As one of the original 13 colonies, New Jersey has been at the center of the action since our nation’s founding. Over the years, celebrities, politicians, and dignitaries from all over the globe have traveled to the shores of the Garden State. Over the years, presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden have made their way to New Jersey for anything from campaigns to coastal vacations, leaving behind a trail of fascinating stories. To learn more about the many presidential passages, you’re invited to join the Trenton City Museum and Louis L. Picone for an engaging discussion surrounding these exemplary executives’ travels to New Jersey.
Throughout May, the Trenton City Museum will host a two-part lecture series exploring presidential visits to New Jersey throughout history. The talks will be held at the beautiful Ellarslie Mansion, 299 Parkside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08606. The lecture series will be broken into the following seminars:
- Saturday, May 6th, from 2 pm to 4 pm: The President Is Dead! Assassinations, Bloodletting, Medical Malpractice, and more dignified endings for the American Presidents
- Saturday, May 20, 2-4 p.m.: Presidents in the Garden State: Living, vacationing, and dying in New Jersey with a particular focus on Trenton
These fascinating sessions will be hosted by presidential historian and award-winning author Louis L. Picone. In addition, both lectures in the series will feature a Q&A portion and book signing opportunities, and a reception following the discussion. The cost of admission, which is $20 for Trenton Museum Society members and $25 for non-members, will cover the price of admission for both installments of the lecture. If you’re interested in attending, tickets can be purchased online here: Tickets – Presidential Visits.
As an expert on all things presidential, Louis Picone is well-qualified to take guests through the fascinating history of New Jersey’s presidential past. Picone has authored several critically-acclaimed works throughout his career, including Grant’s Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon, The President Is Dead! The Extraordinary Stories of the Presidential Deaths, Final Days, Burials, and Beyond and Where the Presidents Were Born: The History & Preservation of the Presidential Birthplaces. Louis is a member of the Authors Guild, the American Historical Association, and the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Association and is also a trustee on the Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association in Caldwell, NJ, board. He holds a Master’s in History and teaches at William Paterson University.
Throughout his fascinating career, Picone has extensively explored the role of the presidency and the places we commemorate them. As a result of his work, Picone has been featured in several prestigious outlets, including Time Magazine, C-Span, the B.B.C., NPR, and the Washington Post. Louis was also featured on the program “American Mystery” on the Travel Channel to discuss the mystery of J.F.K.’s missing brain. With his impressive resumé in tow, Picone is bringing his years of expertise to the Capital City.
The host for this fascinating discussion, the Trenton City Museum, is a beacon for culture and creativity tucked away at Cadwalader Park. In addition to its fascinating exhibits and artifacts, the Trenton City Museum hosts various community events, educational seminars, performances, and more. As the only museum dedicated to all things Trenton, the Trenton City Museum plays a unique role in preserving and uplifting the cultural history of the Capital City. If you’d like to read more about all the happenings at the Ellarslie Mansion, you can check out their website here: Home – T.C.M.
As it turns out, you don’t have to take a trip to the White House to learn more about the fascinating history of our nation’s leaders. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please get in touch with the Trenton City Museum at tms@ellarslie.org or (609) 989-1191. We’re making the executive decision that you won’t want to miss this presidential conversation, so be sure to secure your tickets today!