Liberty Hall Museum Expands Summer Programming for Children

Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University will offer an interactive tour of the museum specifically geared for children ages 7 - 12 throughout the summer. In A Child's View of History, offered Tuesdays and Thursdays now through August 28 (11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.), young people will step back in time and see the museum through the eyes of its youngest former occupants: the children who resided at Liberty Hall over the past 240 years. Each room will feature a variety of artifacts children are welcome to touch, and tours will also include outdoor games, activities and light refreshments. Admission is $8 per child, and $10 per adult.

"We love offering special tours for children because it gives them a chance to see the history we have to offer on their level," stated Lacey Bongard, Liberty Hall's Coordinator of Museum Programs. "Plus, the children love the fact that this kind of tour lets them touch items they normally wouldn't be able to on a regular tour."

The museum will also offer its very first Summer Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 26 (Noon to 3 p.m.). "We're excited to see families enjoying quality time together and getting a sense of what fun activities families would have done together 100 years ago," Ms. Bongard continued, noting that guests would have the opportunity to experience Colonial and Victorian lawn games, a croquet tournament, relay races, crafts and much more. Light refreshments will be served; admission is $12 per child, and $10 per adult. Reservations can be made by calling 908-527-0400.

Liberty Hall's weekly Farmer's Market continues every Thursday (Noon - 7 pm), and features Jersey Fresh produce, bread, wine, cheese, baked goods, honey, prepared foods, and natural skin care products, as well as food trucks. The recently debuted Junior Farmer's Club, which meets the fourth Thursday of every month, offers children an opportunity to learn about farming through hands-on activities they can take home with them. At this month's Club (Thursday, July 24), children will take home their own planting starter kits, and learn how to turn garden beds and plant basil leaves and sunflowers with Market Manager Susan Beddia. Two sessions will be offered: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. for ages 2-5, and 3:30-4:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up. Admission is $3 per child, and reservations are required; please email farmersmarket@kean.edu for more information.

Adults will enjoy Liberty Hall's latest installment in its popular luncheon series, Dining on the Titanic (Saturday, July 19; Noon - 3 p.m.). Inspired by the Kean family's own multiple voyages on the Olympic, the Titanic's sister ship, this elegant luncheon invites visitors to step back in time to the most celebrated of the ship's specialty restaurants, the Café Parisien. Guests will sample a menu inspired by the Titanic's bill of fare, served on replica china from the ship, while taking in the serene vistas of Liberty Hall's formal gardens from the museum's glass-enclosed porch, echoing the Café Parisien's own sun-lit veranda. Admission is $55.00 per person, and includes a guided tour of Bon Voyage! 200 Years of Luxury Travel. Reservations are required, as space is limited; additional dates include August 16, September 13, and November 15.

Finally, reservations are also available for Liberty Hall's ongoing Afternoon Tea series, offered the second and fourth Wednesday of every month (July 9 & 23) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. In the grand tradition of Mary Alice Kean, Liberty Hall's last official resident, this exquisite traditional tea service features a selection of scones, assorted pastries, traditional finger sandwiches, and fresh fruit. Admission is $40, and includes a guided tour of Bon Voyage! 200 Years of Luxury Travel. Reservations are required by calling 908-527-0400 or emailing libertyhall@kean.edu.

Liberty Hall Museum is proud to participate in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation's service members, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families from Memorial Day, May 26, 2014 through Labor Day, September 1, 2014. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. For more information, please visit http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.

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. Tours of Liberty Hall run Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the hour; the last tour departs at 3 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults, $8 for Kean alumni, and $6 for children and seniors. Kean students and faculty are free.

For reservations and further information, please call 908-527-0400, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall. Please follow Liberty Hall Museum on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/libertyhallmuseum, or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LibertyHallKean.

Liberty Hall Museum is made possible in part through funding from The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Photo Courtesy of Liberty Hall Museum.

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