Liberty Hall Museum Reopens 4/1 with Bon Voyage! Travel Exhibit

Liberty Hall Museum will debut its new ongoing exhibit, Bon Voyage! 200 Years of Luxury Travel, when public tours resume Tuesday, April 1. "We are excited to once again open the museum to the public with a brand new exhibit, Bon Voyage! 200 Years of Luxury Travel," said Bill Schroh, Jr., Director of Museum Operations. "This exhibit tells the stories of five different trips the Livingston and Kean families took between 1780 and 1950. Visitors will be amazed at the objects brought back from around the country and the world." The exhibit, which incorporates personal diaries and letters from the museum's extensive collection of Livingston and Kean family documents, runs through November 20.

Also returning in April is Liberty Hall's signature Afternoon Tea series, offered the second and fourth Wednesday of every month (April 9 & 23) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. In the grand tradition of Mary Alice Kean, the last resident of Liberty Hall, the museum invites guests to enjoy an exquisite traditional tea service featuring a selection of scones, assorted pastries, traditional finger sandwiches, and the freshest of fruit. Tea concludes with an intimate guided tour of the museum's new ongoing exhibit, Bon Voyage! 200 Years of Luxury Travel. Admission is $40, and reservations are required by calling 908-527-0400 or emailing libertyhall@kean.edu.

Younger fans of the museum may enjoy The Girls of Liberty Hall: An Afternoon Tea in Paris (Saturday, April 5: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.), a children's tea modeled after Liberty Hall's Afternoon Tea for adults. Guests attending will be treated to an afternoon of croissants, finger sandwiches, petit fours, lemonade and iced tea on real china while watching a fashion show of reproduction children's clothing evoking the runways of Paris. Recommended for children ages 6 - 12, The Girls of Liberty Hall will also feature a dress up and play tent. The cost is $28 for children and $25 for adults, with reservations required by March 29.

Liberty Hall's ever-popular Annual Easter Egg Hunt takes place Saturday, April 19. The museum anticipates a robust turnout, and will again offer two sessions: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and Noon - 1:30 p.m. "The Easter Bunny is looking forward to once again seeing all of the kids enjoying the grounds and gardens of Liberty Hall during our Annual Easter Egg Hunt," said Schroh, who encouraged families interested in participating to reserve before April 12 to ensure availability. Each $10.00 ticket admits one child and one adult; all additional adults are $5.00.

Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University chronicles more than 240 years of American history. The museum also houses extensive collections of furniture, ceramics, textiles, toys and tools owned by seven generations of the Livingston and Kean families. The Firehouse Museum, built in 2004, houses three antique fire engines, including a rare 1911 American LaFrance Metropolitan Steam Engine. Liberty Hall Museum, located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union, resumes public tours on Tuesday, April 1.

For reservations and further information, call 908-527-0400, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall.