FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2025

Titusville, NJ – A Once-in-a-Generation Restoration at New Jersey’s Washington Crossing State Park

New Jersey’s Washington Crossing State Park is known for many things: its world-renowned history, its 1200 acres of meadows, woodlands and picnic facilities; its 13 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails; its Nature Center; and its Visitor Museum, which houses the unparalleled Swan Collection of Revolutionary War artifacts. However, much of it fell into disrepair over the years. A park that once had close to forty employees, including electricians, plumbers and arborists, is now cared for by a handful of overworked maintenance staff and a few dedicated historians.

The good news is that as 2026 and the nation’s 250th birthday approach, the site is poised to undergo an incredible, once-in-a-generation restoration. At the Washington Crossing Park Association’s (WCPA) Annual Meeting in January, NJ DEP Director of Historic Sites Mark Texel outlined upcoming improvements to the park. 

The largest project is the construction of a new $23.8 million Visitor Museum, sited in the historic zone of the park by the Johnson Ferry House. This new architectural stunner will be nestled into the landscape and covered by a living green roof. It will house exhibit halls and storage that will finally do justice to its Swan Historical Foundation collection of Revolutionary War artifacts, as well as a reception area, offices, and a fantastic view of the site of the Crossing. Its lobby will feature both a terrazzo tile map of the Delaware River and a stunning mural of Washington Crossing the Delaware painted in 1921 and recently restored by the WCPA. To further delight park visitors, the Museum will feature “The Crossing Experience:” an immersive experience in which visitors will board a reproduction ferry boat and be surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas night, 1776, as they cross the Delaware into New Jersey.

Construction began in the fall and is well underway. The building and its collection, due to be open in early 2026, will bring tens of thousands of new visitors to the park. Happily, the entire park will be prepared for the rush of visitors, thanks to the rest of the planned work which will include:

• Replaced paving throughout the park;

• A restoration of the Johnson Ferry House;

• A WCPA project to renovate the George Washington Memorial Arboretum, adjacent to the new Visitors Center. The WCPA recently received a $75k grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust to complete the planning. This funding was provided by the Trust's Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service (NPS);

• Visitor amenity improvements, including a new entrance booth, renovated restrooms, and new signage throughout the park;

• Extensive tree work, removal of invasive species and the re-introduction of native plants throughout the park;

• A restoration of the Nelson House at the site of the Crossing, thanks to a WCPA appropriation initiated by NJ state reps Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Anthony Verrelli.

Less visible work is happening as well, including a Historic Properties plan undertaken by the State of NJ, and a National Historic Landmark update, funded by two $75k Semiquincentennial grants administered by the NPS at the Department of the Interior and awarded to the WCPA and our partner organization across the river — the Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park. These projects will make this world-famous historic site eligible for future funding, allowing its legacy to be preserved for the next generation and beyond.

Current projects are expected to cost about $28 million. When completed, the park will once again reflect the acts of patriotism that took place here, and provide a more beautiful green space for visitors from all over.

The WCPA has ideas that go well past 2026. Their 5-year strategic plan calls for more conservation projects, a gift shop and outdoor café, more opportunities for family recreation, and a dream of restoring the park’s beloved Open Air Theater. The theater was destroyed by vandalism and flooding, and will have to be re-designed to protect it from both — but anything is possible with enough support.

The WCPA already has strong programs that sustain the park, including: 

• An annual “Washington’s Landing in NJ” event in December, in partnership with Pennsylvania’s Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park’s “First Crossing”;

• Guided History Tours and Table Talk History Events;

• WCPA Trail Stewards, who clear and repair trails throughout the park;

• Tai Chi and Yoga classes on the Delaware;

• Native plant restorations and invasive removal projects;

• Support for Park Historian and Naturalist events, and more.

Visit www.wcpa-nj.com to sign up for a monthly e-newsletter, to learn about projects, and to support this important work.

Contact Information:

WCPA Executive Director Annette Earling: info@washingtoncrossingparkassociation.com.