You are invited to visit the Society for the grand opening of our newly renovated Birdsall Room. For close to a year, a team of volunteers has worked with professional graphic artist & exhibit designer Stan Cain to completely overhaul the exhibit space on the lower level. The new exhibit starts with a focus on NJ's first inhabitants,the Lenape, & continues with exhibits of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars, the tragic Hindenburg disaster, the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, and of course, the Jersey Shore.

Spend an afternoon with Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Victoria Woodhull, Alice Paul and Sarah Jane Corson Downs as re-enactors illustrate different pathways to women's suffrage. Dr. Lyndell O'Hara, Professor & Chair, Department of History at Nyack College in New York City & member of the Historical Society of Ocean Grove, NJ, will introduce & clarify the linkages among these women in their quest for the freedom to vote in their respective lives. To reserve your seat at this riveting performance, call 732-341-1880. There is no entry fee, but donations are accepted. Refreshments will be served.

Thanks to funding by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, we invite you to welcome author & Professor Emeritus of History at Union College, Dr. Laurence Hogan. Dr. Hogan will introduce us to a veteran Negro Leaguer, as well as to Kevin Kane, author of "KC at the Bat."  Selections from the documentary, "Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson," will be shown. You will learn about the rich relationships in "Blackball" during the segregation era in the US & NJ. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served.

The Ocean County Historical Society invites you to enjoy exciting tales of New Jersey shipwrecks that now rest in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," presented by acclaimed author and Harvey Cedars resident, Margaret Buchholz. A writer of essays, stories, and books, owner of and writer for a Jersey Shore newspaper (The Beachcomber), and world traveler, Ms. Buchholz will also explore the history of the Lifesaving Service and the development of the U.S. Coast Guard through illustrations, photographs, and readings. Admission is free; donations are accepted. Refreshments will be served. Please call 732-341-1880 for reservations.

Take your mom or your best friend to tea! Ocean County Historical Society is hosting its Spring Victorian Tea at The Mathis House, 600 Main Street, Toms River. Enjoy a scone with clotted cream, dainty tea sandwiches, tempting desserts and fine teas as you celebrate the beauty of spring in this lovely historic home. Perhaps you'll win a door prize! Choose the 12:00 or 3:00 PM seating and call Pat Moore at 732-814-2979 for your reservation starting April 6th. Your check is $30.00 for members or $35.00 for non-members and is made out & mailed to OCHS at 26 Hadley Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753 with TEA/PAT marked in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope. Checks must be received within five (5) days of the phone reservation to confirm your seat. There are no refunds.

Come join us for a full day of Art, Performance Art, Live Music, food and more. Rain date Aug 16th, 2020

Enjoy via Zoom a free, illustrated talk by Specialist Professor of Public History at Monmouth University, Melissa Ziobro, without leaving the comfort of your home! Learn the fascinating history of Toms River's Camp Albocondo: Then and Now, a story of recreational patterns, community service, philanthropy, and environmentalism. Register for the program by emailing your name, zip code, and date of program (9/20) to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. You will be contacted with the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

Enjoy via Zoom a free, illustrated talk by Specialist Professor of Public History at Monmouth University, Melissa Ziobro, without leaving the comfort of your home! Learn the fascinating history of Toms River's Camp Albocondo: Then and Now, a story of recreational patterns, community service, philanthropy, and environmentalism. Register for the program by emailing your name, zip code, and date of program (9/20) to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. You will be contacted with the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

Join Ocean County Historical Society in viewing at no charge via Zoom "Great Storms of the Jersey Shore," with co-authors Margaret Buchholz and Scott Mazzella. The 2nd edition of their popular book is a must-read. It includes commentary about climate, sea level rise, and the future of the coast, along with personal accounts from storm survivors and exciting photographs that document our history of wild storms. Register by emailing oceancounty.history@verizon.net with your name, zip code and date of the program (10/18). You will be contacted with the Zoom link a few days before the event.

Attorney William Huneke will return to Ocean County Historical Society's program schedule for a fascinating Zoom presentation. Bill has enjoyed an almost lifelong hobby of collecting political campaign memorabilia, which now number over 5,000 pieces! You will enjoy learning about the history of campaign items - badges, banners, ribbons, metal tokens, and celluloid covered pinback buttons - and what they tell us about elections. Some focus on the issues, some purely on personalities. Selling a candidate is in many ways just like selling cereal or other consumer products. Bill's collection contains something from every major candidate from 1840 on & is non-partisan/bi-partisan, all in good fun. Bring your interest, your questions, and if you have any items at home you'd like to share or ask questions about, they are welcome, too! To register for this program, send your request to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. Include your e-mail address, the name & date of the program, and your zip code. We will send you instructions for accessing the program a few days before the event.

