Morven
Morven Museum & Garden.Photo:Debra Lampert-Rudman.

Morven Museum and Garden will reopen on Thursday, July 9. The exhibition “Dreaming of Utopia: Roosevelt, New Jersey” has been extended until January 24 of 2021.

During the month of July, Morven will welcome its members from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily, closing from 12:30 to 1 p.m. for cleaning. From 1 to 4 p.m., Morven will be open to members and the general public.  

“Our venerable front porch wisteria has even graced us with a second blooming, just in time for our reopening,” Morven Executive Director Jill Barry Barry said.

“We thank all of our supporters for the successes of our plant sales, outdoor tours, and recent 4th of July Jubilee in a Bag,” Barry said. “People were tremendously understanding when we canceled Morven in May and continued their support, enabling us to get to where we are today.”

Morven is following all CDC and local health official guidelines including:

  • Masking staff. Morven has also installed safety shields at the gift shop and welcome desk.
  • Requiring six feet of social distance between staff and visitors
  • Cleaning all high-touch areas before opening to the public
  • Closing for a half hour at 12:30 p.m. daily to repeat cleaning
  • Installing hand sanitizer stations in the gift shop, museum entrance, outside the bathrooms, and on the second-floor landing before the gallery entrance

Morven staff have developed new protocols for visitors.

“Our protocols for visitors are meant to ensure the safety of everyone, while inside our galleries and outside in our gardens,” Barry said.

Visitors requirements:

  • Stay at home if you are sick, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or have had known exposure to the virus.  
  • Wear face masks at all times indoors and during outdoor tours. If you are within proximity of others anywhere on the property, you are required to wear your mask.  Morven does not provide masks.
  • Adhere to social distancing guidelines and stay at least six feet away from other visitors, staff, and volunteers.
  • Only one visitor party at a time should enter the gift shop and the West Wing Gallery. Wait in the Starkey Courtyard or on the back porch for the few minutes it may take to clear the space for your turn.
  • In the galleries, visitors should be mindful of others and allow plenty of space. 
  • Follow all instructions from staff members during your visit. 
  • Visitors not following requirements will be asked to leave.

Barry said Morven will be monitoring the guest load in the museum and will limit attendance to maintain the safe movement of all guests. “If we are at or near capacity, you will be informed before you purchase your ticket,” she said.

Visitors interested in a private museum tour for up to 12 guests without other visitors in the museum can reserve a day and time in advance for $200 an hour.  For complete details, contact Debra Lampert-Rudman at Dlampertrudman@morven.org or 609-924-8144 x 106.

Morven was originally part of a 5,500-acre tract purchased from William Penn in 1701 by the Stockton family, it is the home of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It served as a Stockton homestead for several generations into the 20th century and was also the home to three generations of enslaved families, Morven was home to the families and household staff of Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Morven was the first New Jersey Governors’ Mansion and was home to five New Jersey governors and their families and staff members.

Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ.  Full details about Morven’s history can be found at www.morven.org