It's a hidden gem, especially the basement is full of indigenous history. A must visit if you want to learn about the "real Americans"

The New Jersey State Museum was a pleasant surprise. First of all, I had no idea we had a State Museum. I only happen to find out, because I had tickets to an event in the State Museum Auditorium. The museum is free and on weekends parking is easy in the free adjacent lot. There is also a Planetarium, which has a $10 admission. The museum is housed on three floors with exhibits illustrating some of New Jersey's history. There is a section with artwork, some Native American history, a natural history area with dinosaurs, history of Trenton, and much more. read more

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Took the Riverline up from Camden on a Tuesday morning in April to visit for the first time. Brought my girlfriend and ten-year-old son with me. We stayed for about two hours and all enjoyed our time. Can't beat the price: completely free. Three floors with a hodge podge of New Jersey-related exhibits, including information about indigenous peoples, natural history such as dinosaurs and other fossils, fine art through the centuries, a planetarium, and a room with the simple theme of big items like a pair of phonographs and a wooden sculpture of Abraham Lincoln who once addressed the assembly at the State House Next door. It truly is an eclectic collection. All well labeled and informational. Not a bad place to kill a few hours and force my son to learn about his home state. read more

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I had taken a group of students to the museum and the planetarium. The museum was liked by all but no one like the planetarium show. The show as boring from the presenter to the show. read more

A clean, quirky, accessible museum on a safe block in Trenton, with kind and knowledgeable staff. Nicely curated fine arts floor, interesting Delaware Indian section, children-focused gift shop, and pleasant planetarium. The natural history wing has many NJ-themed examples of present and prehistoric animals. Couldn't find a public parking lot, but there was street parking around. There is a sizable eating area but the snack/soda machine wouldn't take $5 *or* credit cards. Eat and hydrate before arriving. Free entry. read more

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There is a photography exhibit right now of photos by Grant Castner . These are pictures of New Jersey in the late 19th and early 20th century. There is a focus on the Trenton area. Castner appears to have been an accomplished photographer but the real interest here is historical.Well worth your time! The museum is free and there is some parking in the back. The permanent collection is interesting. They have a good collection of paintings and a cute little natural history section.This is not a museum that is going to wow you but it's worthwhile. read more

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Free museums are awesome, and so is free street parking on weekends. There are multiple floors of vast history of NJ from prehistoric times to Native Americans and Early colonists to the Civil War. There was some great natural history fossils and fine art examples. It's a good way to spend a few hours just to see some interesting exhibits. They also rotate, so it's worth keeping an eye out occasionally to see what's up next. Also, the gift shop is decent. We saw an ornament with a painting I didn't recognize, and the gift shop employee gave us directions to see it, so we bought the ornament and it's a nice little souvenir. read more

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I was surprised by how nice this museum is! First, I was impressed by how free everything was :) We found street parking right across from the museum (free, at least on Sundays!) and there was no entry fee. Maybe unsurprisingly, food and drink aren't allowed inside, but there's a pretty large cafe area just inside where you can eat and drink to your heart's content. The security guards were extremely watchful and constantly warned us whenever we broke a rule (e.g., my wife was wearing a diaper bag for a few minutes after changing our kid's diaper and the security guard reminded us that she needed to take it off and stow it in our stroller) - it came across as a little overbearing but I guess they want to keep the museum safe and clean, so I get it :) The exhibits were cool! We pretty much just explored the second floor but there were a lot of good fossils (or casts of fossils) and taxidermied animals. There was also a section with some pretty interesting paintings. Overall, I was impressed by the quality of everything. We had to leave after an hour and a half or so, but we'll definitely be back at some point to check out the other floors! read more

Great place to visit and spend some time at it has 3 floors to explore at your leisure.iIt's basically a free museum they have donation boxes at the entrance so u can give what u want .The best part it has a planetarium that is very reasonable at 10 dollars a ticket with a awesome show .On the weekends there is free parking behind the museum and I believe free street parking read more

Everytime I come here I am on awe that it is FREE to enter and that no one is here! It is one of the few places that is free and open Sundays. I love to bring my son here, we have been coming since he was 1. They have programs for young explorers on select weekends that are creative and interactive (usually you have to ore register though). Each floor has something interesting, whether it is the native American exhibit, the planetarium, the animals, the children s play area or the modern art. The museum gives for a great day of educational and beautiful artwork during frigid winter months that there is nothing to do. For a few dollars you can also see a planetary show. We saw a laser one that I thought was terrible but my two year old enjoyed. It was about 30 minutes long and I actually liked the area before entering the planetarium much more with the flow in the dark planets and giant moving moon. Overall, it is a great place to check out at least once in the area and then hop over to grab some delicious local food nearby. read more

