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New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ

Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffFamily FavoriteFree

New Jersey State Museum

205 W State St · Trenton, NJ

Why you should go…

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton features natural history, fine art and cultural history collections along with a planetarium. General admission to the exhibition galleries is free, with a separate fee for planetarium shows. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and closed on state holidays.

  • #history
  • #museum
  • #family
  • #free
  • #planetarium

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to New Jersey State Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Old Barracks Museum

    Under $25

    A restored 1758 colonial-era barracks in Trenton that housed soldiers, prisoners, and a Revolutionary War hospital.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism

    Free

    New Jersey's state tourism office, offering visitor guides and travel information for the Garden State.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Central New Jersey

    Free

    Regional visitor initiative showcasing farms, farm-to-table restaurants, craft beverage makers, historic sites and arts venues across Central New Jersey.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Date Night

    Grounds For Sculpture

    $25–$50

    Wander 42 landscaped acres dotted with more than 300 contemporary sculptures, plus six indoor galleries.

    3.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Morven Museum & Garden

    Under $25

    A National Historic Landmark mansion in Princeton that once served as New Jersey's first governor's residence.

    10 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Princeton University

    Free

    Stroll a 600-acre Ivy League campus past Nassau Hall, the Gothic University Chapel and the art museum.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing