Small museum with larger than life personal tour guide to walk you through the interesting life of…read moreThomas Edison. Known for 1 of the 1st inventors of the light bulb and phonographs Edison had over 400 patents. A few of his original inventions are located in this museum and the grounds are lit up at night. Worth the $ 7 entry and discounts are available for active military.

This place was tiny, but powerful! Filled with a lot of history. So close to home and never knew it…read morewas there. It took a half hour with the guided tour and she was very knowledgeable about the things of Thomas Edison. The museum is a little small but holds lots of facts About who he was. I recommend it to anyone that wants to learn more history about people that were part of New Jersey.

Not an expert on these types of expos but had a great time. Lots of varieties of rocks, gems,…read morefossils etc. Plenty of parking (free), crowded but not jam packed, easy access to bathrooms). Kiddo loved the "Scoop on poop" exhibit - small but educational and fun. 4 stars only because I think $20 entry per person (or $18 if you buy online) including for kids over 3, is a bit much considering you're going in order to buy things and spend money. Would still recommend but could be an expensive day for a large family. You should at least let kids go free up to 12 or something.

From the owner: 2020 SHOW DATES: Wednesday, April 15 thru Sunday, April 19 The Junior Ballroom will again be…read moreaglow with ultraviolet mineral specimens. This huge family-friendly show and sale features common | intermediate | investment grade mineral specimens, fossils, dinosaurs, meteorites, gemstones, artisan jewelry, amber, turquoise, emeralds, beads, findings, gold, silver, crystals, cabochons, science gifts, metaphysical, interior decor, petrified wood, craftsman jewelry boxes, tools, supplies, and so much, MUCH more! Prices are 60% to 90% lower than museum stores, gift shops, and jewelry outlets because this is where they come to buy. This is a 2-4 hour family event that keeps the kids busy with activities and the adults happy perusing all the amazing items and learning new things.

FREE worthwhile museum, open until 6pm most nights!…read more I had exactly one hour (not enough time) at this museum before we needed to leave for a 3:30pm showtime at the State Theater NJ, which is an easy 15-min walk away. While a great stop to pair with theater, an hour is not enough time to see the full permanent collection let alone the temporary exhibits. I recommend at least 2h for this museum. The Soviet art was very exciting to me. I love Russian 20th C writers as well as those of the two centuries before. But this collection focuses on the times of Solzhenitsyn and just after Chekhov / Tolstoy. It was so wonderful to see the visual art counterpart to the literary works of the era. The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University offers FREE admission to everyone (as does nearby Princeton Art Museum). However, in both cases, you need to research parking because this is all overwrought university town systems, designed to nickel-and-dime, wasting your day navigating garages for available spots, adding apps to pay, or keeping track of tickets. I digress for this nuisance that really beats fun out of the experience. Nonetheless, the museum itself is a worthy stop if you are in the area. I highly recommend pairing with a visit to Rutgers Gardens (see my other reviews), just a 7min drive away, with free admission and a free parking lot!

Beautiful free to the public art museum on the campus of Rutgers University New Brunswick campus…read more There's a very nice selection of art and sculptures and also rotating exhibits when I went it was Andy Warhol. It's definitely worth a visit and there's plenty of parking and restaurants in the area around the museum. Plus the whole area is a nice place for a walk. It's definitely worth a visit it's one of my favorite museums

This place was pretty interesting. I remember going here a few years back just for kicks! The…read moreplace is pretty old! Just like a fellow yelper Lauren T. said here, Indiana Jones must have an office here. The place has a couple of exhibits: Museum exhibits include a wide variety of anthropological, geological and natural history of different specimens of animals and humans. Some of the highlights of the museum collection that I remember was: A dinosaur trackway from Towaco, NJ, with a model of Grallator, the small carnivorous dinosaur. My favorite was the big mastodon from Salem County, NJ. this was found in 1869. The skeleton was mounted in 1896 and remounted in 1932. Pretty big elephant if you tell me! An Egyptian mummy. This 2,400 year old mummy was brought to Rutgers by a missionary of the Dutch Reformed Church. This was awesome! Mineral exhibits featuring the zeolite minerals of Paterson, NJ, and the zinc minerals of Franklin, NJ. Oh yeah they also do birthday parties here for kids. They do three Saturdays a month. Kids get to learn about historical remains! And I hear they get goodie bags at the end of the party. Check this place out. You may actually enjoy it.

This is a small museum and great for kids, but I was really concerned with the safety of the top…read morelevel of the museum. You enter it through a small spiral staircase that's hard to maneuver. The top banister is decades old and very shaky. I was there with three young kids - which is what the museum is best for - and I was very nervous on that top level. It was also difficult to get to the museum itself because there's no elevator.

