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Walking Tours

Available public walking tour dates are listed below, and can also be found on our calendar of events. 

If you have more than eight people in your group, please contact eve@princetonhistory.org to schedule a private tour. Private tours of town and campus are available by request for up to 25 participants ($20 per person, $200 minimum). 

Walking tours are generously supported by

 

Princeton History Sunday Tour

“We have lived here for nearly 17 years and are familiar with the town and campus. This is the first time we took the tour and wished we had taken it earlier since we learned a fair amount of new information and factoids. (Our guide) was informative and entertaining … Thanks for offering a great resource for the community.” – S. A.

Enjoy a 2-mile walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Nassau Hall, University Chapel, and Palmer Square. In addition to the early history of the town, founding of the University and Revolutionary War,  guides will share some of the lesser-known stories of Princeton’s diverse past. 

Tickets are $20. 

Advance purchase is required. Due to space limitations, we cannot accommodate last minute add-ons at the start of the tour. 

Portions of the tour may include stairs and hills, please notify guide of any accessibility needs.

Tours are held in light rain; in the event of severe inclement weather, a message will be sent to the email address used when booking. Tours may also be cancelled if not enough attendees sign-up. You can also click here for an update on HSP’s calendar of events. Refunds or ticket exchanges will be issued only if the tour is cancelled.

PARKING: Meters are enforced 7 days a week. Free parking is available on weekends in Princeton University’s numbered lots.

Tickets

Princeton History Walking Tour on April 27, 2025, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Princeton University Eating Clubs Tour on May 3, 2025, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Mystery Under the Stars on May 31, 2025, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Click to buy tickets or view more dates.

Themed History Walks

History/Nature Hike at Institute Woods

Join us on a hike through the treasured Institute Woods to explore bits of history, as well as the sites and sounds that form this unique and serene setting. Hear stories about the Woods’ origin and the ways IAS mathematicians, physicists, and other members have engaged with it. Stops along the way will highlight the history of early Stony Brook, the Battle of Princeton, the Old Trolley trail, the establishment of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Founders Rock. We will make a special stop at the infamous Swinging Bridge, then hike over to the observation decks at the adjacent Rogers Wildlife Refuge. 

Tour starts at the Princeton Battlefield parking lot at 500 Mercer Street, Princeton.

Tickets are available for the following date: May 24 at 4:00 pm.

Princeton University Eating Clubs

Join author Clifford Zink on a walking tour outside Princeton University’s majestic eating clubs. Learn about the architecture, origins, and development of the sixteen Classical and Gothic-style clubhouses, which date from 1895 to 1928. 
Tour starts outside Colonial Club, 40 Prospect Avenue.

Copies of Zink’s 2017 book, The Princeton Eating Clubs, will be available for sale at a discounted price at the tour.
Co-sponsored by Princeton Prospect Foundation and the Historical Society of Princeton.

Tickets are available for the following dates: April 19 and May 3 at 10:00 am. 

The Magic and History of Marquand Park

Explore this incredible preserve with members of the Marquand Park Foundation, who will share the property’s history and highlight the native and exotic trees in the collection. Tour starts at Lover’s Lane parking lot in Marquand Park.

The May 10 tour is included as part of a special program at Morven Museum and Garden. Click here for more information and to register.

Historic Jugtown Walking Tour

Join historian Clifford Zink for a tour of Princeton’s third oldest neighborhood, the Jugtown Historic District. First called Queenston, the area started as a crossroads settlement around 1730. View the architectural evolution of the neighborhood, while enjoying some stories of people who lived and worked here. Locations will include the site of the potteries that gave Jugtown its name, the attempted women’s college in Princeton, and the quarries that supplied stone for the construction of many of Princeton’s buildings.  Tour starts in front of the Hook and Ladder Co. firehouse, 27 N. Harrison Street.

Check back for upcoming tour dates. 

Digital Tours

Explore some of Princeton’s most notable – and more hidden – places, with the help of unique material from HSP’s extensive collections. Click the links below to access our digital tours on the web via a smartphone, tablet, or computer: