Private tours
The Crane House & Historic YWCA museum is a historic house museum that explores the history of our country from its early years as an independent nation to a country embroiled in the civil rights struggle. Built back 1796, the house was the Crane family home for over 100 years. In 1920, African American women in the community purchased the home as headquarters for a YWCA, a segregated space. It was a significant part of the African American community for four decades. By 1965, the YWCA desperately needed a new building. Local preservationists moved the house to its present location and turned it into a historic house museum. Today, we tell the stories of the three generations of Cranes, the people (both enslaved and immigrants) who worked for them, the women and girls of the YWCA, and the early preservationists who fought to save this piece of Montclair's history.
Location: 110 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ 07042. All tours begin at the little red Nathaniel Crane House & Visitor Center located at the back of the parking lot.
Questions? Call 973-744-1796 or email mail@montclairhistory.org.
PRIVATE TOURS BY APPOINTMENT
Visitors can choose from our three tour options (see descriptions below). Selection is made when booking your tour.
Tours can be scheduled Tuesday - Friday at 2pm. Please call or email if you would like to set up a weekend tour date. All tours must be scheduled in advance and are subject to availability. Please know there is no air conditioning during summer months.
Cost is $25/visitor for up to 10 people. More than 10 people in your group? Please call MHC offices at 973-744-1796 or email at mail@montclairhistory.org.
SELECT FROM ANY OF THESE TOURS:
Many Voices Tour
A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO MONTCLAIR HISTORY AND THE HOUSE. This interactive tour is designed to share the many voices that are part of Montclair’s rich history, using the Crane House & Historic YWCA as a window onto different time periods and the people who are part of Montclair. Sharing the many voices within this historic house will shape a tour that connects visitors to part of the past and make it come to life. The house spans a history from 1796 to 1965 introducing a number of different voices and perspectives that shape an evolution of Montclair history for the visitor. Guided Tour. Approximately 1.5 hours long.
Women of the House Tour
The Crane House and Historic YWCA is a window on to the history of our nation from its early years as an independent country to a country embroiled in the civil rights struggle. On this special tour, hear the stories of the women who lived, worked, and played in the house. From the Crane wives, to the enslaved and paid workers of the house, to the women and girls of the African American YWCA, the Crane House & Historic YWCA has seen how a woman's role in the house and in society has changed over 200 years. Guided Tour. Approximately 1.5 hours long.
Eyewitness to Black History Tour
A THOUGHT-PROVOKING TOUR. Explore 200 years of Black history in Montclair and New Jersey through rare first-hand accounts, primary and secondary source documents. Artifacts include a bill of sale for an enslaved person in the household, an 1800s newspaper, census data, personal letters, oral histories, and mid-century Jet and Ebony magazines. These artifacts provide a springboard for discussion about race both in the past and in the present-day. Guided Tour. Approximately 1.5 hours long.
Family Tour
SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES AND/OR PODS. This kid-friendly tour has visitors experiencing American life from its beginnings in 1796 to the early 20th century. Take an interactive, age-appropriate tour of the Crane House and visit an historic hearth kitchen. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Guided Tour. Approximately 1.5 hours long.