It's definitely not for everyone. I will say the price is very affordable at $16, but it literally…read morejust includes a walk through tour. It would have been nice to have the option to sit in the garden, or even have some group photos taken somewhere other than the gift shop and parking lot. I think a few things could have been done to elevate the experience, for instance offering some refreshments or seating in the garden instead of waiting in the gift shop for enough people for the tour to start. If you're at all interested in this era it's worth trying for $16

I had the opportunity to visit the Liberty Hall Museum for a Yelp Elite Event…read more This place is so beautiful and is sort of hidden within the Kean University campus, not sure if that's intentional, but I love it. I was able to visit the mansion and was fascinated by the history behind it. As I enter one of the dinning room, I notice it was decorated for a young boy's birthday/Halloween party. Later on I found out from one of the tour guide that the little boy's birthday party was around Halloween in 1930. Haha! He's 86 years old and the decoration that was used in 1930 was the same decoration displayed today in that dinning room - please check my picture out. Now that's amazing! The rest of the mansion and museum is indeed historical and tells a special story. As I made my way into the British garden I was wowed. The garden is picture perfect and is well maintained. For those planning on having an outdoor and well reserved wedding, I'd recommend this place. For my fellow New Yorkers that don't drive. It's convenient to get to Liberty Hall Museum with the N113 bus from Port Authority! It's beautiful to visit during the fall!

I'm a big time American revolutionary era fan. Benjamin Franklin is one of my all time favorite…read morefounding fathers. The propriety house was home to William Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's son. So this historic house has been on my list of places to visit. Kerry, the intern, was my tour guide. He did such a good job of showing me around. I was happy to have finally toured the Royal Governor's mansion. The ladies of the house host tea time Wednesday afternoon!

Was part of a volunteer crew laying a paver sidewalk out front. I and Steve, a member of the…read morepreservation group were the last two still working, late in the day. I heard a voice call out Steve! Looking around, not a living soul on the street, no passing cars, no one inside the Proprietary House. I looked over at Steve and he said, "You heard that, didn't you?" Apparently, one of the spirits at the house often calls to him when it's quit and few are around.

I checked this place out because of a recent Civil War reenactment event, and I was incredibly…read moreimpressed. It could have been an all day event and I wish I had come earlier because I missed some things like the weapons demonstration. Aside from the regular buildings, there was a camp set up with soldiers, nurses, doctors, cooks, and other professionals that would have been part of a civil war brigade. The reenactors were extremely knowledge and informative with various props and photos from the era. We did get sucked into the singing presentations at the tavern featuring the Libby Prison Band and Matthew Dodd singing period stories and telling comical tales. They alternated presenting on the hour with new songs each hour. For a free presentation, it was thorough, entertaining, and thoughtful. There was plenty of parking and a small gift shop (not too many site specific souvenirs though). I will keep an eye on the calendar and return for future events.

Wonderful place to learn NJ history. I grew up in NJ and…read moredidn't learn about it until a recent visit with a friend.

My daughter booked a surprise birthday party for my granddaughter and everyone, young and old, had…read morea great time. Mini golf was fun for all of us, as well as all of the arcade games. The party pizzas were really good and the perfect size for the little ones. The staff hosted were exceptionally organized and friendly, making the day great. Having private rooms for gatherings was also an awesome touch.

Cool place & idea. The kids had a great time. There could be better direction with the mini golf…read moreitself. The only issue is that people catch up quickly. If there is a party of 4, then 2, another 2, then 3 it gets messy. Great for non busy days. I couldn't imagine how rough it gets when it gets busy. My kids loved the murals and the monsters. They wished the DJ was DJing lol.

If you are looking for a jaunt through time go to the Miller Cory museum. This Colonial home in…read moreWestfield, NJ offers historic re-enactments, Colonial Cooking demonstrations and a charming 1740 home/environment. Don't miss this historical gem!

From the owner: Built in 7140, the Miller-Cory House Museum's goal is to bring early American history to life…read morethrough special programs, group tours, open-hearth cooking demonstrations and other community services. It offers a unique opportunity for children, adults and families to learn about our heritage.

What a great way to spend a chilly December day. I brought my kiddos to YESTERcades to meet up…read morewith their cousins and to partake in some fun old school arcade games. I've been to the one in Red Bank but never to the Westfield one. It is quite spacious, and even though it was pretty crowded, there was plenty of space to move around and to play every game that you wanted to. The pricing was super reasonable - I got each of my kids wristbands and paid at the end. We were probably there for about an hour and 45 minutes and for both of them it cost me $31.00. Not bad at all. They played so many games - from old school Ninja Turtles, to The Simpsons, to Paper Boy, to duck hunt, to skee ball, to pool, to air hockey, and the coolest Atari pong table I've ever seen - they had SO much fun. The workers were very kind and helpful. They set up one of the consoles for them to play on. They played a little Minecraft (though none of them knew what they were doing). They workers even helped them a little, which was very kind since it was so busy. We will definitely stop by again, it was so much fun, I might even play next time!

Great for all ages! Love that it's a flat hourly rate and you can play everything. Kids get to…read moreexperience the nostalgic cabinet console feel (and make fun of ancient graphics) and adults can lounge on sofas playing any number of new or retro classics on a variety of gaming platforms! Also a great location so you can pop out for good food in the town of westfield!