The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum

09/05/2026

Do you love beer? Do you love history? Join us as we welcome the Regimental Brewmeister on September 26 for a day of, you guessed it, beer!

Spend the day at the Merchants & Drovers immersed in the history of colonial beermaking. You will learn the history of beer and brewing using the techniques used in early America. You'll even take a gallon of beer home with you to continue fermenting.

And, our hearth cooks will be hard at work preparing a traditional eighteenth century light lunch!

The event runs 10 am to 3 pm. Tickets are $99 each and include more beer than you should drink, an immersive experience, and a take home growler!

Tickets are going fast! We only have a handful left! https://www.merchantsanddrovers.org/colonial-brewing

09/04/2026

"Then go back to Rahway; we are going on!"

In February of 1913, the Women's Suffrage Procession, which began in NYC, passed right down St. Georges Avenue, past the Merchants and Drovers, en route to Metuchen.

The march began on a cold morning, and as the women, having left Newark, arrived in Rahway, the already freezing weather began deteriorating into ice, snow, and slush.

Two miles outside of Rahway, some of the marchers urged the organizers to turn back. But Suffragette "General" Rosalie Jones loudly declared, "Then go back to Rahway; we are going on."

After hearing these words, not a soul turned back. Instead, the women pressed onward, another 5 miles, through deep, slushy, snow-covered mud to their resting place in Metuchen.

The Suffragettes would travel over 250 miles to Washington, D.C., arriving for a parade on Pennsylvania Avenue that took place the day before President Wilson's inauguration.

The film below was from a newsreel filmed in Newark, NJ, the morning the marchers left on their way to their next stop.

https://www.filmpreservation.org/dvds-and-books/clips/on-to-washington-1913

A wilderness comedy starring Clara Bow, preserved by the Library of Congress and presented on the Treasures 5: The West DVD set.

09/03/2026

We have something exciting to share ...soon! But here is a little preview!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/31/2026

Tickets are going fast for our Tavern Night: Comedy on Tap with Dustin Pari! Be sure to get your tickets today!

08/31/2026

Do you have a local history question you need answered? Well, do we have a resource for you!

Mr. Shipley, Rahway's own City Historian may be retired as the Director of Museum Operations, but he's still active with the M&D! You can find him next at our Ask a Historian table at the Harvesting Liberty: America at 250! Faire on October 3!

He'll be on site to answer your burning Rahway history questions and signing copies of his book, The Case of the Unknown Woman.

Bring your questions! Bonus points if you can stump his extensive knowledge of city history. But we're betting that you can't!

08/31/2026

So many wonderful events are happening at the Merchants & Drovers this fall! There's something for everyone!

From our pirate-themed Moonlight Tavern Night: A Night of Sea Shanties and Tavern Songs to our Harvesting Liberty: America at 250! Faire to the The Spirits of Rahway: A Lantern Lit Tour of the Rahway Cemetery to Bruce Tango's Halloween Kick off to Tavern Night: Comedy on Tap with Dustin Pari and Colonial Brewing: An Immersive History Experience!

From History to the haunted- the M&D has it all to make the most of your autumn season!

Visit our website for event information and tickets!

08/28/2026

FREE Event Alert! Harvesting Liberty: America at 250! will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 11 am- 3 pm. Join us for a day of history-themed demonstrations, cemetery tours, and more! Meet local organizations dedicated to the preserving the past!

08/27/2026

Pirates! Ye be warned! Join us as we welcome the Brooklyn Bards on Saturday, September 19 at our annual Moonlight Tavern Night: A Night of Sea Shanties and Tavern Songs! Pirate dress encouraged but not required. Tickets are $40 ($35 for members) and include light fare, spirituous drinks, and an all-around carousing evening of fun! Get tyour tickets today by visiting

Celebrate the harvest season with live Irish folk music, sea shanties, and traditional tavern songs by The Brooklyn Bards. Includes drinks and light fare.