Celebrate yet one more important role women have played in our national & state history when you tune in to OCHS's Zoom presentation. Mary Rasa, historian, former National Park interpreter, & former museum curator at Sandy Hook, will present her discoveries as she researched records & artifacts & did oral history interviews. You will learn about the U.S. Lighthouse Service from colonial days until when the Coast Guard took over in 1939, lighthouse technology & administrative history, & the second national paid position given to women in the U.S. beside that of clerk: lighthouse keeper. You will enjoy meeting several of the 140 courageous & hard-working official women keepers who enabled seafarers to navigate the U.S. shorelines more safely. To register for this free program, email your name, date of December 6, 2020, your zip code, & your email address to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

Join Dr. Jeff Schenker & his historian friend & fellow traveler, George O'Donnell, as our guides via Zoom to many of the fascinating Presidential sites they've visited in the U.S. These super-knowledgeable history lovers will share the must-see itineraries of their many year quest to learn more about the backgrounds of every U.S. President. You will enjoy the East Wing of the White House as well as a private guided tour of the White House West Wing, & chuckle at the humorous anecdotes of some of the surprises they encountered in their travels elsewhere. Jeff & George's travel odyssey will encourage you to read your brochures & pack your bags. You'll want to be prepared to visit prime historical sites in the U.S. the minute that the dreaded coronavirus is finally defeated. Just email your name, the date of January 31, 2021, your zip code, and your email address to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. You will be contacted a few days before the Zoom presentation with the link to join us as we travel vicariously.

Join OCHS as we follow our virtual lecturer & guide, Sean McHugh, into the Pine Barrens to visit Cedar Bridge Tavern in Barnegat, NJ. A Senior Archaeologist at a cultural resource consulting firm, adjunct professor at Monmouth University, and co-director of the Archaeological Field School of Monmouth University, Mr. McHugh has over 17 years of experience in archaeology & historic preservation. The c. 1816 Cedar Bridge Tavern was bought by the Ocean County Parks Department in 2007. The Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission describes it as, "a historic treasure that offers a unique window into the European experience in the N.J. Pinelands." Mr. McHugh conducted numerous archaeological investigations there in advance of the county's improvement project. Sign up for this Zoom presentation by emailing your name, zip code, email address, and Cedar Bridge Tavern program to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

The Faire will be held in the Toms River South Cafetorium, located off of Hooper Avenue in Toms River. There will be over 50 tables of antiques, crafts & collectibles, plus local history books, local historical societies' exhibits, local artist exhibits, children's entertainment, music, baked goods and a snack bar with hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, bagels, soft drinks, etc.  There will be a classic car display presented by NJ Shore Regional National Chrysler Products Club and a model railroad display by the Ocean County Model Railroad Club. Also, we will have the kickoff of our large annual "50-50 raffle" & free tours of the Ocean County Historical Society's Elizabeth Sculthorp Force House. New additions include Allaire Village costumed tradesman display, 1880's baseball costumed exhibit, World War I re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors including musket firing, suffragist exhibit with free commemorative giveaways, and renown Jersey Shore artist Cathleen Engelsen. Free balloon animals from Freckles the clown on Saturday from 9am-12pm and Sunday from 10am-1pm. Admission is $2.00 each day for people 18 and over.  Masks will be required. Masks will be required. For general public or vendor information, please call Jeff at 609-339-9134.

The Faire will be held in the Toms River South Cafetorium, located off of Hooper Avenue in Toms River. There will be over 50 tables of antiques, crafts & collectibles, plus local history books, local historical societies' exhibits, local artist exhibits, children's entertainment, music, baked goods and a snack bar with hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, bagels, soft drinks, etc.  There will be a classic car display presented by NJ Shore Regional National Chrysler Products Club and a model railroad display by the Ocean County Model Railroad Club. Also, we will have the kickoff of our large annual "50-50 raffle" & free tours of the Ocean County Historical Society's Elizabeth Sculthorp Force House. New additions include Allaire Village costumed tradesman display, 1880's baseball costumed exhibit, World War I re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors including musket firing, suffragist exhibit with free commemorative giveaways, and renown Jersey Shore artist Cathleen Engelsen. Free balloon animals from Freckles the clown on Saturday from 9am-12pm and Sunday from 10am-1pm. Admission is $2.00 each day for people 18 and over.  Masks will be required. Masks will be required. For general public or vendor information, please call Jeff at 609-339-9134.