Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 am – 4:45 pm; Galleries begin closing at 4:30 pm.
Auditorium Gallery open Tuesday – Friday; gallery closes at 4 pm.
Planetarium: Weekend show times at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00 & 3:00 pm. Weekday public show time at 2:30 pm.

Closed Mondays & State Holidays

Museum general admission is free; donations to the New Jersey State Museum Foundation gratefully accepted. Foundation revenue supports the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs.

Planetarium Admission
Adults: $10.00
Children 12 and under: $5.00
Seniors 65 and over and students with valid student I.D.: $1 off
Members: $2.00 off per ticket
Groups of 15 or more: $5.00 per person
Active duty military: $1 off on up to 4 tickets

Planetarium tickets are purchased in the Planetarium Box Office, located on the lower level.

Backpacks – Please leave backpacks in your car or carry them in front of you. Backpacks can easily damage artifacts.
Photography – Visitors are welcome to take photographs without flash for non-commercial use in most exhibitions. There are some areas where photographs are prohibited. Tripod and selfie-sticks are not permitted.

We participate in the Blue Star program (Memorial Day – Labor Day.) Active duty military members and up to four family members are admitted free with ID.
We also participate in the Families First Discovery Pass Program – free admission for up to four people with a Families First or eWIC card. For more information about the program visit Families First Discovery Pass.

All facilities are accessible to visitors with physical disabilities. See below for specific accommodations and information.

Visitors with mobility issues are encouraged to use the Planetarium entrance to navigate a short walk up a slight incline to the Planetarium doors, which feature button-activated door openers. Visitors who display a handicapped plate or placard may park directly in front of the Planetarium entrance in designated spots. Access the Planetarium entrance via West State Street or Barrack Street, in the back of the Museum. To enter the Museum parking lot from Barrack Street/Memorial Drive, enter the long driveway next to the field and across from the War Memorial building. Pass the guard house, continue down the driveway, past the garage, to the Museum parking lot.

Visitors arriving from West State Street will have a long flat walkway to the main entrance that features button-activated door openers.

Below is a floorplan of the building (handouts of this map are also available at the front desk in the museum's lobby).

Floorplans

The museum has four levels with the main entrance on Level 1 and the Planetarium entrance on the Lower Level. Two elevators are available on every level and include both a standard size and a larger freight elevator.

The museum has four sets of gendered bathrooms: one set in the main lobby on the Level 1, two sets on the Lower Level and one set on Level 3. Each of these bathrooms have button activated doors and wheelchair accessible stalls with changing tables in all women’s bathrooms. There is also a family or all gender restroom on the Lower Level that is wheelchair accessible and has a changing table but does not have a button-activated door.

The Museum permits food and drink only in Riverview Court on Level 1. There is a vending machine at the entrance to River View. Drinking fountains are available on every level that has bathrooms.

Manual and electric wheelchairs are welcome in all areas of the museum. One manually operated wheelchair is available free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ask the front desk attendant in the main lobby for assistance.

Service dogs are welcome.

A Social story to help you prepare for your visit to the New Jersey State Museum.

Select Spanish Language Planetarium shows are available by reservation for groups or on the 4th weekend of the month for the public. For more information. Visitor Maps are also available in English and Spanish.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the Museum and Planetarium via DOS-Guest. The Lower Level signal can be weak due to the cement block walls.

There are tables and chairs in Riverview Court and cushioned seating in the main lobby and on Level 3. Bench seating is available in most galleries. Small collapsible stools are available free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ask the front desk attendant in the main lobby for assistance.

Each level of the Museum is flat and contains several galleries. Elevators are available to access all levels and galleries.

Some galleries may occasionally have low light levels to protect the artworks. Artworks may be placed on floor platforms or have stanchions placed in front of or surrounding them for their protection.

The Written in the Rocks gallery on Level 2 has some touchable objects including rocks and fossils, all touchable objects are clearly labeled. The Pretty Big Things gallery on Level 3 has two touchable activities exploring quilting and cabinet making as well as several other interactive panels. The New Jersey’s Original People gallery on the Lower Level has two touchable activities related to woodland period pottery as well as several other interactive panels.

There is one ramp leading from the Museum to the Planetarium lobby. The Planetarium has low light levels throughout the lobby, exhibit walkway and theater space.

The photography exhibit in the lobby has both English and Spanish labels. The theater does have wheelchair accommodations.

Assisted Listening Devices: The Planetarium is equipped with a Listen Technologies 72 MHz Stationary RF Transmitter and four sets of Listen Technologies Receivers with Ear Speakers. The Receiver may also be used for Direct Audio Input by 3.5 mm audio jack into a personal Assistive Listening Device. Please let us know if you are interested in these accommodations.

The planetarium is a dark environment with overhead motion and occasional loud sounds during a show. Some show scenes have a strobing effect that may affect photosensitive viewers. If you are concerned, you can reach out to the Planetarium to ask about specific shows and accommodations.

Contact Assistant Curator Jacob Hamer at Jacob.hamer@sos.nj.gov

The New Jersey State Museum welcomes groups of all abilities for tours. Tour structure and content can be customized to meet your group’s needs and objectives. Guided tours are available Tuesday-Friday by reservation only for groups of 15 or more. We are glad to discuss any questions you have about access or accommodations. Find out more about tour options here.

Questions or accommodation requests? Contact Assistant Curator Devra Hock-Reid at devra.hock-reid@sos.nj.gov

The New Jersey State Museum welcomes all kinds of groups. If you are a school or camp group you will find the full list of offerings and information in the LEARN section of the website.

Admission to the Museum is free and you do not need advanced reservations to explore the galleries on your own. Guided tours are available Tuesday-Friday by reservation only for groups of 15 or more.

If you would like to add on a program for your group we have a variety of options available:

Planetarium shows are available by reservation only Tuesday-Friday from September to June. To reserve seats in the Planetarium for the group rate of $5.00 per person (groups of 15 or more) contact reservations at (609) 292-1382 or email njsm.reservations@sos.nj.gov.

Groups may attend weekend public shows without a reservation; payment is accepted at the box office upon arrival.

To purchase take-and-make activity kits for your group to make art, explore Lenape culture or identify fossils contact reservations at (609) 292-1382 or email njsm.reservations@sos.nj.gov. Kits are available in bundles of 25, include digital worksheets and instructions and are $75.00 per bundle. Kits can be picked up at the Museum during your visit.

Groups that would like to have a guest speaker at their next meeting or gathering may choose from the following virtual options:

Ask the Experts: Fossil Hunters in New Jersey

$5.00 per person
New Jersey abounds with fossils! Paleontologist Dr. Dana Ehret shares exciting fossil discoveries from throughout the state, what fossils tell us about ancient ecosystems, and all of the challenges paleontologist face in this adventurous field.

Ask the Experts: People of the Past, Archaeology in New Jersey

$5.00 per person
How do artifacts help archaeologists understand the lives of prehistoric humans? Archaeologist Dr. Gregory Lattanzi leads this exploration of the unique artifacts found here, and what they tell us about the lifestyle of New Jersey’s first people.

Call (609) 292-1382 or email njsm.reservations@sos.nj.gov to book a program. Payment is due when you place your order. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

We invite you to pack snacks or lunch and have a picnic at the tables in front of the Museum. You can also visit the list of restaurants on Downtown Trenton's website.

Below are some of the restaurants nearest the Museum. Others can be found on the Downtown Trenton website, https://www.trenton-downtown.com/business-directory