For Active Tots
If your child is too young and squirmy to make it through a traditional museum setting, these playful places are the perfect solution.
Imagine That in Florham Park (in the beautiful Skylands Region) houses 20 unique and accessible interactive areas that encourage boundless play and imagination. With a three-level playscape, arts & crafts area and music room, it’s an experience that encourages kids to dream, create and grow.
Kids 6 and under can dive into the fun of an under-the-sea-themed adventure in The Wonder Wing at Monmouth Museum in Lincroft. This kid-friendly museum in NJ's Shore Region keeps high-energy tykes entertained with a pirate ship to climb, a lighthouse to explore, a whale slide, a craft room and more.
For Whimsical Wonderers
From creepy crawlies and mind-bending spaces to awe-inspiring fire and locomotive engines, curiosity-minded kids will be wowed by these specialty children’s museums in New Jersey.Kids can get the buzz on bug life at Insectropolis in Toms River, known as The Bugseum of New Jersey. Home to thousands of insects, this Shore Region attraction is crawling with cool exhibits– from the Creepy Cavern with live spiders to a “mud tube” that lets kids see what it's like to be a termite.
For social media posts with the most, tweens and teens will flip for Tilt, A Tracy Lee Stum Museum at American Dream in East Rutherford. . An immersive art experience in the Gateway Region, it offers 25 vivid displays that trick your brain with optical illusions. Advance ticket purchases are recommended.
Have a locomotive lover in the family? Little conductors rule the rails at the train-themed exhibits at Northlandz in Flemington (Central Jersey Region) and the New Jersey Museum of Transportation in Wall (Shore Region). Visit both and put your family time on track for fun.
For Sports Fans
If the trunk of your SUV is filled with your kids' balls, bats and other gear 24/7, these museums honoring athletes and the sports they play are sure to score big.
All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey in Bridgeton (NJ's Southern Shore Region) offers free admission, free parking and a collection of memorabilia from baseball, football, hockey and boxing pros hailing from the region. Think: Willie Mays' 1960 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Mike Trout's (May 14, 2014) Triple Game Used Third Base and more.
If you'd like to sneak a little education into your sports-themed outing, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls is for you. This Gateway Region attraction features exhibitions that explore history, culture, science and society within the context of sports. Don't worry, active kids can also test their throwing speed and accuracy with PITCH: the indoor interactive baseball experience.
For STEAM Whizzes
You definitely won't lose any steam bringing your science, technology, engineering, art or math-loving kid to any of these intellect-enriching museums.
Home to the biggest planetarium in America, Liberty Science Center in Jersey City (Gateway Region) boasts a deep collection of permanent and rotating exhibitions that celebrate science. Not to be missed: Dino Dig Adventure, Infinity Climber, Boom Time show, Dream Machine and more favorites.
In the Skylands Region, 5 to 12-year-olds get hands-on in Spark!Lab at Morris Museum, A Smithsonian Affiliate museum in Morristown, through a series of engineering and design challenges. Younger siblings (ages 1 to 4) can get in on the fun, too, in the Spark!Lab Junior space.
Newark Museum of Art in Newark (Gateway Region) always has compelling art on view, but aspiring creators will most enjoy the events designed especially for toddlers, preschoolers, grade-schoolers and teens hosted by the museum.
On our radar: We are eagerly anticipating the opening of MOMI (Museum of Makers + Innovators) in Basking Ridge, which plans to be an inclusive gathering place in the state’s Central Region featuring professionally designed indoor and outdoor exhibits “that are both educational and fun for all ages.”
For History Buffs
Whether your child is fascinated by ancient history, the early American period or innovations and inventions from the not-so-distant past, this quartet of museums is sure to pique their interest.
If it relates to natural history, archaeology and ethnography or cultural history, you can find it in a collection at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton in Central Jersey. Just for kids: The Discovery Den play space and Small Explorers monthly event series.
From the time the building was constructed in 1758, the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton has been a military barracks, POW camp and an army hospital. Today, this Central Jersey destination is open to the public to view a collection of militaria and art about 2,000 strong.
Did you know America's most decorated battleship is anchored right in the Delaware River at Camden? The Battleship New Jersey is a “floating museum” that welcomes visitors aboard for tours – where the whole family can navigate its narrow ladders and passageways just like its past crews did. Discover all the reasons to plan a visit to the Delaware River Region.
As home to more than two dozen museums and exhibits, the InfoAge Science and History Museum in Wall (Shore Region) gives you more historic bang for the buck. Not to be missed is the hands-on Kid Zone, where the world of technological exhibits gives kiddos a fun, interactive experience.
As always, be sure to check out your chosen museum's official website or social media channels for need-to-know details before your arrival. Looking for even more outings with the kids? Download our free Official Travel Guide and sign up to receive our e-newsletter today for more big ideas.
