Open: Please call for a appointment and special tour
My review on TripAdvisor:
The front of the schoolhouse
The entrance to the property
The historic marker
The outside sign
The Friendship School was an interesting look at early rural education where students of various ages would be educated together.
The hours would vary with the growing seasons and students would be educated in the basics to educate them to the next level.
During the school day, children would have various chores to do such as gather wood, collect water, mind the fire and watch the day’s lunch. It would be a full day for both the teacher and the students.
My tour guide confirmed that nothing was easy during the school day and children had a lot of responsibility for what went on in their lives.
The tour was an interesting look at the lives of children of that period of time and the education they received.
The history of the Friendship School:
(from the Museum’s website)
This historic property contains the circa 1930 Friendship School, a circa 1900 privy, and a circa 1917 coal storage shed. The Friendship School was originally donated in 1976 by William Wells, grandson of Enoch Clouting to the Upper Township Bicentennial Committee during a time when Upper Township was particularly interested in its earliest buildings.
The historic plaques
The school’s hand pump
The committee, headed by the late Curtis T. Cordon, evolved to become the nucleus of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township (HPSUT) in 1977. Virginia M. Wilson was its’ first President.
The history of the Friendship School begins when it was incorporated in May of 1831 with Jonathon Corson, Lewis Corson, and Seth Young as trustees. The students’ tuition was paid for by parents in 1830, but by 1869, public funding for schools was established. In the 1862-63 school year, 52 students crowded into this 15’x 20’ structure, and of those students in the teacher’s roll book, 24 were Corsons!
The grounds of the school grounds
The school itself is standing on its fourth known location! It was originally located 6 houses southeast of its present location. It was used for classes until it was replaced with a larger building in the 1860’s.
The abandoned school house later owned by resident, Lot Corson, became known as “Lot’s Temple” because church services were held there. Then, it was moved to Enoch Clouting’s farm where a corn crib was placed on one side. It is Enoch’s grandson who kindly donated the school.
The barn on the grounds
The school building was in extreme disrepair when it was moved from the Clouting property to the corner of Ocean Ave. and Shore Road. According to an undated news article, “mere fragments of the (original) building remained” although “some of the heavier corner posts were salvaged.”
The school’s outhouse (pricey)
The historic sign
Nevertheless, restoration of this Friendship School was researched and planned by Kyle Fleetwood of Tuckahoe and James Wilson of Marmora; with assistance from Matt Unsworth, Robert Entirkin, Curtis Corson III, Somers Corson, Marshall “Ted” Behr, Guy Himmelberger, Harry “Hap” Folger and other members of the Bicentennial Committee. It was completed in 1980.
All replacement wood matched the original in size and material and great care was taken to restore it to its original appearance. Locally sourced materials for the restoration/reconstruction came from the Van Vorst sawmill in Petersburg, the Hess sawmill in South Seaville and the Brewer sawmill in Dennisville. Benches donated by Myra Clouting Biggs, were reproduced by Matt Unsworth.
The inside of the school house
The teacher’s desk is a reproduction also made by Matt Unsworth. Hardware for the building was hand-wrought by Robert Entrikin of Petersburg. Although it does not qualify for the State and National Registers listing because it retains little original historic building fabric, the building is important to the historical time line of Upper Township.
The schoolbooks and school equipment
Also on this site are two old frame buildings: a circa 1900 privy donated from the property of the Seaville School on Kruk Drive and a circa 1917 coal/storage shed donated from the Palermo School on Route 9. The coal storage shed, was donated by Wes and Doris Nickerson with Jim and Nancy Siegrist helping with its restoration. It was added to the property in 1993. Three three-seat privy (outhouse) from the old unused Seaville School was donated by Sharon Kruk in honor of her father, and was restored by Lewis Albrecht and Jim Siegrist. It is a work of art (with a French style roof), but is non-functional.
The school room reproduction
A special item, the cedar flag pole, from which flew a U.S. flag that flew above the capitol in Washington, DC, was donated by former Deauville Inn owners, Walter and Gloria Carpenter in December of 1983. (Since replaced)
The school bell and flag
The Friendship School was dedicated on September 10, 1983 by Virginia M. Wilson, President of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township, Upper Township Mayor Leonard Migliaccio, HPSUT members: Ebbie Unsworth and her son, Matt Unsworth, and guest speaker, New Jersey State Senator, James R. Hurley.
