at 4pm. Admission is $8 adult, $6 students/seniors and under 5-active military-members are admitted free. Check their website for various special events that take place through out the year. Parking is a bit of an SOB if you come during the week when the government is open so come knowing that you'll be parking at least a few blocks away in a deck or if you're lucky maybe you can shark a metered space slightly closer or you can just come on a Saturday and park for free right behind the barracks in what looks like a State Police Lot. read more

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This was a phenomenal stop! Miriam gave us an exceptional and engaging tour. She is an amazing storyteller! Steve was great company by the fire, too. Make sure to make this stop. read more

This old pre-Revolutionary War building has been well restored into an excellent interactive museum of the colonial period of New Jersey history. Given how poorly the other landmarks have fared in this capital city, the condition of this one is all the more remarkable and very worthy of a visit or two by history buffs. It was built in 1758 to house British soldiers during the French & Indian War. Colonists objected to being required to quarter Redcoats in their homes, as even at that time tension was high between people who identified as Jerseyites more than English subjects and resented the control the King had over their lives. The colonial government built five of these barracks around the colony, although this one in Trenton is the only survivor. There were Hessians and a few British officers housed here in December, 1776, when General Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day eve and surprised the enemy with an early morning cannon barrage and brief fighting, leading to a rapid collapse of any defense and the surrender of Colonel Rall and his 1,200 men. There was more fighting to be done the following week at the Second Battle of Trenton (Assunpink Creek Bridge) on January 2, 1777, and the Battle of Princeton on the 3rd, but this quick victory set the tone for the success to come, and convinced the Continental Army, Continental Congress and the American colonists that this insurrection could be won and that George Washington was the man to do it. The barracks became an army hospital thereafter, and it was here that army physicians conducted the first inoculations of small pox to protect the troops from the deadly pox. This was the first attempt at inoculations anywhere in the modern world. In more recent times, the buildings were reduced to what remains today to make way for Front Street to reach the New Jersey Statehouse. What we see now was privately owned for a time and used for housing, until purchased by a few revolutionary war memorial groups who wanted to preserve and protect it for posterity. These days it is a surprisingly excellent museum of the revolutionary period, restored authentically to look like active soldiers living quarters, with workers/guides dressed in appropriate period costume. It is very easy to imagine what it was like to be alive in those days, and to participate in such important historic events Take a tour and see how amazing it all is (and was)! read more

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We visited here last month and we had a really great time! The performers stay completely in character and were very informative. We met with a revolutionary Doctor who spoke of how he would car for the soldiers and intentionally expose them to virus to make them immune. We met with a colonial solder in Washington's army. One of the soldiers outside the barracks made us form and march. He also gave a demonstration with the musket that had a charge to make it go boom! The kids really enjoyed the musket! read more

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Great place. 1) The Barracks has George Washington's wallet. Which is excellent. 2) The tour is one of the best. Really enjoyed it. Especially when our tour guide was explaining smallpox. 3) Overall, if you are around the area, give this museum a shot. read more

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Really a great museum at a great price! Ton's of interesting exhibits and artifacts, as well as a great tour through the restored Barracks building that was used by soldiers during the Revolutionary War and the 7 Years War. I have been to a lot of museums, Revolutionary History is a hobby of mine, and I can tell you that this museum is everything a museum should be. There is s a guided tour led by people dressed in old fashioned clothes, the tour guide takes you through several rooms that have been restored to look the way they did in the 1770s. I was blown away by the level of detail. They even had copies of actual pamphlets that people read back then, plus things like clothes, guns, and furniture that were all period accurate. It really captured the imagination. The other parts of the museum were just as good. After the tour ends, you are free to browse around some other areas and look at the exhibits. They have sections for the Revolutionary War and also the 7 Years War (the war before the Revolution). They had several real artifacts such as guns and swords owned by soldiers at the time and an old 400 year old canoe used by natives. Also interesting paintings, and lots of good information explaining the exhibits. The exhibit halls were smallish, but I didn't mind. I have given bad reviews to museums before (stay away from the Boston Tea Party Museum, its over-priced and underwhelming). But this museum is a great, and at $8 per person it was well worth the price of admission. read more

We visited the Old Barracks Museum today, and what a gem! Tours start on the hour, but whenever you arrive, you can visit their three galleries. We had more than enough to see and will return to look more closely. The highlight of our visit, though, were the people. The gentleman who greeted us was friendly and made suggestions to meet the needs of our diverse party. The tour guide, David, was spectacular - friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and a very polished presenter. He made the ninety minute tour fly past and filled it with fascinating details about the history of the building, the lives of the soldiers, smallpox inoculations... It was very comprehensive. The adults enjoyed it most; kids who love history will also be engaged. read more

If you want to learn about NJ rich history check out this museum. Best of all- it's free. The toy exhibit warns that if you recognize a toy in display then you know you're getting old. So much fun. Every second was well spent. read more

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Well worth a visit! Many people know about the the Battle of Trenton, but the Barracks was originally built to house British troops during the French & Indian War. Another claim to fame here is the Barracks' role as a Continental Army hospital where Washington's medical staff conducted one of the first successful inoculation programs to control smallpox. Nice location in a resurgent downtown Trenton -- beautiful grounds next to the NJ State House and near good restaurants. read more

This is my second visit to the Old Barracks Museum and enjoyed it as much as the first time. The staff is very friendly and Bob's tour was filled with interesting facts and trivia. Highly recommend! read more