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The museum was very cool. The natural history section was nice with many fossils and fun facts about dinosaurs in New Jersey. There's also an art section with many great paintings and some very ominous ones. read more

New Jersey State Museum - Fossil - Museums Near Me - Trenton, New Jersey

This museum was very good. It did not overwhelm! It struck an excellent balance between the attention span of school children and a more leisurely morning for an adult visitor. We really enjoyed it. Spent two hours and knew a lot more about the history of the state of New Jersey than we had known. Was also please to see mention of Mary Anning a seriously underrated scientific mind and Dorothea Dix who I vaguely knew as a reformer and not as the Director of Nursing during the Civil War. read more

The third floor is amazing. I've never been here despite living in Trenton for most of my life. Was pleasantly surprised!

I had never visited anything historical in our capital. Why not the state's museum? I was attending a function in Trenton as a guest for grants for the arts. Afterwards the museum was a logical choice. There are three floors depicting New Jersey's history from the 17th century to the present and the European influences that shaped our state with its original inhabitants, the native Indians. One could navigate the three floors leisurely in 90 minutes. There was a bevy of school children present, possibly a summer camp trek. Security confirmed that. It's more crowded during the school year, due to field trips. Security is well-informed and very polite. I believe they are closed Sunday and Monday. Please check first. read more

Wow. The museum is free so there's that. Three levels of exhibits. We went for the planetarium which was $10. Very nice and plenty of parking available. Restrooms were nice and clean. read more

A place like this needs to come with a disclosure of sorts. If, you are one of those gadget wielding lunatics that can't stand to be off your phone for more than eight seconds at a time because you think that the entire world will stop if you're not checking in on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest at the same time then don't come here. Also since I'll assume that if you're one of those people who behave that way you've made the "choice" to raise your mutant offspring the same way, then please leave them at home as well because they'll also have a miserable time here. Now, if you're not a socially challenged freak show with the attention span of a hummingbird wing flap then yes, this place will be right up your alley. You've got four floors of stuff ranging from the Planetarium and some Native American displays in the basement to various fossils and stuffed animals on the first floor to some artwork on the second floor to various NJ artifacts on the third floor. We came on a very rainy Christmas Eve and aside of a pretty good crowd at the Planetarium for the 2pm X-Mas themed laser show maybe we saw five other people the three hours we were there on the other floors actually looking at displays. If you go, parking during the week when the Government is open is tough as more than likely you will have to park a few blocks away and pay a good $10 in one of the area garages. On weekends it's a much different story as you can hit much closer and cheaper parking. In terms of food, they have two vending machines in the building and after that you're on your own although there is a Subway about two blocks away that is open everyday until at least six. Admission is free (although a donation would be nice) with the only cost being for the planetarium shows and even that can be done cheaper as they put discounts on Living Social or Groupon several times a year. You could easily make a day of dorkery between coming here, taking a tour of the State House and then going to the Old Barracks Museum as all three are within walking distance of each other and the Subway. (CM's review is far better than mine at explaining why this place is not a two or three star experience.) read more

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I definitely underestimated this museum. We were looking for a quick day trip and ended up here. One big plus is that it's free to get in. The exhibits are very fascinating and some educational. Everyone was so nice. I took one star off because the parking is extremely confusing. They need to put more signage in the area. Just to leave you have to enter a different building to get back to the parking garage. Also don't forget your ID. You need to show the guard your ID to get in and to leave. read more

Fun museum, lots to look at. We saw the planetarium show and it was the reason I'm giving 4 starts... the show deserved no stars (little star that could) it was a cartoon and poorly written...super cheesy and not worth paying for.. read more

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Not sure what my expectations were, but they were far surpassed! Wonderful museum with really interesting cultural artifacts, pieces by some really notable artists (some connected to New Jersey, some not), and an amazing dinosaur fossil exhibit. In the latter, there is a working paleontology lab that you can peer in on. Very friendly staff as well. read more

Money, money, money! You can tell what a state values by how it spends its money. Visit the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh and the Virginia Museum of Art in Richmond. Both spectacular and free. Considering the high taxes in NJ, one would expect a first-class state museum. But NJ state government is not properly funding this museum. They started charging a "suggested" admission a few years ago, but this is chump change. Big bucks are needed. There are some interesting things here in fine arts, history, archaeology, science, and a planetarium. You may entertain the kids for an hour or so. But New Jersey residents deserve much more. read more