The children would collect water and fire wood for the class room during the school day
The reproduction of the school
Upper Township continues to own and manage the property and the school, while HPSUT members manage the inside and its activities. Each Upper Township Kindergarten class is invited to the annual Kindergarten Day to learn what a student classroom life is like in a one room school house in the early
Situated in a beautiful rural setting, the Log Cabin is restored in the same manner as the local Quakers lived in the 1700’s. The site houses a barn full of antique farm implements as well as many items used in the local industries of Lower Alloways Creek.
Salem’s County’s maritime history is documented in a unique floating cabin which is complimented with a collection of fishing and trapping memorabilia. The site also features an outhouse, carriage shed and the last canning house that was left in the Township.
The buildings on the grounds and the outhouse
History of the house:
The main house is very unique. The addition to the house was built in the mid 1800’s and is furnished from that time period. This was added to the log cabin that has been reconstructed on the site. The early parts of the log cabin date back to before the Revolutionary War.
The first-floor parlor
The Kitchen in the main house
Washing clothes in the house
How to wash clothes until WWII
The second-floor bedroom
The Bonnet collection
The second floor bedroom
The Attic Room
The toys and playthings of the Attic Room
The house has an extensive collection of antique toys and dolls and furniture.
The dolls
The dolls
The Hat collection at the home.
(Information from the museum website):
Part of the house is an old log cabin with an addition added on later. Although the date of the original construction is unknown, the cabin has been restored and reconstructed in much the same manner as local Quakers would have lived in the 1700’s. Because the air had deteriorated so many of the logs, it was impossible to save the entire original structure.
The log cabin section of the house.
The log cabin and the later addition.
All the wood used in the reconstruction of this cabin came from the woods in Lower Alloways Creek that are owned by the Township. The hand-hewn logs are white oak. The wide floorboards are pine The fireplace and foundation were built from Jersey sandstone that had been donated by John Hassler.
The inside of the log cabin and hearth.
The Hearth during the event
The Historical site also features a log cabin, carriage shed and barn, many antique farm implements, a two-seater “outhouse” and an old fashion hand water pump.
The Outhouse
The hearth of the log cabin
The loft section of the log cabin on the second floor of the home.
There is also an original Can House, with a working line shaft, a floating cabin, both of which were originally built in Lower Alloways Creek.
The historic Can House.
The historic Can House
Some of the interesting programs that the society hosts:
Line Shaft: the historic line shaft in action as it powers a variety of machines.
Outdoor sportsmen: view displays of fishing and trapping, hunting gear, decoys, floating cabins and turkey call demonstrations.
Model Trains: all aboard an exciting display of model trains.
Old time engines: South Jersey Gas Engine Club proudly presents their collection of “Hit or Miss” engines.
The Farm equipment and working engines at the “Old Time Engine Day” in September 2023 was an interesting mix of old farm equipment, household equipment and everyday items run by an engine in the early 1900’s. It was a very interesting display on how we have come in manufacturing and the museum did a nice job on the displays.
The working farm equipment at the Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
Video on the display:
The Farm Engine equipment
Farm Day: Come and see antique tractors and a variety of farm equipment. See the progression of farm equipment throughout the centuries.
Retired farm equipment in the barn
The barn
Farm Equipment in the barn.
Some of the equipment and refreshments in the barn.
The barn equipment during my visit in 2025
Indian Arrowheads on display in the barn
Cabin Cooked Pie Day:
There is nothing better than a freshly baked pie in a fireplace. In November 2025, I returned to the museum for ‘Pie Day’. There were various pies, chestnuts and soup being cooked in the log cabin fire place that afternoon. It was interesting to see cooking procedures from a hundred years ago.
I visited the museum and got to watch the volunteers cook all sorts of goodies in the fire. It is interesting how foods were cooked and tested for doness over a wooden fire. The coordination of cooking times and temperatures.
The Log Cabin goodies that afternoon
Visitors choose from Apple or Pumpkin pies, Roasted Chestnuts, Buttery Popcorn, Chocolate Chip cookies or Stuffed Cabbage Soup, all cooked fresh in the pots on the open fire hearth which also warmed the house on a cool afternoon. The museum was even selling a cookbook, Down Jersey Cookbook on some of the recipes being used in this part of New Jersey.
Cooking pies, soup, chestnuts and popcorn in the fireplace
The pies, Chestnuts and soups being cooked in the Open Hearth
It was interesting how the pies were cooked in the cast iron equipment and then laid out to cool. They came out of the oven steaming hot and sat to cool before being sliced.
