Did you know that in the modest township of Paterson New Jersey there’s a castle that’s everything but modest? Quick history lesson: This castle is called Lambert’s Castle who lived there when it was built in 1892. The Lamberts wanted a home that was reminiscent of the castles in Great Britain. Long story short, once the family passed away the castle was sold to the city of Paterson in 1932 then was turned into a museum in the 1990s.
Although this historic landmark is a museum year-round, for one month of the year it’s transformed into a magical Christmas boutique. This boutique is full of handmade Christmas ornaments, handcrafted jewelry, homemade dip mixes, jams, soup mixes and delectable chocolate treats. It’s the perfect place to find Christmas gifts or to just walk around and admire all of the handcrafted work.
Photos by Lydia Parker
I’ve been going since I was a kid with my parents and it’s something we look forward to doing every year. It’s a place where you can find gifts for everyone: this year they have a whole section dedicated to gifts for men which they never had before. There’s an entry fee to get in, but you get a ticket to go a second time for free with your first entry payment.
Over the years of going, I’ve purchased decorations from pillows to ornaments to cute plaques. When I went this year I was able to get gifts for five of my friends… so there’s basically all of my Christmas shopping done in one place.
Each item in the boutique is handmade… there are ornaments you can get personalized. Items made from sheet music, or wine corks. Thousands of different and unique items for any type of gift you need for yourself or someone else.
The one problem is that this Christmas paradise is first come first serve so the faster you get there the greater chance you have to get exactly what you’re looking for. Since everything is handmade no two items are alike; that’s what makes this historic landmark a hidden gem in Paterson New Jersey. It also doesn’t hurt that the cafe on the fourth floor has food that would make me go to the castle just to eat.
So get to Lambert’s Castle before it’s too late and the perfect gift you’re looking for is snatched up by someone else.
Photo by Lydia Parker