Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07101-0540
(973) 596-6550 • 596-6613 groups • 596-6558 school programs
www.newarkmuseum.org

The Newark Museum has been described as one of the most beautiful in the country. It is also the largest museum complex in New Jersey.

The Museum's tremendous collections include American Paintings and Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Africa, The Americas, The Pacific -- featuring items ranging from the pre-Columbian era to the present; Classical Art; Arts of Asia; Numismatics; and The Natural Sciences, including the Dreyfuss Planetarium and a Mini-Zoo with more than 100 animals representing 43 species.

The Decorative Arts Wing of the Museum is housed in the newly restored Ballantine House. Built for the famous brewer, this fabulous brick and limestone mansion was designated a National Landmark in 1985. Throughout the entire nation there are few opportunities to view a home such as this. Eight period rooms and two hallways illustrate a luxurious Victorian era lifestyle. Six galleries display decorative objects from the 1650's to the present.

As a family resource, the Newark Museum is hard to beat. A calendar full of special events, exhibitions, classes and workshops, concerts, and theater productions (in a 300-seat auditorium) offers exciting and educational activities throughout the year. The Junior Gallery presents great interactive exhibits for youngsters and their families, as well as a variety of workshops. Education and activities for individuals, families and groups has been a Museum specialty since 1909.

School Programs here are outstanding. Just a few of the many programs for grades pre-K through 12 include, Asian Journey (pre-K - 1): in the Asian Galleries, youngsters hunt dragons and make a dragon puppet; Water, Water Everywhere (grades 2 - 6): hands-on experiments reveal the properties of water; Art as Ideas (grades 4 - 12): with sketch pad and pencil in hand, students explore contemporary art through the Museum's collections; and Worlds of Wonder (grades 6 - 12): students learn of the exciting discoveries made during the past two decades about our solar system (Planetarium Program). Most programs last about 90 minutes. Self-Guided Group Tours can also be had for groups choosing not to take a program.

A complete brochure is available from the Education Dept. In addition, there are about a dozen Outreach Programs for the classroom, including Starlab, the Museum's portable planetarium.

Teachers may participate in a free one-hour program to help them better prepare students for a Museum visit.

This is a great place with an experienced staff that takes pride in the quality of exhibitions and programs. And it is close-by.


Hours: Wednesday thru Sunday, 12 - 5pm. Closed Mondays , except for some holiday Mondays, and Tuesdays. Closed New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission:
Adults $12.00 Children $7.00 Veterans & Family with ID $7.00
Seniors $7.00 Students $7.00
Planetarium Shows cost an additional $5.00 for Adults and $3.00 for Children.
Groups: School Programs cost $7.00 to $12.00 per person, including chaperones and teachers, depending on season and number of programs. Newark Public Schools FREE, not including Planetarium.
Group Reservations: At least 6 weeks in advance.
Lunch: Museum Cafe.
Handicapped Access: Accessible.
Directions: From the west: Garden State Pkwy, exit 145, to I-280 East. Take right-hand fork of I-280, toward Harrison, to exit 14A for King Blvd. From ramp turn right onto Martin Luther King Blvd. At first light turn left onto Orange St., at next light turn right onto University Ave. Turn left onto Central Ave. At next light turn left onto Washington St. Park on left. From the east: NJ Turnpike to exit 15W to I-280 West. From I-280 take the second exit marked 15 for State Street. Turn right from ramp, following sign for Broad St. At first light take sharp right onto University Ave. At Central Ave. turn left, and at next light turn left onto Washington St. Park on left. About 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge.

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