There is a great and rich history behind harvest time, autumn and the celebration of Halloween. For students of Kean University, there is no better place to celebrate October festivities than at Liberty Hall. The Liberty Hall Museum and Academic Center has a full lineup of autumn and Halloween inspired events for the local and Kean community to be immersed in the season and surrounded by history.
The historic Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University is a place where visitors can experience life as it was through generations of the Kean and Livingston families. There they can learn about their struggles and accomplishments. Members of the Kean and Livingston families have become congressmen, senators and businessmen. Most notably, William Livingston, the first elected governor of New Jersey, was a resident of Liberty Hall.
On Friday, Oct. 25, the Liberty Hall Museum will be hosting special Candlelit Ghost tours of the Liberty Hall mansion and property. These candlelit tours emit a spooky atmosphere as one walks through the property and hear about the paranormal experiences of the Liberty Hall staff. These tours are a perfect way to get in the mood for the season while also learning about history and the paranormal. Admission for this event is $20 for adults , $18 per Kean alumni, Liberty Hall Members and current Kean students and $13 for children. The tours will take place at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Home of the late Livingston and Kean families, the Liberty Hall Museum shares their stories.
As a part of the Four Centuries in a Weekend, hosted by Union County, Liberty Hall Museum and all historic sites in Union County will be open with free admission Sunday, Oct. 20. This event invites people from all over the county to explore the rich history of the Union County area. Liberty Hall will be offering complimentary tours of the first floor of the Liberty Hall house as well as allowing self guided tours of the property gardens and grounds. This event is free of charge for all attendees.
Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. an Adult Pumpkin Carving Party will be happening at the Liberty Hall Museum. Liberty Hall invites people over the age of 21 to enjoy a night out with pumpkin carving, decorating and drinking. Halloween music will be playing, wine and beer will be served and prizes are going to be given away to the most creative pumpkin designs. Admission for this event is $30 per person and $25 per Kean alumnus, Liberty Hall Members and current Kean students. Admission includes a pumpkin, carving materials and refreshments.
To close out, Liberty Hall's Fall programming is the Annual Pumpkin Patch Day! A fun Fall tradition for the family, Pumpkin Patch Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. Come to Liberty Hall to enjoy a day of pumpkin picking, hayrides, pumpkin carving, painting, crafts and much more. Admission for this event is $12 for children above the age of three, $8 for adults and free for children under the age of three.
For the Annual Pumpkin Patch Day, Liberty Hall is looking for Kean University volunteers. If students are interested in helping out with this festive day and engaging with children and families, contact Rachel Goldberg at Liberty Hall Museum ragoldberg@kean.edu.
Tickets for all of these events can be purchased online through the Liberty Hall Museum website. There, one can also see a calendar of all of Liberty Hall's upcoming events for the next couple of months.
If one is interested in any of these October festivities, call (908) 527-0400 or email libertyhall@kean.edu to reserve your spot or for more information. For those wishing to visit the museum in person, Liberty Hall is located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union, New Jersey.
