liberty hall museum

From the moment you walk through the entrance to the gardens of the Liberty Hall mansion, you are taken back in time. The expansive grounds of orchards and well-manicured gardens sit in the middle of the Kean University campus in Union, NJ. The picturesque landscape invites you to the Georgian Style mansion built in 1772 which has housed multiple presidents, governors and political bodies as guests or residents, such as, New Jersey’s first elected governor and signer of the Constitution, William Livingston.After watching a brief film about the history of the home, my small group was escorted by an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide Bill, who walked us through the rooms of the house and gave us an amazing history lesson! Every room is spectacular in its own right; the rooms stand frozen in time with all of the original time period furniture and accessories. Some items are extremely valuable as they are the originals and not reproductions. This is the primary reason there is not indoor photography allowed. This home really is a piece of living history. The acreage that surrounds the home is stunningly pruned and maintained. You can stroll amongst the apple and pear trees and through the maze of hedges and flowers. A portion of the land is a working farm where all the produce harvested is used at a local farm to table restaurant on the Kean Campus; Ursino. Pay close attention to the opening movie and you will discover reason for the restaurant’s name. Throughout the year there are special events that take place at the mansion; some that require special reservations and others like the farmers market where you can just stop in. This museum is a hidden gem that must be visited. It is best suited for kids learning American, New Jersey or even Civil War history in school. I would suggest ages 9 and up. The property also has a large barn that house historic fire apparatus. Although it does not directly correlate to Liberty Hall it is definitely worth a peek. I believe one of the home's descendants was a supporter of the local volunteer FD and that is the reason for it being included on the grounds.If this sounds like a fun day out then Cliffside Park residents can use the library’s museum pass program to visit the Liberty Hall, for free, for with their valid library card. More info at http://cliffsidepark.bccls.org/museum-pass.php.

Liberty Hall was the home to New Jersey's Livingston/Kean family from 1772 until 1997. Now owned by Kean University, it is open to the public. The beautiful mansion is home to a wonderful collection of art and artifacts. The gardens contain colorful flowers and many historic trees. A small barn houses three vintage fire engines. A few other buildings are also on the grounds. After an introductory video, a guide leads you through the gardens and mansion. If you like history, be prepared to spend at least two hours here. You will travel with the Livingston family from the Revolutionary War era to modern times with the Kean family.

This historic location offers guided tours for a small fee, it's an unexpected surprise in the heart of midtown Elizabeth. I took the tour back when I was in Jr. High school.

I have visited Liberty Hall several times and still believe it is a gem, well worth visiting but cannot recommend their tea. It is a nice experience having tea on the porch as Mrs. Kean might have done but not worth the price. Tour without the tea is $10 so you are paying $30 for the tea. For this price you get one scone with clotted cream and fruit, 4 small tea sandwiches on stale bread and pastries., Be aware that you are paying for the experience not the food.

tea, not so much. When you advertise scones and clotted cream, don't substitute butter. Sandwiches sooooo... tiny and bread dry. At least the cost goes toward maintaining such a Jersey treasure. Tea really disappointing, though. Some seating should be available at points during the tour for people that may require them, especially on very hot days. Many stairs for those that need that information.

This is our 3rd visit, & also joined at the Family Membership level. The 5/2013 guide wasn't that great (she seemed to be really grumpy until the end of the tour). Then we did the Christmas Afternoon Tea & Tour (Tea was a bit rushed bec start was delayed bec Museum was waiting for a few people arriving late), and we had an excellent & delightful guide who had lots of great info and who obviously loved her job (or volunteering). Last Sat we went back for the 2014 exhibit "200 Years of Luxury Travel" - so much to see/read/learn, and the young guide John was enthusiastic and funny. LHM is a real treasure for NJ - more than 200 years of continuous/original (not reproduction) history of an important & accomplished family.There is also a formal garden & Serpentine Path to explore. Each TH (May-Nov?) there is Farmer's Mkt & Food Trucks, and every month there are fun & informative events planned (Afternoon Tea & tour, History events for children and family). LHM is a real gem and must-see!

This is my second visit back to The Kean Estate. It is across the street from the university (near the new restaurant, Ursino). We had a wonderful tour guide named Lacey. She was a delight. She know her facts and we (our group) relished every minute. The museum should be a must on every student studying the history of New Jersey and the 1800's. There is a gift shop and stunning gardens. Put it on your to do list this summer.

Liberty Hall is the former home of the Kean's. It is a treasure trove of historic memorabilia. You can just take a guided tour of the home or attend one of their special events whic usually includes a tour of the home.

I have lived in Union for a few years now and never knew of this majestic step back into time. If you enjoy historic sites you will absolutely LOVE Liberty Hall Museum. I was thrilled the entire duration of our tour! The mansion is FILLED with original pieces ranging from furniture to the guestbook to clothing. Many historical sites have replicas of things, but not here. They even take you to view the original cellar still filled with dusty old bottles from so long ago. It truly is as if you walked back in time. The grounds are very large and they have many other buildings as well as a building that houses antique fire engines! It was a truly delightful experience and I encourage you to go during the holidays because everything seems more magical! I would recommend Liberty Hall to anyone, again and again.

We had tea in the glass enclosed porch and then came the good stuff! New Jersey history - and, by extension, national history - was beautifully presented in this grand old house. Very earnest tour guide tried her best to engage all the visitors on our tour. We were in competition with another tour group so we missed one of the rooms. The museum was set up for the 'ring for service' theme which was well done. There's a lot of love and care that goes into this place and it's obvious. If the tour guides and the afternoon tea staff are not the most polished - that's okay, their love of what they are doing is most charming. I recommend it highly. If you go during the spring or early fall when the weather is conducive to walking around, the grounds are beautifully maintained and worth the time.

Toured the mansion and grounds with the garden club. Such a beautifully maintained facility showcasing centuries of NJ history. Well informed docent made the day so special. Many of the members want to do a return visit.

We really enjoyed an in-depth tour at Liberty Hall Museum, its current exhibit is "Ring for Service" to tie-in with the Downton Abbey mania. The best part of this mansion is its original furniture, clothing, wallpaper, china, silver, household goods, and estate equipment. This is so much better than touring mostly empty historic sites (e.g. many chateaus in France are all empty) or site with reproduction pieces (e.g. Colonial Williamsburg). Liberty Hall is truly an authentic NJ historic site, and its garden is very beautiful too.I just have 1 quibble with our costumed guide yesterday who seemed very grumpy & frowning which was an odd way to start the tour, but she did warm up a bit gradually. There are many special events for children, school groups, or adults. We are looking forward to returning for an Afternoon Tea event there. Note that the parking lot & garden paths are all gravel/pebbly and it's less suitable for ladies wearing heels.

Liberty Hall is an amazing place to visit. The guided tour is informative yet informal with plenty of room to examine objects closely and ask questions of the guide. The house and grounds are beautiful and a peek inside life in numerous eras. It is very easy to get to from the GSP, parking is abundant and the staff is friendly and helpful. Don't miss Ursino restaurant across the street - food to die for!

The tour was excellent and most informative. The " history lesson" is the tour. What a worthwhile visit !

Went to see the Traveling Vietnam Wall. Amazing and humbling. Veterans on site to answer questions. A nice tribute to those who died for us