I'm not sure about all of the mediocre reviews. We have been a few times with the kids and the last visit was certainly the best. The Nano exhibit, formerly at Princeton Public Library, was great fun for about 45 minutes (lighting up a blue butterfly, putting together carbon-tubes, balancing a town, checking the difference in weight between nano and non-nano particles--it's fun to use the magnets to have one "blob" eat/pull the other blob ). The Nano exhibit is in a sparse room, currently being renovated for natural history, aka DINOSAURS. Downstairs, at the entrance, was a triceratops last time; now it's something we missed. On the other side is a moose-elk, other taxidermied birds, otters, snakes, eggs, bugs. There was a modern art exhibit by local artists--please keep a better eye on your kids than we did, as everything is within reach but should not be touched. There are things for them to touch, btw, like fossils, bones, rocks, buttons for glow in the dark minerals, petrified paw prints. The second floor has porcelain, including a pepto-pink vase with George Washington that would match our 60's bathroom perfectly. There was also a World's Expo/World's Fair exhibit this time around with the "make your own World's Fair Expo" craft/picture and soft blocks for building a city. The crafts here are generally a piece of paper with crayons, ie design your own state shield, draw a design on a native American vase (note: here they still use the term "Indian", something which, if I remember correctly, became passe & offensive during the 80s?). This floor also has the Nano exhibit and modern art collection, which does include a Calder, Lichtenstein, Picasso, many others, and a miniature cast of Lincoln from his DC memorial. Third floor has quilts (design your own quilt project), furniture, more things about NJ's history. The basement has the Planetarium and a Native American (Lenape) exhibit, as well as a new exhibit that helps teach the kids about archeology. Is it MOMA or the Met? No. Of course it's not the Louvre, Art Institute, or Field Museum. The Dinosaur exhibit may not become as great as the Institute of Natural Sciences. Do you have a security guard in every room? No. The people who work there seem to genuinely enjoy working there. It's free/donation. On weekends, there is free parking in the back (enter next to the Planetarium). The worst part is that there is nothing to eat around there. Pack a lunch--there's a lunch area on the ground floor. We have twice tried to go to Shrimp Boat down the street, across from the Capital Building?, but it's never open. If you like art, dead/taxidermied animals, modern art, history, archeology, learning about where you live and what was here before--naturally and industrially, yes, please come here. If you're looking for Sesame Place or the Children's Museum (Cherry Hill, Philadelphia, Manhattan, Salt Lake City), no, it's not that. It's a museum where you can talk and see & learn things with your family. FYI: the hours are wrong; it's open 9-4:45 Tuesday-Sunday, except state holidays. Real planetarium shows, at least when we've been, have been at 2--a less than ideal time when you have little kids who melt down after lunch. The noon and one o'clock shows are laser shows. We have never been here when it's been crowded. It really deserves more love by the people who live here. It's open at 9AM 6 days a week--unheard of in Museum land. read more

My husband and I bought a Living Social deal to their planetarium show. Finally got around to checking this place out. It has a good location in downtown historic Trenton. It's no Museum of Natural History, but it has some interesting exhibits on local New Jersey. The Planetarium show was great! It really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere staring at the stars. I love star gazing... It makes me feel connected with the universe. This place is good to bring the kiddos to! read more

New Jersey State Museum - Front entrance of the museum. - Museums Near Me - Trenton, New Jersey

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The New Jersey State Museum is not one of those 'wow' museums and yet it is a pleasant enough place to spend a couple of hours in. It is located in the Capitol complex and the varied exhibits stretch over four floors. I like the art galleries the best but the natural history and Native American galleries are of some interest. My friend wanted to see the Civil War exhibition. So as you can see, this museum has a little something for everyone. Best of all it is free and if you go on the weekend so is street parking which you can manage directly in front of the building. There are no eating options in the museum but why not try one of Trenton's Guatemalan restaurants afterwards! read more

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I knew that there was a reason why I've lived here for so long and never have I visited this museum. This is a tragic case of the website being better than the real thing - and by a stretch. There are two ways to look at this museum, I suppose. It gets kudos for being free and trying to bring some culture into an arguably dying (dead?) city. The Native American crafts that they had displayed were of some interest. But not only were the exhibits sparse (and I mean, very very sparse), but the place needs a severe sprucing up. I felt like 85% of what I saw during my visit was drab and dirty gray hallways. In closing, this place is much like a lot of Trenton: fabulous potential, but needs someone to care a little bit more about it. read more

