The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum

This autumn, make sure you add our upcoming events to your calendar! You won’t want to miss any of them!

Here’s a quick list – but check back for updates – or follow us on Facebook/Insta/Twitter!

• Moonlight Tavern Night – A Night of Sea Shanties and Tavern Songs Under the Harvest Moon
  Saturday, Sept 21, 2024 – To celebrate the commencement of the Harvest Season, The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum will be hosting our fourth annual Moonlight Tavern Night on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The revelry begins at 7:30 PM in the Tavern yard, with live music beginning at 8 PM.
  …more info or purchase tickets
• Famed Ghost Hunter Bruce Tango Kicks-Off to Spooky Season 2024
  Saturday, Sept 28, 2024 – The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum will welcome back famed Ghost Hunter and paranormal expert Bruce Tango, for an evening of hauntingly good fun with special guest Chris DiCesare, paranormal author and filmmaker seen on Syfy and the Travel Channel.
  …more info or purchase tickets
• Ghosts of the Past Daytime Cemetery Tours – Rahway Works
  Sunday, Oct 6, 2024 – This year marks the 30th year of our annual program “Ghosts of the Past” cemetery tour where visitors tour the Rahway Cemetery and meet the “ghosts” of some of Rahway’s notable citizens and hear their stories. Costumed actors will be positioned at the gravesites of individuals to give accounts of their biographies.
  …more info or purchase tickets
• 4 Centuries in a Weekend
  Saturday and Sunday, Oct 19 and 20, 2024 – Over two dozen museums and historic sites across Union County will be open both days giving history buffs a chance to take a journey through more than 400 years of history. Member volunteers will be in our Museum to provide tours and answer questions about our building’s history. On Sunday, October 20 only, a hearth cooking demonstration will be ongoing in our rustic kitchen. Visitors will be invited to step into the kitchen to experience the sights and aromas of the past and watch as our cooks prepare a full meal. We hope you will join us to sample the food items as they are prepared throughout the day.
• Spirits of Rahway Lantern Lit Cemetery Tours
  Friday and Saturday, Oct 25 and 26, 2024 – This October, the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum will once again host “The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour of the Rahway Cemetery” on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26. Tours begin after sundown at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 PM. Guests on this moonlit tour will be escorted through the cemetery by lantern light by their “spirit guide”, who will share thirteen stories of ghostly encounters, tragic deaths, and unsolved murders.
  …more info or purchase tickets
• “Connecting the Universe” at Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum with Mike Ricksecker
  Saturday, Nov 9, 2024 – Known for his appearances on shows such as History Channel’s Ancient Aliens and The UnXplained as well as Travel Channel’s Alaska Triangle (and many more), Mike Rickesecker will now be sharing his vast knowledge of the supernatural at the historic Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum in Rahway, NJ. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the field!
  …more info or purchase tickets

Hearth Cooking Comes to the Merchants and Drovers!

Thanks to a 2022 grant from the Union County HEART (History, Education, and Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant Program, Hearth Cooking is returning to the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum!

On a very warm day in August, our intrepid volunteers and board members participated in a “practice run” of traditional hearth cooking in our historic kitchen, in anticipation of the upcoming Four Centuries in a Weekend event, coming on October 15, 2022. The Bill of Fare for the day was roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, three sisters soup and of course, for dessert, an apple pie. And yes, it was REALLY hot in that kitchen!

Please mark your calendars for Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend, coming up on Oct. 15 and 16th. Our museum will be open both days, but the Hearth Cooking Demo will ONLY be on Saturday. For more info – check out event!