Nassau Hall - Princeton

NJ - Trenton, New Jersey, USA

Elm Drive, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA

MUSEUM

VISITOR INFORMATION

Nassau Hall is an active university administration building without regular museum hours. Campus grounds can be visited, but interior access is limited to university business or special programs.

https://princetoniana.princeton.edu/campus/nassau-hall

This is a working university administration building rather than a standalone museum. It is primarily seen on the student-led campus tour or viewed from the outside; general campus restrooms and parking apply rather than dedicated visitor facilities.

SITE FEATURES

Surviving Structures

Academic ceremonies and campus events can concentrate activity. A reliable annual tourist peak for Nassau Hall was not established.

May-June or September-October for campus and building-exterior walks. Check university visitor access, academic events and any authorized interior tour separately.

HISTORIC SITES NEARBY

Nearby Historic Sites

miles

Landmark

WHO WAS HERE

4

George Washington

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison

Aaron Burr

About Nassau Hall - Princeton

Nassau Hall figured prominently in both the military and political history of the Revolution. British and American troops occupied the building, and fighting reached its grounds during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. A Continental cannon reportedly fired upon British soldiers sheltering inside. In 1783, the Confederation Congress met here and received news confirming the peace that secured American independence.

The repeatedly restored 1756 stone building remains an active administrative landmark on Princeton University’s campus. Its exterior, historic interior spaces, memorials, and architectural fabric remain within landscaped grounds, although successive fires and renovations have substantially altered the original college and wartime building.

History happened here at Nassau Hall - Princeton

During the American Revolutionary War, Nassau Hall was possessed by both British and American forces and suffered considerable damage, especially during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. From June 30 to November 4, 1783, Princeton was the provisional capital of the United States, and Nassau Hall served as its seat of government.

The Congress of the Confederation met in the building's library on the second floor. According to Princeton University, "Here Congress congratulated George Washington on his successful termination of the war, received the news of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, and welcomed the first foreign minister—from the Netherlands—accredited to the United States."

At present, Nassau Hall houses Princeton University's administrative offices, including that of the university's president. Old Nassau refers affectionately to the building and serves as a metonym for the university as a whole.