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    Old Barracks Museum

    4.8 (15 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Period reenactors in the courtyard
    Greg J.

    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.

    E Peter D.

    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.

    This claim is debatable as Pike has also been claimed to have been born in Lamington, NJ (not Lamberton, NJ) which is in Somerset County.
    Christopher C.

    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.

    Gerald S.

    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)!

    Jeff Z.

    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!

    Dewan A.

    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.

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    Review Highlights - Old Barracks Museum

    The building was built in 1758 during the French & Indian War as the largest building in Trenton.

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    Grounds For Sculpture

    Grounds For Sculpture

    4.6(731 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    Can you tell which are statues?…read more Years ago I went to Grounds For Sculpture, a 42 acre outdoor and indoor art exhibit with gorgeous gardens and every type of art you can learn and imagine. My boys were too young to appreciate it back then. This time we did it differently. Prior to going, we did a lesson on different types of art. We created slides to help teach us different types of art. I have included the slides so you can share these to your kids as an art lesson. While we were at the Grounds For Sculpture, I have to tell you... the way the Realism Art, Pop Art, and Abstract Impression Art Blended with its natural surroundings, my eyes began to play tricks on me! For a split second, regular people sitting on a bench looked like statues too! It's very well done! This place creates a dream like state. Go to the Meadow section first! It's a lot of walking so don't go on a hot day. #groundsforsculpture #nj #art

    This may sound overly exuberant, but I love this place!…read more Founded in 1992 by J. Seward Johnson (a Johnson & Johnson heir) his goal was to build a contemporary sculpture garden for the public to enjoy. The property was initially the site of the Jersey fairgrounds and later the Trenton Speedway. (It's so peaceful and lovely here, it's hard to imagine the raucous noise of racecars.) We signed up for a walking tour -- free with the price of admission -- which runs for about an hour. In addition, friendly docents walking around the grounds stopped to chat offering great information -- even some juicy gossip! Be sure to pull up the app on your phone which we found helpful. The garden is closed Tuesday. One of the sites said admission is timed, but mid-week we were able to simply show up. Note that veterans and seniors pay reduced admission. Parking is free and there's a restaurant/coffee shop in the welcome center that's an inviting place to refuel. The photos I snapped are the garden's realistic representations, but there's a whole host of contemporary sculpture, all very different with their own stories.

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    Grounds For Sculpture - Van Gogh sculpture

    Van Gogh sculpture

    Grounds For Sculpture
    Grounds For Sculpture - Found this untitled sculpture tucked away down a narrow path

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    Found this untitled sculpture tucked away down a narrow path

    Ellarslie Trenton City Museum

    Ellarslie Trenton City Museum

    4.7(3 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    Parking was a breeze. It was such a wonderful stroll up to…read morethe front door because of the cherry blossom blooming right out front!! The staff is so welcoming! I was here to see a program where the three artists shared their history and the story behind their pieces. It really was so charming and precious. And I enjoyed seeing their works. There were also some instruments there so when the conversations ended, you could still just look at the art and there was somebody on the piano and there was a gentleman also on the drums and it was so wonderful to be in that space and to enjoy it this way. I look forward to coming back again!! I'm very grateful to the staff for caring for us all & the artist were very fun, inspiring, wonderfully interesting and engaging. It seems that they also found this day very special too. Lots of laughter.

    The Ellerslie Museum of the City of Trenton is truly a gem. It is set in the beautiful and bucolic…read moreCadwalder Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame). So when you approach the stately mansion that houses the museum, you get to experience the lovely park as well. Once inside there is so much to see. Upstairs is the permanent exhibit of Trenton pottery. The other exhibits throughout the building vary from mixed media, photography, illustration, paintings, textiles...it is always something interesting. Molly's Museum Store is also chock full of handmade items that make wonderful gifts. The Ellerslie is also host to many different events for example poetry slams, chocolate and wine evenings, concerts, Sunday socials and much more. It is a wonderful spot and a perfect way to spend the day.

