Science Museums for Kids in New Jersey

1. Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University – Mantua

This long-awaited spot opens in late March 2025 and gives visitors the chance to learn about fossils and dinosaurs through interactive exhibits. As an add-on, visitors can dig in the quarry for the chance to find and take home their own fossils (open May-October). Or, for an extra fee, try the free-roaming virtual reality experience through the Cretaceous world.

2. Franklin Mineral Museum – Franklin

More than 4,000 mineral specimens are on display at this museum, where visitors can tour the mine on their own or join a group and benefit from the insights of an expert guide. Aspiring geologists can gather rocks and bring them home to start collections. The Fossil Room boasts one of the best petrified wood displays in the Garden State, while the American Indian Room contains Native American stone tools made by the Lenni Lenape Indians, some of New Jersey's earliest inhabitants. The museum is open April through November.

3. Insectropolis – Toms River

For some, this bug-themed destination may seem "creepy" at first, but you'll leave with a greater appreciation for insects. Begin your visit by enrolling in Bug University, where you'll learn the basics and beyond. At the Caterpillar Cafe, guests may "bug out" when they consider the role insects play in the worldwide food web. Check out touch-screen computers to pick up some new insect trivia and test your existing knowledge of all things bug-related. Curious kids can crawl through a tube to get a termite's view of the world and learn why wood is so appetizing to these subterranean critters.

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Climb a rock wall, blow bubbles, and more at LSC. 

4. Liberty Science Center – Jersey City

There's plenty to do and see at this waterfront science museum, home to the third largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Lots of little guests get a kick out of the Wonder Why exhibit. Located on the third floor, adventurers can climb a rock wall to figure out how friction works. Crawl through the iconic touch tunnel, a pitch-black touch-and-feel experience. Little ones can explore balance, motion, and cause and effect on the Wobbly World exhibit.

5. Morris Museum – Morristown

Dinosaur enthusiasts will be thrilled to follow the paw prints to the Dinosaur Den, where they can examine fossils and even take a rest in a dinosaur nest! The museum is also home to the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection, comprised of 750 historic mechanical musical instruments and mechanical figures as well as a player piano. Visitors can make music on a 19th century music box cylinder. Tucked inside the museum is the Bickford Theatre, an intimate venue that hosts plenty of plays, concerts, and performances geared toward young audiences. The state-of-the-art model train exhibit gives tiny engineers a hands-on opportunity to lift a railroad crossing arm or tug a train whistle. Don't miss the Mammal Gallery, where a (stuffed) Grizzly Bear welcomes visitors. Learn about endangered species of local animal life and check out skeletons as part of the gallery's natural science collection.

6. Newark Museum of Art – Newark

Catch a glimpse of far-off galaxies inside New Jersey's first planetarium located at the Newark Museum of Art. The Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium offers audiences a chance to travel through the solar system without leaving this interactive theater. Fostering creativity and providing a true sensory experience, the museum's Creative Corner invites visitors young and old to stop in and experiment with clay, paint, and other materials artists employ. Interactive galleries teach guests all about fire safety and prevention. 

7. New Jersey State Museum – Trenton

Overlooking the Delaware River, this museum features a spacious planetarium where you'll feel as if you're blasting off into space without leaving your comfortable reclining chair. The Natural History Hall is home to two life-size complete fossil casts: New Jersey's state dinosaur Hadrosaurus foulkii, and Mosasaurus maximus, as well as other interesting skeletons.

8. Rutgers Geology Museum – New Brunswick

Located on the Rutgers New Brunswick campus, this museum has a large fossil and mineral collection to take in, plus dinosaur footprints, a mastodon skeleton, and an ancient Egyptian mummy. Open Tuesdays through Fridays and certain Saturdays. FREE. 

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Be dazzled by the Rainbow Tunnel in the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. Photo by noaamichael via Instagram

9. The Sterling Hill Mining Museum – Ogdensburg

Considered the fluorescent mineral capital of the world, Sterling Hill Mining Museum invites visitors to explore 1,300 feet of tunnel. While on a guided walking tour, learn about the history, working conditions, equipment, and geology of the mine. The highlight for many is the Rainbow Tunnel, where you'll be dazzled by bright green and red glowing walls thanks to exposed fluorescent zinc ore. Some mine galleries date back to the 1830s.

10. Thomas Edison Center – Edison

Small but mighty, this two-room museum celebrates the spirit of invention. Paying homage to the famous scientist who patented approximately 400 inventions, the museum offers guided tours where visitors will marvel at early innovation. Listen to phonographs that are more than a century old or step inside the newly-renovated Memorial Tower. Explore the 36-acre Edison State Park, which features a scenic nature trail across from the museum. Want to learn more about Edison? Visit the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, where you walk through his laboratory and take a tour of his home.

Best Science Museums Near New Jersey

11. American Museum of Natural History – New York City

One of the preeminent natural history museums in all the world, this vast landmark holds something sure to appeal to any age group. The beloved Butterfly Conservatory celebrates winged creatures of all colors and varieties amid tropical flowers and lush vegetation. If aqua-loving mammals are more your scene, don't miss the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, where an enormous blue whale is suspended from the ceiling. The Bernard Family Hall of Northern American Mammals showcases the majestic beasts of the wild west, including moose and a grizzly bear. The Rose Center for Earth and Space is home to the Hayden Planetarium, which is a must-see for budding astronauts.

12. NY Hall of Science – Corona, NY

Boasting more than 100,000 square feet of indoor space and 60,000 square feet of outdoor acreage, this science center features more than 450 exhibits, events, and workshops that beckon young and old to truly engage in science. Take a tour of the universe inside the 3D theater or enjoy a round of Rocket Park mini-golf and learn about the laws of motion and gravity. The Design Lab encourages creative problem solving in each of its five visually and thematically distinct activity areas. 

13. Academy of Natural Sciences – Philadelphia

Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted by a 42-foot Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the largest predators to roam the Earth. That's just the beginning for dino fans, who will see more than 30 species represented in the Dinosaur Hall. Check out skeletons, murals, dinosaur eggs, and more. Art and science intertwine in the diorama collection, which showcases exotic wildlife in replicas of their natural habitat. 

14. Franklin Institute – Philadelphia, PA

Named for Benjamin Franklin, this discovery center invites patrons to stargaze at the night skies in the Joel N. Bloom Observatory. The institute's newest attraction harnesses technology to create an immersive experience through virtual reality. The Escape Rooms within the facility are known as Philly's largest and most technologically advanced games. If your family enjoys working with clues, codes, and puzzles, you won't want to miss these challenging rooms teeming with riddles, which take 60 minutes or less to solve. 

Unless noted, photos courtesy of the museums.