MORE THAN A GARDEN TOUR: Trenton’s Mill Hill neighborhood has tied its annual garden tour with the capital city’s celebrations of the country’s 250th anniversary. Pictured is one of the unique garden spaces that were on view a previous year. (Photo by Jeffrey Tryon)

By Anne Levin

On June 6 from 12 to 5 p.m., Trenton’s Mill Hill neighborhood will welcome visitors to the meticulously maintained gardens behind, alongside, and — in some cases — in front of the 19th century homes that line Mercer, Jackson, and Clay streets. The Old Mill Hill Society Garden Tour is an annual tradition, and 2026 marks its 35th year.

That birthday coincides with another important milestone: the 250th birthday of the nation. Planners of the tour are making the most of this confluence, expanding beyond the neighborhood’s private green spaces to include nearby sites that figure highly in the capital city’s past.

“Seeds of Liberty: A Moving History Experience” will offer a shuttle bus connecting visitors from Artworks Trenton (where parking is available) to Mercer Cemetery, the William Trent House Museum, and the Old Barracks Museum — all key sites in Trenton’s history.

“I don’t do anything small,” joked Mill Hill resident Terry West, who is chairing the event. “When we started planning the tour in February, I hadn’t seen anything that the city was doing about the 250th. I saw an opportunity to attach these historic sites to the tour.”

A mini-grant secured from the Mercer County Office of Culture and Heritage is paying for the shuttle, which will serve as a kind of mobile classroom. Onboard, visitors will encounter historical interpreter Bill Agress portraying Gen. George Washington. “Drawing from letters, military accounts, and personal reflections, Washington speaks directly to passengers, bringing urgency, strategy, and human perspective to the events that unfolded in Trenton,” reads a release about the tour.

It was in Trenton, after all, that one of the most significant battles of the American Revolution took place. Led by Washington, the Continental Army launched a sneak attack on Hessian troops. The night before, on Christmas, Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River undetected, leading to Washington’s first major victory in the war.

Tourgoers can access the shuttle continuously throughout the tour, which starts at Artworks. Guided by a Seeds of Liberty Passport booklet, guests collect stamps at each location, marking their movement throughout the city. Those with stamps from all of the locations qualify for a raffle for tickets to a Trenton Thunder baseball game, a Trenton Ironhawks hockey game, the Capital Philharmonic, Passage Theater, and the Mercer County LGBTQIA gala.

At Mercer Cemetery, resting place of some 225 Civil War veterans and the first mayor of Trenton, there will be QR codes with information on the graves of prominent people. Visitors will find newly installed murals led by artist Leon Rainbow, plein- air artists working through the grounds, and live musicians performing jazz and blues.

In Mill Hill itself, more than 25 private gardens will be open to the public. “These spaces reflect both preservation and personal expression, evoking Colonial planting traditions, medicinal uses of herbs, and the enduring relationship between people and land,” reads the release.

The Trent House, which dates from 1719, is one of the earliest surviving structures in Trenton. Guided tours, an ice cream social, and a curated afternoon of cultural programs including music, dance, and a Great Migration talk are all on the schedule. The Old Barracks Museum, originally built to house British troops, is currently under renovations geared to its grand reopening on July 4. But the site will welcome visitors with outdoor programming. Guests with a “Seeds of Liberty” wristband will receive $10 off admission.

For West and neighbors planning the annual garden tour, linking the event with Trenton’s historic sites made sense. “The seeds of liberty were planted in our very own back yard,” West said. “We’re opening our gardens, but we’re also opening the city itself.”

Tickets for “Seeds of Liberty” are $20. The tour starts at Artworks, 19 Everett Alley. Visit trentonmillhill.org for more information.