Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park image

Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park

Tourist attraction Museum History museum Local history museum Historical place museum Science museum

Museum dedicated to Edison's creative exploits while in Menlo Park & an Art Deco memorial tower. People often mention Edison, museum, tour, visit, interesting, worth, Thomas, small, tower, Great,


Address

37 Christie St, Edison, NJ 08820

Website

www.menloparkmuseum.org

Contact

(732) 549-3299

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (641 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 10 AM to 4 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 4 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 4 PM
  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: Edison (18) museum (13) tour (13) visit (12) interesting (10) worth (7) Thomas (7) small (6) tower (6) Great (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Venkat N Reddy G. 1 year ago on Google
    Tour will take 45 min, you have to stand listen. You can play with some science old equipment’s. It will be fun. This is mostly for children, they will Enjoy a lot.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alison W. 1 year ago on Google • 15 reviews
    You will be welcomed into the museum with a cheerful smile. The tour was fascinating and the guides were very knowledgeable. The building is a little small however, there are plans to make it larger. The museum was packed with interesting facts and plenty to look at and interact with. Going into the giant tower with the lightbulb was a pretty cool end to the tour. If the weather permits, there is a nice trail to walk and lots of signs to read around the grounds.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 sujith k. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice place to visit for 30-45 minutes. Good to take your kids and show how it used to be.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mr. S (Honest R. 1 year ago on Google • 339 reviews
    Great place to visit, there is an admission fee for the museum. It is free to walk outside around the grounds. Designated parking spots are limited for museum parking. There is a handicap parking spot. Definitely worth going.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Shawn 2 years ago on Google
    The tour was interesting. If you've studied Edison you may not hear anything new, but still worth the visit to see the displays and tower. It's about an hour long and spent standing. There's a bench available for the second part.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 sivachalam m. 2 years ago on Google
    Finally reached the starting point 👍Amazing 👌👌 Thank you my dear Saul for making my dream as true🙏Amazing......
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mysore Creative W. 1 year ago on Google
    Very historic place…. Was living in Edison since 3 years but never knew the value of this place and this monument until today!! Great for walking and short trekking…
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Galyna S. 7 months ago on Google • 743 reviews
    Walkable from the Metropark station, but you need to walk without a sidewalk. The museum works just a few days per week. I didn't visit the museum itself.

