The Thomas Edison National Historic Site is the home in which the iconic innovator changed the world. The museum contains his laboratory complex and libraries and has fun talks for children to learn about inventing. Find out about the vast range of inventions that sprang from the mind of Thomas Edison.
Drive into this large complex containing several buildings that were part of Edison’s estate. An orientation film in the visitor center provides a brief introduction to the life and creations of the inventor. You can also see Edison’s fascinating black-and-white film The Great Train Robbery. Purchase intriguing souvenirs from the gift shop in the same building.
Edison is known for devising the light bulb, the motion picture camera and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage batteries, among many other ingenious contraptions. Inspect the phonographic cylinder on which the music group They Might Be Giants recorded four songs in 1996. Walk around the inventor’s chemistry lab and enter the machine shop.
Bring your little ones to listen to entertaining talks aimed at kids. Scavenger hunts and audio tours will keep them happily busy. Stroll through the scenic and serene grounds and admire the elegant design of the buildings.
Note that the museum generally opens Wednesday through Sunday from morning until late afternoon. Make sure to check the online schedule, as preservation days can cause closures. Pay a single-day entrance fee per vehicle. Season passes are also available.
The Thomas Edison National Historic Site is in the leafy town of West Orange in the northwestern outskirts of Newark. Take the train to Orange station on the Gladstone Branch or the Morris and Essex Line and walk north for 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) to get here. Visit some of the nearby attractions, such as the Turtle Back Zoo, St. Mark’s Cemetery and Watsessing Park.