Mount Tabor House Tour

Saturday, September 28, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — Rain or Shine – $30 in Advance or $35 Tour Day

Experience the unique qualities of this historic community, exuberant Victorian gingerbread houses, and charming cottage gardens.

Advance Ticket: $30

Tickets may also be purchased on tour day for $35 at the check-in table near the Old Firehouse on Simpson Avenue. The parking shuttle will drop you off at this location.

Note Deadlines:
ADVANCE ONLINE orders will close at noon on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Advance orders by MAIL must be received by noon on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.

Note on Advance Tickets:
You will NOT receive an electronic ticket or a ticket by mail.
A list of advance purchasers will be at the check-in table. You may choose to bring your receipt as a backup.

To order tickets by MAIL, send your check along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Mount Tabor Historical Society – House Tour, P.O. Box 271, Mount Tabor, NJ 07878

This walkable, self-guided tour of the Mount Tabor Historic District tour highlights some of Mount Tabor’s most delightful Victorian Houses and unique “hidden gardens.”

Houses and gardens can be visited in any order between 11 am and 4 pm, allowing guests to go at their own pace. All tours begin at the check-in table near the Old Firehouse on Simpson Avenue where printed tour booklets with the self-guided map can be picked up or purchased on tour day. The tour route within the historic district has some moderate hills, so it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes. As box lunches are not offered this year, visitors are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy in the parks or at tables in the Bethel.

Encounter the rich heritage of the community by stepping inside a furnished replica Camp Meeting Tent and visiting the remarkable period interior of the Richardson History House, a camp meeting cottage museum. Inside the historic Tabernacle, you will find displayed a large and diverse quilt show. Enhancing your experience in the Historic District are 20 signposts with QR codes that link to information and historic images of each location. Enjoy learning more about Mount Tabor history!

Founded in 1869, the Mount Tabor Historic District embodies the distinctive characteristics of a permanent Methodist Camp Meeting Ground that evolved into a summer residential community. Particularly notable is the architecture of the early camp meeting Stick-Style and Gothic Revival-influenced cottages with their prominent steep gables, open porches, and elaborate gingerbread embellishments.

DIRECTIONS
Mount Tabor is located in Morris County along Route 53 between Denville and Morris Plains. Mount Tabor is a stop on the NJ Transit Morris & Essex line. Click for detailed driving directions or a map of the Mount Tabor historic district for House Tour Day.

PARKING
Parking is very limited in Mount Tabor! We have arranged for easy parking and free shuttle service at the Mount Tabor Elementary School on Park Road, located a half-mile south off of Route 53. (Use this address for online maps or GPS: 864 Park Rd Morris Plains NJ). The shuttle will run continuously to and from Mount Tabor from 10:30-4:30.

Advance Ticket: $30

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for FAQ sheet.

For additional information call 973-975-0001, or email us at [email protected]

This event is the largest fundraiser for the Mount Tabor Historical Society. The non-profit organization puts all event proceeds back into the community through beautification, educational, and preservation projects, including the restoration of the Richardson History House.

ABOUT THE MOUNT TABOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Mount Tabor Historical Society is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to preserve and restore the Victorian heritage of Mount Tabor, NJ, to increase community awareness and participation in planning for the future, in harmony with its past. Formed in 1990, the all-volunteer organization is active in the community hosting educational activities, speakers, and programs for the public. The MTHS is a proud steward of the Richardson History House, a camp meeting cottage museum open to the public on the second Sunday of every month from 12 to 4 pm and by appointment. Funding for the restoration of the Richardson History House has been received from the Morris County Historic Preservation Fund, an operating expenses grant provided by the Morris County Heritage Commission, and proceeds from MTHS fundraisers such as our annual historic house tour and many individual donors.

ABOUT MOUNT TABOR, NEW JERSEY
Mount Tabor was founded in 1869 as a Methodist camp meeting ground – the site where a camp meeting was held for ten days each summer and evolved into a summer resort community. Eventually, the summer tents and cottages became year-round houses, still within the dimensions of the original 25-foot-by-16-foot tent lots. The close proximity and tiny lots created an environment that fostered the diminutive gingerbread cottages so prominent in camp meeting communities.

Today, Mount Tabor is a year-round neighborhood within Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and still enjoys the strong sense of community its founders intended. It has a historic heritage that is being proudly preserved.

Mount Tabor was listed on the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places in January 2015 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 2015.