Morristown National Historical Park

Things To Do Near Morristown National Historical Park

See the mansion where George Washington and his family lived from December 1779 to June 1780, along with other buildings that were instrumental to keeping the troops he commanded alive during that period. Then, explore the natural surroundings of this park. It is an awesome place to go bird-watching, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. 

Hiking Trails

• Yellow Trail Morristown National Historical Park

  This trail starts at the Wick Farm Parking Lot. It runs past where the soldiers built their huts using over 600 acres of trees. It circles the parade grounds where they would line up for inspection. Then, the mostly wooded trail returns to its starting point. 

  Location

  30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

  Length

  2.25 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

• Grand Loop Trail

  The Grand Loop Trail starts at the rear entrance of the visitor center. Hike to the Wick Farm before hiking down the grassy road until you see the trail leaving to the right. Follow the gently rolling terrain to reach the area where the soldiers lived in huts. Cross Sugarloaf Road and continue until you reach a pond. The trail then runs over switchbacks past the Connecticut Line before running parallel to Tempe Wick Road and eventually crossing it near its starting point. 

  Location

  30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

  Length

  6.5 miles

  Intensity

  Moderate

• Patriots Path

  This trail starts at Lewis Morris Park. It connects many parks and attractions along its course, including Frelinghuysen Arboretum, The Ford Mansion, Historic Speedwell, Black River Wildlife Management Area, and Schooley's Mountain County Park. It ends 46.3 miles later at the Willowwood Arboretum. 

  Location

  270 Mendham Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

  Length

  46.3 miles

  Intensity

  Difficult

Sightseeing

• Ford Mansion

  The Ford Mansion was where George Washington stayed from December 1779 to June 1780. The home was initially built for Jacob Ford Jr. in the 1770s. By the time Washington stayed there with his family, Ford had passed away. Ford's wife allowed Washington to stay in most of the home while she and her daughters stayed in two rooms. 

  Location

  30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

• Wick House

  The Wick House was constructed about 1750. The Cape Cod-style home served as housing for Major General Arthur St. Clair, who oversaw Washington's troops during the winter of 1779 and 1780. The house is furnished to look like it did during that period. 

  Location

  30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

• Fort Nonsense

  See the earthworks constructed by the soldiers at Fort Nonsense after the winter of 1779-1780 to store supplies and retreat if needed. The site possibly also contained an area to send up a smoke signal if required. The name Fort Nonsense was used as early as the 1790s.

  Location

  30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Museums

• Morris Museum

  See exhibits on local wildlife, musical boxes, automata, and history at the Morris Museum. Hear many of the music boxes played daily. This museum also displays a great variety of kinetic art. 

  Location

  6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

• Macculloch Hall Historical Museum

  See the home constructed initially for British immigrants George and Louisa Macculloch in 1810. The house was expanded in 1812 and 1819. This museum contains a vast collection of Thomas Nast cartoons. 

  Location

  45 MacCulloch Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

• Acorn Hall

  Acorn Hall was constructed in 1853 and served as the family home of the Crane and Crane-Hone families for four generations. Learn about Morris County history by visiting this house museum. It is one of the stops on the Patriots Trail. 

  Location

  68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Nearby Shops and Restaurants

• The Old Bookstore

  Find used, rare, and new books at The Old Bookstore. They feature an extensive collection of old magazines published over the last 80 to 90 years. This is also a great place to pick up local postcards. 

  Location

  4 John Street, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

• Duke Farms

  The historic Duke Farms offers over 1,000 acres of native spaces to explore. Join one of their frequent events, like bike rides, gardening, and hikes. A farmers' market is held here seasonally. 

  Location

  1112 Dukes Parkway West, Hillsborough, New Jersey 08844

• The Grain House 

  The Grain House is one of the prettiest restaurants in New Jersey because of its lovely garden setting. The restaurant sits inside a building constructed during the 18th century. The menu frequently changes to take advantage of local organic produce.

  Location

  225 Morristown Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920

• Morris Pizzeria

  Since 1990, guests have been coming to Morris Pizzeria for delicious pizza and salads. Locally sourced ingredients are used whenever possible. They make all their dough the same day that it is used. 

  Location

  161 South Street, Morristown, New Jersey 07920

How To Get To Morristown National Historical Park

Get to Morristown National Historical Park easily from Trenton by getting on US 1 North. Turn left on Sand Hills Road and continue straight to get on South Middlebush Road. Turn right on Amwell Road and left on Detroit Lane. Make another left onto Easton Avenue. Merge onto Interstate 287 North. Take Exit 36A for County Road. Turn left on Lafayette Avenue and left on Washington Place. 

Address

Morristown National Historical Park, 30 Washington Place, Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Fee: Entry fee $0

Learn the events of the winter that George Washington stayed in New Jersey while leading his troops during the American Revolutionary War. Re-enactments occur regularly at this park, where you can see the mansion where he stayed with his family, the home where the leader stayed, and reconstructed huts based on those that the 2,000 soldiers lived in. Then, explore this area's historical house museums. There are lots of fun shopping and dining destinations. Bring your RV so that you can quickly move from one location to the next. If you do not have an RV, rent one on RVshare.com.