Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winter on record. The park also maintains a museum and library collection related to the encampments and to George Washington, as well as items from both pre- and post-Revolutionary America.
About under an hour from New York and 1.5 hours from Philadelphia by car.
Alerts
- InformationTemporary Closure of the Lloyd W. Smith Gallery in the Museum
The Lloyd W. Smith Gallery will be closed temporarily due to construction. All other exhibits will remain open.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Washington's Headquarters Museum and Jockey Hollow Visitor Center. | Varies by day ▾
|
| Park Grounds | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Washington's Headquarters Museum and Jockey Hollow Visitor Center.: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 28, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day |
|
| Dec 28, 2026 to Feb 11, 2027Winter Hours | Closed |
| Feb 15, 2027President's Day |
|
| Jul 4, 2027Independence Day | 9:30AM - 4:30PM |
When to go
April draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Jockey Hollow Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
This one story brick and glass structure came to the park during the preparations for the Bicentennial. Inside, visitors will find an information desk, bookstore, a painted mural depicting Jockey Hollow during the 1779 encampment, and a full scale replica of the log huts Continental Soldiers lived…
- Washington's Headquarters MuseumPassport stamp
Built by the National Park Service in the 1930s, the Washington's Headquarters Museum contains numerous artifacts about the American Revolution. There are three galleries, an auditorium, a theater, and the Discover History Center. The museum often hosts special exhibits and programs.
Explore
Things to do
- Visit Washingtons Headquarters Museum in Morristown NJ
The museum is a free of charge, self guided tour.
Opens on the Park Service site - Go on a Guided Tour of the Ford Mansion45 Minutes
The Ford Mansion can be seen by guided tour only so take advantage of the opportunity when you can! Explore the home that George Washington made his headquarters during the winter encampment of 1779-1780.
Opens on the Park Service site - Drop By Fort Nonsense in Morristown15-30 Minutes
Fort Nonsense, located in downtown Morristown, is often overlooked by park visitors, but since this small piece of the park boasts one of the best views in the area. It’s also the only officially designated picnic areas of the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Cross Estate Gardens and Hike to the NJ Brigade Encampment Site
You can go in any order once you arrive at the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Area and Cross Estate Gardens. The hike is approx. 1 mile to reach the encampment site (note: it is downhill going out, uphill coming back).
Opens on the Park Service site - Experience Jockey Hollow
Come explore Jockey Hollow! Check out the Visitor Center, drive, walk, or bike the 3-mile tour road loop, or hike some of the over 27 miles of hiking trails.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Myths & Legends: Evening Campfire Chat10/2405:30 PM · freeMeet outside the Wick House at Jockey Hollow. The Wick House parking is about 1/4 mile after the start of the tour road.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 4× · Belted Kingfisher 2× · Bald Eagle 2× · Mute Swan 2× · Great Horned Owl 2× · American Black Bear 2× · Osprey 2× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 120 birds, 15 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech Owl · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersBlack-crowned Night Heron · Blue Goose · Blue-winged Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Common Teal · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · Little Blue Heron · Mute Swan · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Common Snipe · European Herring Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Lesser Yellowlegs · Ring-billed Gull · Semipalmated Plover · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pheasant · Northern Bobwhite · Rock Dove · Ruffed Grouse
WoodpeckersRed-headed Woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsRuby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Tree Sparrow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blue-headed Vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Bobolink · Bown Thrasher · Brewster's warbler · Brown Creeper · Brown Creeper · Canada Warbler · Common Nighthawk · Common Redpoll · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Evening Grosbeak · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Great Grey Shrike · Henslow's Sparrow · Horned Lark · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Nashville Warbler · Northern Parula · Northern Shoveler · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orchard Oriole · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Red-brested Nuthatch · Ruby-crowned Kingley · Rusty Blackbird · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Southern Rough-winged Swallow · Summer Tanager · Swamp Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tree Swallow · Two-barred Crossbill · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · Whip-poor-will · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · Willow Flycatcher · Winter Wren · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-breasted Chat
Small mammalsEastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole · House Mouse · Red Squirrel · White-footed Deermouse · mole shrew
PredatorsAmerican Black Bear · Coyote · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
Also on the checklistGroundhog · Virginia Opossum
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 18 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Weather in this part of New Jersey is typical of the mid-Atlantic region--a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.
Questions people ask
Does Morristown charge an entrance fee?
No. Morristown is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Morristown?
Standard hours are 9:30AM - 4:30PM on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Morristown right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Temporary Closure of the Lloyd W. Smith Gallery in the Museum.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Morristown?
183,001 recreation visits in 2025, number 177 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Morristown?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Morristown established?
1933.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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