Museum Closed June 20th in observation of Juneteenth
12:00 pm 5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI
1:00 pm Earth, Moon, & Sun
2:00 pm Worlds Beyond Earth
3:00 pm Áróra
Speaker: Zachary Gelles, Princeton University
Join us to learn what black holes are, how they can be used as engines for astrophysical jets, and about future plans to upgrade telescopes to enable astrophysicists to see jets in the universe with unprecedented precision.
Reserve your seat.
12:00 pm 5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI
1:00 pm Earth, Moon, & Sun
2:00 pm Worlds Beyond Earth
3:00 pm Áróra
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
Museum Closed July 4th for Independence Day
12:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
1:00 pm One World, One Sky
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
3:00 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Build Your Own Horseshoe Crab
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Ecosystems at Risk gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Landscape Collage
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall. Lighthouse keeper and his family as he tends the light from dawn to dusk through the seasons, spanning time. After reading, we will create a lighthouse with construction paper.
12:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
1:00 pm One World, One Sky
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
3:00 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
4:15 pm
Join us in the Planetarium on Sunday (instead of Saturday!) for this free talk with Dr. Ben Zhang, Princeton University.
In an intergenerational relay spanning three centuries, craftsmen, philosophers, teachers, explorers, and publishers around the world revealed a wealth of information contained in sunlight and starlight, telling a story of the universe that goes far beyond what meets the eye. Along the way, they also changed our concept of vision itself. Today, scientists have even more sophisticated ways of using light, or radiation, to study the material world. They work every day to unravel the mysteries of everything from invisible germs to distant exoplanets.
Reserve your seat.
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Powwow Day by Traci Sorell. Learn about the story of a girl named River who attends a Powwow celebration with her community. After reading, we will make a powwow inspired drum.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
DIY Binoculars
12:00 – 2:00 pm
A Much Moved People gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Kinetic Sculpture
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Powwow Day by Traci Sorell. Learn about the story of a girl named River who attends a Powwow celebration with her community. After reading, we will make a powwow inspired drum.
12:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
1:00 pm One World, One Sky
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
3:00 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Windblown by Édouard Manceau is an imaginative story of how a handful of paper scraps can become different animals. After reading the book, we will create a collage of our own using paper shapes.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Make a Paper Plate Seashell
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Pretty Big Things gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Monoprinting with Gel Plates
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Windblown by Édouard Manceau is an imaginative story of how a handful of paper scraps can become different animals. After reading the book, we will create a collage of our own using paper shapes.
12:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
1:00 pm One World, One Sky
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
3:00 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
12:00 – 2:00 pm
A Gull’s Story by Frank Finale tells the tale of a seagull family and their adventures along the Jersey Shore. After the story, we will create a paper plate seagulls.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Make a Star Clock
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Recent Acquisitions gallery
11:30 am Spark: The Universe in Us
1:30 pm The Great Solar System Adventure! (NEW)
2:30 pm Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Watercolor Op Art
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
A Gull’s Story by Frank Finale tells the tale of a seagull family and their adventures along the Jersey Shore. After the story, we will create a paper plate seagulls.
12:00 pm Secrets of the Universe
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure!
1:00 pm We Are Guardians
3:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
11:30 am Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
1:30 pm We Are Guardians
2:30 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yartlett. A boy named Orion faces his fears and realizes the dark can be fun and magical. After the story, we will create a night sky craft.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Build Your Own Planet
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Planetarium lobby
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Abstract Mini Paintings
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yartlett. A boy named Orion faces his fears and realizes the dark can be fun and magical. After the story, we will create a night sky craft.
12:00 pm Secrets of the Universe
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure!
1:00 pm We Are Guardians
3:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
11:30 am Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
1:30 pm We Are Guardians
2:30 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
12:00 – 2:00 pm
My Hands Sing the Blues by Jeanne Walker Harvey is a story of African American artist Romare Bearden’s childhood journey from North Carolina to Harlem during the Great Migration. After reading about the artist, we will create a collage inspired by his artwork.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Sand Art Earth
12:00 – 2:00 pm
A Much Moved People gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Silhouette Lighthouse
4:15 pm – 6:00 pm
Join us for an exclusive free showing of NASA’s brand-new original documentary “Planetary Defenders,” which dives into the high-stakes world of asteroid detection and planetary defense. Journey alongside a team of astronomers and scientists working tirelessly to track and monitor near-Earth asteroids, aiming to protect our planet from potential impacts. This documentary captures the efforts of these unsung heroes, blending cutting-edge science with personal stories to reveal the human spirit behind this critical endeavor. Witness the drama, the challenges, and the triumphs of those on the front lines of planetary defense. After the movie there will be time for Q & A. Please note: Movie run time is 1 hour, 15 minutes. Suitable for General Audiences.