  • 4/5 Stacy K. 2 years ago on Google
    Very good tour by the docent. Please support their effort to maintain the center and create an educational experience for everyone!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 B M. 1 year ago on Google
    The Thomas Edison Center is a wealth of interesting information, with so many of Edison's inventions on display that the museum should be enlarged to fully display the collection. They are crowded together in the room, but still fully visible. There are many items you probably never knew he was involved with, such as the phonograph and typewriter. His curiosity and inventive mind even as a child, are amazing. There is a nature trail if interested and other note worthy places in the area. The original tower fell and was rebuilt with Portland Cement that Edison created. The lightbulb at the top was saved from the original tower. Make reservations if possible, but walk-ins are OK. We had reservations and only waited because we were early. Tickets for seniors and children are less. There was a steady flow of visitors, but not crowds. This is much more than a children's museum and well worth the visit.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Maria K. 2 years ago on Google • 156 reviews
    We reserved tickets for a Saturday visit to the museum and a visit to the tower. They are open on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and played several Edison phonographs for us. It was quite interesting to hear them play. Not bad for 140 year old machines! Tower visit was short and it is basically one room (the music room in the back in not used for now) where there is a memorial with a lightbulb on. This is where Edison’s first incandescent light was tested. Definitely worth a visit.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chung-Hui W. 10 months ago on Google • 277 reviews
    The birthplace of Thomas Edison! And it's said that this is also the world's first town that remained brightly lit even at night! Moreover, this unique record lasted for an entire year...
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 NABIHA Y. 4 months ago on Google • 26 reviews
    As a GE employee for 8 years, visiting the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park in NJ held a special significance for me. This site allowed me to pay tribute to the brilliant mind of Thomas Edison, who not only revolutionized the world with his inventions but also played a significant role in the founding of General Electric. Walking through the center, I was transported back in time to the place where Edison conducted his groundbreaking experiments. It was truly inspiring to see the recreated laboratory and imagine the immense creativity and dedication that went into his work. The exhibits beautifully showcased his inventions, including the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb, reminding me of the impact these innovations had on the world. Having completed my masters at Rutgers University, being able to visit the Thomas Edison Center provided a sense of connection to both Edison's legacy and the region's rich history. The center's informative guided tours and knowledgeable staff enhanced my understanding of Edison's accomplishments and the significance of his work. His spirit of innovation and relentless pursuit of progress continue to inspire engineers and scientists even today including myself.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kaustav B. 1 year ago on Google
    This place highlights the work and achievements of Edison. It is a must visit for science enthusiasts.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jah m. 1 year ago on Google
    Nerd alert, Thomas Edison first street in the world was electrify here. Neet boyscout eagle project was great
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kay M. 7 months ago on Google
    Great guide tour, we’re very happy to stop by.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 V S. 3 months ago on Google • 102 reviews New
    A compact venue with two rooms. However, what is in those rooms counts far more. The volunteers and the team on the ground give a great walk thru. I have been to many museums with big grounds and panels of information. However, what i got to know and understand here was much more fun and interesting. For the moderately inclined to science, being here is pretty interesting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Peter L. 1 month ago on Google • 17 reviews New
    Great place to learn about the inventions and some lesser known facts about one of our greatest inventors. The tower honoring him is quite impressive, and the staff is knowledgeable and eager to impart that knowledge. Great gift shop too!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 bandarawela w. 1 month ago on Google • 15 reviews New
    The Thomas Alva Edison Museum provides a fascinating glimpse into the life and inventions of one of history's most influential inventors. The exhibits showcase Edison's groundbreaking contributions to technology, and I think it's a must-see for anyone interested in the history of innovation. The comfort we get today is the result of hard work back then..
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Melissa D. 1 year ago on Google
    I had no idea this was here. What a great hidden gem. A lot of signage around the monument and who doesn't want to see the biggest lightbulb in the world!!??
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Natalie D. 1 year ago on Google
    Really lovely little museum packed with artefacts relating to Edison's Menlo Park site. The lady giving the tour was absolutely amazing and really engaging. Just be aware, they do lock the front door at times even when open but will have a sign out!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Akash S. 10 months ago on Google • 72 reviews
    5/21/2023 - Great place to visit, there is an admission fee for the museum. It is free to walk outside around the grounds. Designated parking spots are limited for museum parking. There is a handicap parking spot. Definitely worth going.

  • 5/5 Icarus C. 8 months ago on Google • 37 reviews
    Went early to when they opened and had essentially a personal tour because of it. Our guide, Joe, did a wonderful job with the tour, explaining everything thoroughly and easily to understand. Informative tour for cheap- couldn't ask for anything better!

  • 5/5 BOB B. 1 year ago on Google
    The 1/2 hour tour was very informative. The people that do the tours are great and very nolagable, highly recommend was wonderful to learn about such an important person that changed all our lives

  • 4/5 Kyle W. 1 year ago on Google
    Tour was interesting -- thought it would have been better to have the freedom to explore the areas rather than being guided but it was still worth seeing. Also would have liked more context on Edison's post-Menlo Park life (even though I know it won't be the focus of this museum's exhibit).

  • 5/5 Alexis L. 6 months ago on Google
    This small museum is wonderful. It’s very well laid out with interesting exhibits. Our tour guide Joe was excellent, giving us a detailed and interesting account of Edison’s life.

  • 4/5 Alex Z. 4 months ago on Google
    This is not the main exhibition of Edison’s work. That’s at the National Park in West Orange. This is the physical location of his old workshop. You can book a spot on a tour of the small visitor’s center here, which is pretty interesting.

  • 5/5 Agnes S. 3 months ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    For such a small place they really made the most of it! You can see working gramophones, Edison bulbs, ticker tape counter, and much more. There are regular guided tours which make all the difference. You can even go inside the monument (only on the ground floor, though). It is well worth the small admission fee.

  • 5/5 Pug M. 2 years ago on Google
    The guides are very informative. Worth the small price of a tour. What a genius was Mr Edison! There's much more innovation than the light bulb.


Call (732) 549-3299 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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