Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton is launching a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary with new programs and special events, including a speaker series examining the founding of the nation through a modern lens.
Known as the former home of Founding Father Richard Stockton, Morven is marking the semiquincentennial throughout 2026 with hands-on programs, historical tours, afternoon teas, and expert talks highlighting lesser-known stories from the nation’s founding.
A centerpiece of the offerings is Generation Declaration, a new speaker series that brings public historians, scholars, and writers to Morven to explore underrepresented, surprising, and often-overlooked aspects of the Declaration of Independence.
The first talk in the series, Slavery and the Declaration of Independence: The Deleted Clauses, will be held Jan. 25 and feature Holly Brewer, Burke Professor of American History at the University of Maryland.
Other highlights this January include a quilting event celebrating America’s birthday, a curator talk on a rare USS Princeton memorial artwork, the return of Morven’s popular afternoon tea service, and an after-hours curators tour of the new exhibition Northern Family, Southern Ties.
Here is a full list of January 2026 events at Morven:
“No-Sew” Great American Birthday Quilt Event. Sunday, Jan. 11, 12:30–3:30 p.m. Guests are invited to help create a quilt block for the 250-foot-long “Great American Birthday Quilt.” No sewing skills are needed—fabric and fabric glue will be provided. The drop-in event is hosted by the Princeton Daughters of the American Revolution. Attendees should plan for 90 minutes to complete a square. Free with registration at morven.org/events
Morven’s Curator Corner: USS Princeton Memorial Artwork. This virtual lunchtime talk on Tuesday, Jan. 13 from noon-1 p.m. will give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at a recently acquired mourning picture made in remembrance of those lost in the 1844 explosion aboard the USS Princeton. The event is part of Morven’s free Curator Corner series. Online link provided with registration. Free with registration at morven.org/events
Afternoon Tea with The Secret Tea Room. Thursday and Friday, Jan. 15 and 16 at noon and 2:15 p.m. A Cream Tea service featuring fine teas, warm scones, tea sandwiches, and more, served on chinaware in Morven’s Garden Room. Tickets include admission to the museum and an optional guided tour. $55 per guest/$45 for Morven members at morven.org/events
Slavery and the Declaration of Independence: The Deleted Clauses. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2–3:30 p.m. Historian Holly Brewer will explore deleted clauses from the original draft of the Declaration, including those that condemned the English king’s role in perpetuating slavery. $20 general/$15 members/$10 students with ID at morven.org/events
Meet the Curators Tour: Northern Family, Southern Ties. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6:30–7:30 p.m. (rain date: Thursday, Jan. 29, 6:30–7:30 p.m.). Morven’s curatorial and research staff will lead a behind-the-scenes, after-hours tour of the museum’s newest exhibition, Northern Family, Southern Ties. The result of three years of research, the exhibition explores how a marriage between a Princeton political family and a Charleston planter family before the Civil War shaped New Jersey’s history and complicated the traditional North-South divide. $15 general / $10 Members / $5 students with ID at morven.org/events
Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street in Princeton. For full details on all programs and registration, visit morven.org/events.
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