New Jersey Children's Museum
599 Health Valley Plaza
Paramus, NJ 07652 
(201) 262-5151 • 262-2638 groups 
www.njcm.com

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The wonderful thing about many of the so-called children's museums is that they are interactive, meaning that as well as seeing great things, kids can also do great things! 

This hands-on concept is alive and well at the New Jersey Children's Museum. Designed for children aged one to eight, the fifteen thousand square feet of carpeted exhibit space is brightly decorated and divided into thirty different rooms, each with a unique and exciting theme, and each designed to accommodate specific age groups. 

Explore the World of Animal Senses  
The Museum's newest exhibit is a state-of-the-art interactive display which uses photo-transparencies, graphics and fiber optics to illustrate a myriad of fascinating phenomena such as why a dog's eyes glow at night to how bats use sonar and more. 

The Medieval Castle 
This section features a talking 6-foot tall Knight, a kid-sized charger, costumes so kids can dress as knights, princesses, fairies and kings, and even a special Throne Room. 

Children can "fly" a real Helicopter and use a real Flight Simulator. They can learn the difference between pitch and yaw, and why helicopters have tail rotors -- then they can tell their parents! 

Kids can climb on and "drive" a real Ahrens Fire Engine while wearing fire-fighting gear and learning about fire safety. What does the doctor see when looking in your ear? Learn this and lots of other interesting facts in The Hospital. There is a Fantasy Castle. There is a Dance Room. There is a Garage, where kids just may learn to fix the family sedan.  This is a very small sampling of the many great exhibits and activities. 

Among the many other activities for children, they can 

  • Make art with computers
  • Try on astronaut gloves
  • See themselves on TV
  • Learn some sign language
  • See a puppet show
  • Spin New Jersey's largest kaleidoscope
  • Use a Bernoulli Blower and Hyperbolic Funnel
  • Climb onto a real backhoe
  • And much more

Naturally, there is comfortable seating for tired adults while the kids have fun doing things and learning. But for adults who are not that tired, there is the seat of the fire engine, or maybe even the flight simulator! 

For adults with babies, bathrooms include changing tables. 

School Groups are welcome. Required supervision is one adult per four children. Call ahead to schedule your group and receive a pre-visit guide and lesson plan. 

The New Jersey Children's Museum is also a great place to have a birthday party. Call for the special brochure on this. 

Note that the museum is very busy during school holidays, and may close if filled to capacity. So call ahead, even if you are only taking your family there. 

The New Jersey Children's Museum also has a great new website that offers detailed information on birthday parties, group visits, etc.  The address is above.


Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm. Saturday & Sunday 10am - 6pm. Closed Monday. Hours and fees subject to change without notice. Call to confirm.

Admission:

Adults $9.99
Children $11.99

Groups:

Per person $8.00 +tax

Group Reservations: At least 8 weeks in advance.

Lunch: Local restaurants.

Handicapped Access: Accessible. 

Directions: Route 4 west to Route 17 north. Approx. 3.5 miles to Ridgewood Avenue exit. Travel towards Oradell. Turn right onto Winters Avenue. Go 1/4 mile and bear right at fork to Industrial Avenue. Museum is one block on right. Entrance at rear. About 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge.

Copyright © 1996-2014 by Patrick Tadeushuk. All Rights Reserved.