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    Ellarslie Trenton City Museum
    Ellarslie Trenton City Museum
    Ellarslie Trenton City Museum

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    New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center

    New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center

    3.7(3 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    This place was amazing. Nice size, free, staff are officers and they're friendly. Everything is…read moredisplayed in an organized way and descriptive. They even have a crime scene simulator

    When I was a child I went to the New Jersey State Police Museum, and a recent Monday I decided to…read morecheck it out again. The museum is located on the NJ State Police Headquarters campus (base?) so to get to the museum you need to stop at the guard house, show your ID and get a visitor's pass. Then it is just a short ride up the road and a right and you are looking at the parking lot. There is ton of parking (for buses too). Walk directly across the lot and there is the museum. There is no cost for the museum. When I arrived around 11 I was the first visitor of the day, so the Trooper in the museum chatted with me a bit and turned on some of the videos for me. They do require you to sign into their guest book that you came. I spent about 2 hours walking around the museum reading all the exhibits. I didn't watch all the videos and I didn't play with some of the interactive ones. And that was just me alone. If you are a history buff, love NJ or law enforcement, or like the off-the-beaten path places you should check this place out. There are two parts of the museum there is the new part which has most of the exhibits. But the older museum is a replicate of the log cabins that were used by the NJSP for many years. I believe they do lectures in there for groups, but they also have a number of vehicles that have been used over the years. I did spend a lot of time reading about the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and paying my respects at the memorial garden right outside the museum. While there is no gift shop inside the museum, in the parking lot there is a trailer with a shop in it. There was a LOT of NJSP sweatshirts, t-shirts, and other apparel. They accept credit card. Proceeds go to the Former Troopers Family Foundation.

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    New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center
    New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center
    New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center

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    New Jersey State House Tours

    New Jersey State House Tours

    4.4(7 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Downside: tours only on weekdays and currently by appointment, which has limited me being able to…read morevisit before. Also the parking info on the website was confusing, but we parked new the Barracks Museum but not in any nearby reserved spot. It was also a little confusing where the entrance was, but if you pick the wrong door, someone will point you in the right direction to the entrance of the annex. We were the only people on the tour, which is free, so we got to have a lot of great insight. We also got to shoot a ton of questions at the tour guide and he knowingly answered all of them and one he didn't know he radioed in to his team to find out. We started off looking at a stained glass ceiling with NJ sites depicted, looked in the Senate Room, the Representatives Room, the individual parties room, judiciary rooms, and meeting rooms while looking at different art in the hallway and inside rooms symbolizing NJ iconography/historic figures. It was delightful for both the artist and the historian in me. If this place gave tours on weekends, I think it would be more popular. Maybe there's a staffing shortage, and that would be a shame. Weekdays are hard for people to visit, but it is definitely worth it to visit if this sounds like something that would interest you. Note: between the 2 I've seen, PA still has better architecture (and Saturday tours) but that was still nice and more people should see it.

    "Trent Town" New Jersey! Yeah!! "Trent town" was recognized as the state capital in 1790…read more Quakers first founded the settlement in the region that later became Trenton in 1679. The Quaker settlement adopted the title "Trent-towne" by 1719 in honor of William Trent who was among its leading landholders. "The Battle of Trenton" took place in the city of "Trent town" where George Washington achieved his first military victory in the course of the American Revolutionary War. In December of 1784, the Confederation congress briefly convened in Trenton. Most famously, Trenton's Capitol briefly acted as the capital of the US. Yep. It was the capital of the United States of America from November 1 to December 24, 1784 Just for that one reason alone it's worth a visit. A lot of great American history took place in this old capitol building. And it is old, it's the 6th oldest in the US. I used to live in New Jersey. I loved living in Jersey. I traveled all over Jersey, Jersey is amazing! Amazing Italian food and awesome diners. Kinda industrial but urban also. A lively lovely little mini metropolis. The US Census Bureau groups Trenton's large, central Jersey, metropolitan area with that of New York while it also borders the large Philly Metropolitan area. Today, Trenton is a super manufacturing hub/industrial area, with a bunch of bridges that cross the Delaware river. It has its own unique beauty. I loved it there. A lot of American History/Historical significance in this Capitol as "Trent town" is among the seven state capitals situated in the Piedmont Plateau. Making the Capitol building in Trenton New Jersey, def one of the 7 you want to see. Recommend.

    Photos
    New Jersey State House Tours - State bird Gold Finch porcelain figurine in State House NJ.

    State bird Gold Finch porcelain figurine in State House NJ.

    New Jersey State House Tours - Love the tile on the walls in this hallway at State Houe NJ

    Love the tile on the walls in this hallway at State Houe NJ

    New Jersey State House Tours

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    Old Barracks Museum - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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