Upcoming Events at the Merchants and Drovers
Click for more information on each event!
Calling all Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, and Buccaneers!*
Join us for a Night of Sea Shanties and Tavern Songs under the Harvest Moon!
(Click here to purchase tickets!)
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.
Music will be provided by the Brooklyn Bards, who will entertain attendees with Irish folk music, sea shanties, and other traditional tavern drinking songs. The Brooklyn Bards hail from Brooklyn, NY and include three musicians on fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo, tin whistle, guitar, and percussion. All members also sing lead and harmony.
In honor of the sea shanty play list and in the spirit of the Halloween Season, pirate attire and accessories are encouraged at this event!
Beer, wine, and light hors d’oeuvres will be offered. To stay warm in the cool autumn air, rum-spiked mulled apple cider will be served. Guests are welcome to gather around the fire pits, raise a pint, toast marshmallows, and sing along with their favorite traditional songs.
The festivities begin at 7:30 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Tickets are $25 for the general public and $20 for museum members. Tickets include tokens for spiritous drinks (drink tokens for 21 and over only) and refreshments. This event is recommended for guests 21 and over.
This event will be held outside in the tavern yard, weather permitting. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the festivities indoors.
All Parking will be at Parkside Plaza, 1600 St. Georges Avenue in Rahway, NJ. The Museum is located at the corner of St. Georges and Westfield Avenues in Rahway, NJ.
Do you know the difference between pirates, privateers, corsairs, and buccaneers? If not, don’t worry – we’ll print out the definitions, and you can read up on a bit of historical terminology as you check in to the event!
Click here for all the information, or to purchase tickets!
Here are some of what we have in store for all who attend:
- A Meet and Greet with Chris and Bruce<
- A Great Dinner
- Showing of Chris’ Highly Acclaimed Film, “Please Talk With Me.”
- Q & A With Chris and Bruce
- An EVP Session with Chris and Bruce with playback right away
- We’ll be playing an old Groucho Marks game, “Say The Secret Word” and anyone who says the secret word will win a GREAT prize!
- Raffles with GREAT prizes
- If time permits, a tour of the haunted tavern.
Early Bird Special Offer !!!!
The First 15 People who purchase tickets for this event will be entered into a drawing. The winner will win prizes along with the price of their ticket being refunded back to them!!! So please get your tickets ASAP as we have very limited seating.
It’s going to be a great evening!
Ghosts of the Past Daytime Cemetery Tours 2024
Rahway Works!
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.
The theme for the 2024 performance is “Rahway Works” and will feature industrialists, artists, writers, and architects, factory workers, and laborers. The tour will include sculptor John Frazee, industrialist William Squier, Architect Seymour Williams, and author Carolyn Wells. Visitors will also be taken to the graves of members of the working class including Cath-erine Anderson, innkeeper at the Merchants and Drovers, factory workers Elmer Bogart and Octave Challiet, Ambo, an enslaved woman, and clock maker Isaac Brokaw. Factory owners William Flatt, Andrew Jardine, and John Urmstron will present information on their businesses.
Tours start at noon and groups leave every fifteen minutes with each tour lasting approximately two hours. The last tour goes out at 4:00 PM. Since we anticipate large crowds, tour time reservations are recommended to ensure a desired starting time. Admission for this educational tour is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for members and seniors (65+), and $5.00 for children (12 and under). Parking is available at Parkside Plaza, 1600 St. Georges Avenue just a half block from the Museum.
This year’s Ghosts of the Past tour is made possible with support from the Union County Board of County Commissioners HEART (History, Education, and Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant program.
Four Centuries in a Weekend
Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20
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. Visitors will also have an opportunity to visit the gravesite of Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who is buried in the historic Rahway Cemetery, which is within walking distance of the museum.
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.
Booklets listing each of the participating sites and passport books will be available at the sign up table.
Admission to all locations is free and each will be open from noon to 5:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Visit as many as you can.
Four Centuries in a Weekend
Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20
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. Visitors will also have an opportunity to visit the gravesite of Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who is buried in the historic Rahway Cemetery, which is within walking distance of the museum.
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.
Booklets listing each of the participating sites and passport books will be available at the sign up table.
Admission to all locations is free and each will be open from noon to 5:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Visit as many as you can.
The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour
This October, the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum will once again host The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour of the Rahway Cemetery. Taking place on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, this nighttime tour will showcase the sinister side of Rahway’s history. Guests will be escorted through the cemetery by their “Spirit Guide” who will relay thirteen true stories of murder, tragic deaths, and the unexplained goings on within the cemetery gates.
Tours begin after sundown at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 p.m. Tours last approximately one hour. Reservations are required.
Tickets are $25 per person. After the walk, guests are invited back to the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum for light refreshments.
Due to high demand, museum members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public. Check your newsletter for the password to grab your tickets early!
Member presale tickets will be available until Saturday, August 31 at midnight. General sales will begin Sunday, September 1. Reserve your spot early, as this tour sells out every year
The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour
This October, the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum will once again host The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour of the Rahway Cemetery. Taking place on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, this nighttime tour will showcase the sinister side of Rahway’s history. Guests will be escorted through the cemetery by their “Spirit Guide” who will relay thirteen true stories of murder, tragic deaths, and the unexplained goings on within the cemetery gates.
Tours begin after sundown at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 p.m. Tours last approximately one hour. Reservations are required.
Tickets are $25 per person. After the walk, guests are invited back to the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum for light refreshments.
Due to high demand, museum members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public. Check your newsletter for the password to grab your tickets early!
Member presale tickets will be available until Saturday, August 31 at midnight. General sales will begin Sunday, September 1. Reserve your spot early, as this tour sells out every year
Connecting the Universe – Featuring Mike Ricksecker
About this event
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 Ricksecker 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!
Content:
- Stargates, PortalsAncient Symbolism
- The Egypt – Atlantis Connection
- Triangle Areas of the World
- Consciousness and Time Travel
Schedule:
- 12:30 – 1:00 PM: Check-in (please do not arrive early)
- 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Presentations (30-minute break included)
- 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Wrap Up
- L ight refreshments provided
Note: No physical tickets. Please bring your e-ticket or purchaser ID to check-in. No refunds.