A nice place to bring the kids. They have a variety of art styles, a planetarium, and natural history. Love the natural history section with all the animals and Dinos. I'm surprised by the wide variety of gift shop items they have. Learn all about NJ, there are so many details to pick up. read more

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I will not understand what is the problem some people have with this museum. First, it is free. Second, it is large enough to spend some time. Finally, I love the Native American section it has. It was great. read more

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It is a nice museum, but beware the EXTREMELY NASTY COP who works in the parking garage. We made the mistake of driving to the booth with the woman in it, and a cop came roaring over making vague threats and nasty remarks. Why? Who knows; he didn't say, and we were later told by a museum employee that that cop was considered as "the good one". Apparently, despite there being any signs saying that you must do so, you have to stop by the cop's car, wait for him to look you over, before you can go to the parking ticket booth. And for that he is paid $100k per year plus benefits that would make a king blush. The museum itself has many interesting exhibits, and we especially enjoyed the prehistoric animal displays. read more

I wish I could comment on the exhibitions but the shoddy customer service made it impossible to stay to view them. Temps were in the 20's, with rain pelting down and water pooling everywhere. There were no restaurants or services nearby so we packed lunches for the 3, 5 and 7 year old children in our party. There was a large and comfortable looking space where families can eat. Unfortunately, it was booked for a 5 year old's birthday party. When I asked the desk staff for options they seemed to take great delight in recommending that we ate in the car, pointing to an unoccupied table and stating it was slated for "other uses." I'm glad that the museum had the rental income - I"m sure that such opportunities are few and far between. That said, I'm deeply disappointed that no one could be bothered to think through alternatives. There are three spaces available for rental on the website. I worked in museums for over 15 years and we never, ever booked an event without having a plan to continue operations. Additionally, all visitor service staff were trained to be proactive problem solvers. Finally, to the parents of five year old Sydney with the birthday party on Sunday, February 18th, it is my hope that your child has the opportunity to learn the gracious art of sharing outside the home. It saddens me greatly to think of the example of entitlement and greediness that you set for her. Sharing a corner in a space that seats 100+ would have made no difference to your event. Now, I hope you'll find a way to fix the dent in your karma. read more

I loved my visit to that museum. It is organized and clean and have a lot of educational things. To start with it os free, you pay donations if you like, and in the weekend the parking lot is free. The people who work there are super nice and knowledgeable. One of the their scientist left his work and explained to us all about the work they do and dinosaur's skeletons they have. Over all I enjoyed my visit and I would recommend it specially if you have kidos or you enjoy art. Thank you New Jersey. read more

Glad it's free, cause it stinks. Come on NJ with all the history, natural history, pop culture we have going for us? Mind you, I love an old school museum, don't mind the outdated, but really. The temporary exhibit was all broken, half the floors were empty. Staff was friendly and trying their best, but it was a struggle to spend an hour. Came with our 5 year old. read more

all the students in the course went to visit the museum in Trenton. This is early in the morning the past Wednesday. we met the painter who has many paintings in the museum and enjoyed talking to him. it was a wonderful experience. efrain. read more

Visited Saturday and was surprised to find free admission. Although small, it is what you make of it. There were some excellent exhibits and it was an hour well spent. I'd return again read more

I totally agree with Chris C. and CM as their reviews are spot on. The only thing I can do is embellish said reviews with a few of my own observations. We took our home schooled 6 year old to the museum on a particularly cold February Saturday of this year. She absolutely loved it! Many of the exhibits played perfectly with the curriculum we are currently teaching her ( the fossil exhibit, the 911 exhibit, etc.). Still others will come in handy in future lessons. This is a great place to educate on a budget, free weekend parking on premises and free admission with an optional donation. We were overly impressed with the friendly security staff as they were engaging and very complimentary of my little ones outfit. Even at closing time we were told "take your time". Oh yeah, haddy the hadrosaurus was impressive as well. To echo what CM wrote, if you want an educational experience for your child and you can appreciate having pieces of local history right before your eyes and ,at times, at your fingertips (touching a piece of steel retrieved from the twin towers), then you will enjoy your visit to the museum. read more

The experience I had was very nice, I learned about dinosaurs, people living in this country before, different animals immigrants in the region. Is a beautiful place where can you go with the family. we definitely learn a lot. read more