Reserve your seat.
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
My Hands Sing the Blues by Jeanne Walker Harvey is a story of African American artist Romare Bearden’s childhood journey from North Carolina to Harlem during the Great Migration. After reading about the artist, we will create a collage inspired by his artwork.
12:00 pm Secrets of the Universe
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure!
1:00 pm We Are Guardians
3:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
11:30 am Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
1:30 pm We Are Guardians
2:30 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
12:00 – 2:00 pm
When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray and Felicita Sala is an exploration that connects us to nature, is about collections, and finding that special rock. After the story we will decorate a box to start our own rock collection.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Building Bridges
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Written in the Rocks gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Aurora Art
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray and Felicita Sala is an exploration that connects us to nature, is about collections, and finding that special rock. After the story we will decorate a box to start our own rock collection.
12:00 pm Secrets of the Universe
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure!
1:00 pm We Are Guardians
3:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
11:30 am Secrets of the Universe (NEW)
1:30 pm We Are Guardians
2:30 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
12:00 – 2:00 pm
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers is about a boy who is obsessed with stars and would like to catch his own. After the story, we will make a craft with a night sky theme.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Basket Making
12:00 – 2:00 pm
American Perspectives gallery
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Flower Painting
12:00 pm Secrets of the Universe
2:00 pm The Great Solar System Adventure!
1:00 pm We Are Guardians
3:00 pm Spark: The Universe in Us
June 28, 4:15 pm
Speaker: Zachary Gelles, Princeton University
Black holes are the sites of extreme gravitational forces – they suck in matter and never let it back out. But under the right conditions, a black hole can actually power the reverse process, shooting matter outwards at incredibly high speeds and lighting up the black hole’s vicinity. These so-called “jets” are some of the brightest, most powerful objects in the universe and have been observed in numerous galaxies to date. In this free lecture, join us to learn what black holes are and how they can be used as engines for these astrophysical jets. Zach will explain how we observe the jets and what we can learn from them. Finally, we will hear about future plans to upgrade telescopes and enable astrophysicists to see jets in the universe with unprecedented precision.
Reserve your seat.
July 8 – August 29
This summer enjoy free activities on weekdays, all summer long. The complete listing of scheduled programs is available on the Events/Calendar page. Each weekday will have a different program as described below.
Sunday, July 13, 4:15PM
Join us in the Planetarium on Sunday (instead of Saturday!) for this free talk with Dr. Ben Zhang, Princeton University.
In an intergenerational relay spanning three centuries, craftsmen, philosophers, teachers, explorers, and publishers around the world revealed a wealth of information contained in sunlight and starlight, telling a story of the universe that goes far beyond what meets the eye. Along the way, they also changed our concept of vision itself. Today, scientists have even more sophisticated ways of using light, or radiation, to study the material world. They work every day to unravel the mysteries of everything from invisible germs to distant exoplanets.
Reserve your seat.
August 16, 4:15 pm – 6:00 pm
Join us for an exclusive free showing of NASA’s brand-new original documentary “Planetary Defenders,” which dives into the high-stakes world of asteroid detection and planetary defense. Journey alongside a team of astronomers and scientists working tirelessly to track and monitor near-Earth asteroids, aiming to protect our planet from potential impacts. This documentary captures the efforts of these unsung heroes, blending cutting-edge science with personal stories to reveal the human spirit behind this critical endeavor. Witness the drama, the challenges, and the triumphs of those on the front lines of planetary defense. After the movie there will be time for Q & A. Please note: Movie run time is 1 hour, 15 minutes. Suitable for General Audiences.
Reserve your seat.
Update June 2025: Our Small Explorers sessions have ended for the season. We look forward to launching a new season of learning in the fall. Look for updates to our schedule and registration process over the summer. If you have participated in the past or been added to our mailing list you will receive an email with the details for the new season. Families are welcome to help us plan for the new season by completing this survey.
The Small Explorers program is for families with children up to 5 years old. They meet in the Discovery Den monthly. This playgroup is an opportunity to explore the Museum with your child and connect with other families for support. If you are not on our mailing list but would like to learn more please contact Amy Stevens at amy.stevens@sos.nj.gov.
The New Jersey State Museum is a wonderful setting for your special event with changing exhibits that can provide a unique backdrop for any occasion. The Museum is ideally located in the State Capital Complex in Trenton, and offers a one-of-a-kind venue with incredible architecture and beautiful views of the Delaware River. For rates and availability, please view our rental information or email Rentals.NJSM@sos.nj.gov.
Available Rental spaces:
This exceptional space is an ideal setting for buffet receptions, intimate sit-down dinners, business seminars and more. Available evenings and weekends only.
The 384-seat Auditorium is available for a wide variety of lectures, conferences, movie premieres, theater performances and more.