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The Pathways of History Fall Tour returns on Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, 2026, opening dozens of Morris County museums, historic homes, and landmarks to the public for free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Now in its 17th year and organized by the Morris County Historical Society, the self-guided tour this fall features 32 historic sites run by 28 local, all-volunteer history organizations, and it runs rain or shine.
Many of these places are only open a handful of days a year, so this is the weekend to finally step inside the old schoolhouse or farmhouse you drive past every week.
How the Pathways of History Tour Works
There are no tickets and no set starting point. You pick any participating site, show up between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and build your own route from there. The tour is split into two loops:
- Blue Tour: Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Red Tour: Sunday, October 4, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Both days: A few sites are open Saturday and Sunday.
The organizers post a downloadable tour map and site list so you can plan the order ahead of time. Every participating organization offers free admission for the weekend.
A couple of house rules: food and drink are not allowed inside the historic buildings, and unless a site posts otherwise, public restrooms are not available, so plan your stops accordingly.
Saturday, October 3: Blue Tour Sites
- L’Ecole Kinnelon Museum, Kinnelon
- The Glenburn Estate, Riverdale (Riverdale Land Conservancy)
- Martin Berry House, Pompton Plains
- Pompton Plains Railroad Station, Pompton Plains
- Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History, Boonton (Historical Society of Boonton Township)
- Henry Doremus House, Towaco
- Lincoln Park History Museum, Lincoln Park
- Dr. Condict House, Dover
- Second Union School, Denville
- Tunis-Ellicks House and New Vernon Historic District, Harding Township
- Red Brick Schoolhouse Museum, Chatham Township
Sunday, October 4: Red Tour Sites
- George Chamberlain House, Oak Ridge
- Ford-Faesch House, Rockaway Township
- Borough of Rockaway Historical Museum, Rockaway
- Orchard Street Cemetery, Dover
- Morris Canal Lock 2 East, Wharton (Canal Society of New Jersey)
- Richardson History House, Mount Tabor
- Randolph Friends Meeting House and Cemetery, Randolph
- The Randolph Museum, Randolph
- Bridget Smith House Museum, Mine Hill
- King House and Store, Ledgewood
- The 1700s Silas Riggs House, Ledgewood
- Chester’s Rockefeller Center, Chester
- Union Schoolhouse, Union Church and Burial Ground, Long Valley
Open Both Days
- United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey, Boonton Yard, Boonton
- Ayres/Knuth Farm, Denville
- Bowlsby-DeGelleke House, Parsippany
- Little Red Schoolhouse, Florham Park
Some organizations run more than one building, which is how 28 groups add up to 32 sites. Check the full venue list for exact addresses and any special exhibits before you head out.
Stops Worth Planning Around
The Merci Train boxcar in Boonton. The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey will have its New Jersey Merci Train boxcar on display at Boonton Yard, 104 Morris Avenue. It is a rare surviving French “40 and 8” military railcar, built to carry 40 soldiers or eight horses, and it sits among a collection of roughly 60 historic locomotives and railroad cars. Boonton Yard is open both days, which makes it an easy anchor for either loop.
The Henry Doremus House in Towaco. The Dutch stone farmhouse at 490 Main Road dates to around 1760 and is open Saturday only, courtesy of the Montville Township Historical Society.
L’Ecole Kinnelon Museum. Housed in a former one-room schoolhouse at 25 Kiel Avenue in Kinnelon, the museum features exhibits on education and women’s health. Saturday only.
The Glenburn Estate in Riverdale. The estate at 211 Hamburg Turnpike was purchased by the Borough of Riverdale in 2006, and the Riverdale Land Conservancy is now restoring the house and barn. It is part of Saturday’s Blue Tour.
The Richardson History House in Mount Tabor. Sunday’s stop in Parsippany is a good excuse to wander the hillside village around it. Our guide to Mount Tabor’s Victorian cottages has the backstory.
Why This Year Is Bigger
The tour started in 2009 with just five participating organizations. It has since grown to more than 115 volunteers, and in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, organizers say a record number of locations will be open this year, with several groups adding special exhibits and presentations. The 2026 tour is part of Morris County’s larger Semiquincentennial celebration, as detailed in the county’s announcement.
Pathways lands on a packed weekend, so it is easy to combine a few historic stops with a festival or two. See our roundup of things to do in Morris County this weekend, and if the ruins and canal history of the Red Tour hook you, keep going with our guide to the forgotten iron and canal ruins of Morris County.
Pathways of History 2026 at a Glance
- What: 17th annual Pathways of History Fall Tour, a free self-guided tour of historic sites and museums
- When: Saturday, October 3 (Blue Tour) and Sunday, October 4 (Red Tour), 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: 32 sites across Morris County
- Cost: Free
- Weather: Rain or shine
- Info and map: PathwaysofHistoryNJ.net
Featured graphic courtesy of the Morris County Historical Society, via pathwaysofhistorynj.net.
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