Old Barracks Museum

Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey is the only surviving British colonial barracks in the United States, built in 1758 during the French and Indian War to house British soldiers. The stone barracks building is a National Historic Landmark and housed Hessian troops the night before Washington's famous crossing and the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776. The museum presents the story of colonial and Revolutionary War Trenton through furnished rooms displaying period weapons, uniforms, equipment, and household objects. Living history interpreters in 18th-century dress demonstrate musket loading, medical practices, and colonial domestic life throughout the day. The barracks building itself — two-story stone construction with original window and door frames — is the primary attraction; the ground-floor rooms have been recreated as soldiers' quarters, an officer's room, and a colonial hospital ward. The adjacent Commander's House and exhibition galleries provide additional context on the Battle of Trenton and the Delaware River crossing. Admission is modest and the museum is a short walk from Trenton's state capitol complex, making it pairable with the New Jersey State House on the same visit. The museum closes on Sundays and Mondays and runs enhanced programs during the December Battle of Trenton anniversary period.