Colonel Tye: Fighting for Freedom

This immersive experience uses an Apple Vision Pro to bring to life the story of Colonel Tye, an enslaved man who self-emancipated during the Revolutionary War and joined the British at their base at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. His story asks us to consider what it really means to fight for freedom.

Brett Palfreyman, PhD, and I developed this project over two years along with our research assistant and exhibition facilitator James Merlino and the Sandy Hook Foundation. It was created by the experience design firm Scenery.

Colonel Tye is presented at the Monmouth County Historical Association's Taylor-Butler House in Middletown, NJ, with design by Marissa Martonyi and installation by Elizabeth Naiden.

The design embeds cutting edge technology within the framework of the 1853 house. Juxtaposing traditional architecture with digital storytelling.

The experience is open on Saturdays and Sundays, May 2 - July 25, 2026, (except for July 4 - 5) from 1pm - 4pm. 

Taylor-Butler House is located at 127 King's Highway, Middletown, NJ, 07748 (steps from NJTransit's Middletown Station). The experience lasts about 25 min. for two users at a time, first come, first served. Participants must be 13 or older. An open captioned recording of the experience will also be available during opening hours.