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Quick answer: The best historic mansions you can tour in Morris County this winter are Macculloch Hall and Acorn Hall in Morristown, the Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park and Gustav Stickley’s Log House at Craftsman Farms. Fosterfields and Historic Speedwell closed for the season on Oct. 31 and reopen April 1.
Morris County has some of the best preserved old houses in New Jersey, and a surprising number of them still open their front doors to the public. You can stand in the rooms where George Washington spent a winter, see the dining table of a canal builder, or walk through an Arts and Crafts log house built by one of America’s great furniture makers.
We ranked these seven mansions and house museums by how easy they are to actually tour this winter, starting with the ones that keep regular hours right through the holidays. If you want the bigger picture of battlefields, churches and landmarks, our guide to the best historic sites in Morris County covers more ground.
1. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown
Built in 1810, this brick Federal mansion was home to George Macculloch, the man who dreamed up the Morris Canal. His office still holds an 1822 survey map of the canal, and the center hall is a permanent gallery on political cartoonist Thomas Nast, whose family home still stands across Macculloch Avenue. Guided house tours run about 45 minutes, and the gardens are free and open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk.
Coming up: a museum open house on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tour with the Curator on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. Nast fans should also see our post on the Thomas Nast lecture at the Morris County Library.
Address: 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown
Hours: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
Admission: $15 adults, $10 seniors and students, $5 children 5 to 17
2. Acorn Hall, Morristown
Acorn Hall is the photo on this page, and it looks even better in person. Built in 1853 for Dr. John Schermerhorn, it was bought by Augustus and Mary Crane in 1857 and grew into the Italianate showpiece you see today, tower and lacy porch included. Four generations of the Crane and Hone family lived here until 1971, so much of what fills the rooms is original, which is why it is considered one of the best preserved Victorian house museums in the state. It is also home base for the Morris County Historical Society.
Address: 68 Morris Ave., Morristown
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Call 973 267 3465 to confirm tour times.
3. Ford Mansion, Morristown
George and Martha Washington spent the brutal winter of 1779 to 1780 in this Georgian home, which the widow Theodosia Ford shared with the general and his staff. Today it is part of Morristown National Historical Park, and you can only see the inside on a ranger guided tour. Free tour passes are handed out first come, first served at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum next door, so arrive early on weekends.
Address: 30 Washington Place, Morristown
Hours: Museum open Thursday through Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, and all park buildings close Jan. 4 to Feb. 12, 2027.
Admission: Free
4. The Log House at Craftsman Farms, Parsippany
Gustav Stickley built Craftsman Farms between 1908 and 1917 as the fullest expression of his Craftsman style, and the chestnut Log House at its heart is now a National Historic Landmark. The Stickley Museum is open year round, but only by guided tour, which means you get a docent walking you through the furniture, copper and lighting Stickley designed for his own family. Introductory tours run Friday through Sunday. Crafty visitors can grab a seat at the Pysanky holiday ornament workshop on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Address: 2352 Route 10 West, Morris Plains mailing address (Parsippany)
Hours: Guided tours Friday through Sunday. Check the tour calendar at stickleymuseum.org.
5. The Frelinghuysen Mansion, Morris Township
The white Colonial Revival mansion at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum was built in 1891 as a summer home for George and Sara Frelinghuysen, designed by the Boston firm Rotch and Tilden to feel like an English country estate. It is not a furnished house museum, so think of this one as a grand exterior you can admire while you wander the free gardens. Bare winter trees make it easier to see the whole facade from the lawn.
Address: 353 East Hanover Ave., Morris Township
Hours: Grounds open daily, 8 a.m. to sunset
Admission: Free
6. The Willows at Fosterfields, Morris Township
This three story Gothic Revival home was built in 1854 for General Joseph Warren Revere, a grandson of Paul Revere. Charles Foster later bought the estate and named it Fosterfields, and his daughter Caroline lived here for nearly 100 years. The farm closed for the season on Oct. 31 and reopens April 1, and The Willows recently went through a restoration, so check the Morris County Park Commission calendar before planning a spring tour or a holiday program.
Address: 73 Kahdena Road, Morris Township
Season: April 1 to Oct. 31
Admission: $5, children 3 and under free
7. The Vail House at Historic Speedwell, Morristown
Historic Speedwell is the old Vail family ironworks estate, where Alfred Vail and Samuel Morse worked on the telegraph. The Vail House tour walks you through fully furnished period rooms showing how the family lived in the 1800s and early 1900s, in tours that start on the hour and last about 30 minutes. Like Fosterfields, Speedwell’s season ended Oct. 31, so save this one for spring.
Address: 333 Speedwell Ave., Morristown
Season: April 1 to Oct. 31
Admission: $5, children 5 and under free
Tips for touring Morris County’s historic houses
Most of these homes are run by small nonprofits or park staff, so call ahead before a long drive, especially around holidays. Pair Macculloch Hall, Acorn Hall and the Ford Mansion into one Morristown afternoon, since all three are within a few minutes of the Green. If you are building a bigger day, our roundup of the best museums in Morris County has more indoor ideas.
Frequently asked questions
Which Morris County mansions are open for tours in winter?
Macculloch Hall, Acorn Hall, the Ford Mansion and the Log House at Craftsman Farms all keep regular tour hours in November and December. Fosterfields and Historic Speedwell are closed until April 1.
Is the Ford Mansion free to tour?
Yes. Tours are free, but passes are first come, first served at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum, and there are no reservations.
Where can I see Thomas Nast’s work in Morristown?
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum has a permanent Thomas Nast gallery in its center hall, and his family home still stands across Macculloch Avenue.
Photo: Magpieturtle, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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