Indian King Tavern Museum

Indian King Tavern Museum is New Jersey’s first state-owned historic site (acquired in 1903), housed in a historic 270-year-old landmark structure in downtown Haddonfield in Camden County.

The tavern played a pivotal role in the American Revolution: it is the historic location where New Jersey completed its transition from colony to state in 1777 by ratifying the Great Seal, revising election laws, and supporting the Continental Army.

Today, The Indian King Tavern Museum offers free tours and history lessons to all who knock on its solid oak door. Student field trips are at no cost to the students nor schools and often teachers create entire lesson plans around their visits to Indian King.

18th-century colonial tavern architecture, Revolutionary War historic exhibits, guided museum tours, and downtown Haddonfield location. Great for Revolutionary War enthusiasts, educational field trips, and historical downtown walkers.

Situated in walkable downtown Haddonfield, the museum provides immersive living history experiences that connect modern visitors to New Jersey’s founding statehood moments. Indian King Tavern Museum is located at 233 Kings Highway East in Haddonfield. Contact the museum to confirm current public touring schedules and special living-history events.

History & Legacy: Birthplace of the State of New Jersey

Designed and built by Philadelphia merchant Matthias Aspden c. 1750, the tavern became a pivotal political sanctuary during the Revolutionary War. In 1777, as wartime battles threatened standard meeting spots, New Jersey lawmakers convened on the tavern’s second floor. Here, the legislature officially ratified the Declaration of Independence into state law, created the Council of Safety, and substituted the word “State” for “Colony” in all official legal documents—making Indian King Tavern the official birthplace of New Jersey statehood. In 1903, it became New Jersey’s very first historic site preserved by the state.

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