Tours of St. Paul's Church N.H.S.
We are pleased to offer tours of the museum, the historic church and the burial yard at St. Paul's during the site's normal hours of operation. From January - June, that would be Monday to Friday, at the following times: 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM and 4 PM. (From January-June, we are also open the second Saturday of each month, noon to 4 PM.) From July to December, these tours would be available Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM and 4 PM. Advance reservations are required, through https://www.recreation.gov/.
To really engage the history of these centruies old grounds, encompassing the museum, historic church and the historic cemtery, you should allow about 1.5 hours.
During the period of heavy school visitation -- generally in the fall from October to early December, and in the spring from late March to late June -- it would be advantageous to visit the site after 12 noon, to be assured of receiving a staff led tour.
Beginning in the museum/visitors' center, the tour encompasses a brief orientation video, and an opportunity to view our exhibitions. The current feature display is , "The Emergence of a National Historic Site: St. Paul's Between the World Wars". Staff then guide visitors through the 18th-century stone and brick church that served as a Revolutionary War hospital, interpreting an interesting array of cultural and historical features of the interior of the edifice, which has been restored to its original 1787 appearance. After completing the church tour, visitors are led through some of the icononic features of the five acre cemetery, which is one of the nation's oldest, continuously used burial yards.
Some visitors may appreciate the opportunity to explore the church on their own, with staff present for questions and additional information.
This self-guided tour explores the interior of St. Paul's Church, with background information and brief descriptions of some of the features of the 18th century edifice.
Many visitors prefer to walk across the grounds of the historic cemetery at their own pace, perhaps discovering their own sense of history and place. We have assembled, "Exploring Early American History at St. Paul's: A 13-Point self guided tour of the village green and the historic cemetery". This is the text and map for a self-guided tour that explores the colonial era and the American Revolution, as preserved and interpreted at St. Paul's. It takes about 45 minutes. Enjoy and learn.
Self guided Tour exploring the African American history of St. Paul's
This is the text and map for a self guided tour of the historic cemetery exploring topics in the site's African Amercan history, with an emphasis on military service members. It include six points of interest and would probably take about a half an hour.
We are pleased to assist visitors with family history and genealogical inquiries related to the burials in our historic cemetery. However, these inquries can be time consuming and demanding of staff attention. For that reason, it is strongly recommended to make a special reservation if you are planning to visit our site for those inquries. Call 914-667-4116.