The freshly baked Pumpkin pie
Freshly baked Apple pie
Freshly baked Apple pie. Yum!
Stuffed Cabbage Soup in a cast iron pot
The thick Stuffed Pepper Soup
Freshly Roasted Chestnuts from the fireplace
The pots and pans in the fire
It was fun watching the foods being cooked right on the spot they way they would have over a hundred years ago. It was even more fun to eat them. I learned a thing or two about the culinary arts this afternoon and it was so nice to sit in a warm kitchen by the fire on a cool November afternoon.
The delicious Fall goodies cooked in the hearth
Farm supplies kept cool in the barn
It was really a homey event at the museum, with good food and wonderful conversation with residents of the community. All in a room warmed by a fire in a working fireplace. I love it when museums do such great events and using the historical cooking instruments was very unique.
The Museum is in a rural location so the farmland that surrounds the house is really beautiful. The views in the fall were just gorgeous when the leaves were turning colors.
The beautiful farmland that surrounds the historical society.
The view on a late Fall day
The view of the local farm
The fields
The plaque of the “Quinton K. Baker Canhouse, the last one left.
The historic cars and fire trucks on display at the museum that day:
The Model T
The Hancock Bridge’s 1928 Hose truck
The cars on display that day
The front of the museum on my visit in November 2025
The back of museum during my visit in November 2025
The museum is open six times a year for special events. Please check out their website and their Facebook page for details. The Pie event was the last event for the season until the Spring.
Sunset Beach in all its glory in the summer of 2023.
Sunset Beach is a marvelous place to visit for sunset
Sunset Beach in Cape May, NJ is one of the most beautiful beaches in American and is ranked 24# on TripAdvisor as one of the breathtaking beaches to visit. The beach site in Lower Township in Cape May and is at the very end of Sunset Boulevard which is a direct run from downtown Cape May.
One both sides of the parking lot, there are gift shops and a small café grill. These have limited hours after Labor Day Weekend. The grill is closed after the holiday weekend but sometimes stays open depending on the weather after the Labor Day weekend.
The beach is amazing as you can see the pleasure boats in the distance coming in and out of the small harbor just north of the beach.
The Sunset Beach is really beautiful in the off season when not a lot of people are there
The Start of the Sunset in December 2022
Looking out into Delaware Bay is quite spectacular with its moving waves and the way it glitters in the sun. In the warmer months, it is just nice to walk along the shore and watch the birds. In the winter months, the breezes get to be too much and a short visit is nicer.
The beginning of the sunset
Any time of the year though, make sure to be here for sunset and that is when the beach works it beautiful natural magic.
The setting of the sun
The sun disappearing in the horizon
The sun disappearing
At sunset you will see an array of colors with the sun setting in the distance. The last time I visited the beach in September, it was a combination of oranges, purples and blues as the sun set. The lower the sun the more brilliant the colors. They become more complex as the sun gets lower.
The final sunset
The best part of the view is that it is played out on the large stage. It covers the whole sky and it looks like the sun is going to sleep in the bay. You can almost touch it. Each night when the sun sets its a different color in the rainbow in the sky. The backdrop of the small stone formations and the SS Atlantus Concrete Ship make it more dramatic.
SS Atlantus Concrete Ship
Whenever you are in Cape May, try to finish your dinner early and then watch Mother Nature work her magic by the shoreline. It is an experience that should not be missed. Please try to arrive about an hour before sunset to get a space in the parking lot.
It is the most spectacular site at anytime of the year.
The SS Atlantus Concrete Ship:
The SS Atlantus Concrete Ship was built and launched in 1918, just after World War I had ended as a trans-Atlantic steamer to return troops from Europe to home. After being decommissioned in 1926, she was purchased along with two other ships to create a ferry dock for ferries from Cape May to Delaware. The plans were later shelved as she ran aground in a storm along Sunset Beach and could not be freed.
Flag Lowering Ceremony:
The Evening Flag Ceremony held every night at sunset between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The lowering of the American flag at sunset is a 40-year-old tradition. All of the flags that are flown at the flag ceremony are veteran’s caskets flags that families being with them from their loved one’s funeral. The ceremony includes the Pledge of Allegiance, the ‘Stat-Spangled Banner’ and a recording of Kate Smith’s ‘God Bless America”.
The beautiful summer sunset in 2023.
Cape May Diamonds:
While taking a stroll along the beach, look out for Cape May ‘Diamonds’. These are small pieces of quartz crystal found in the sand that are washed from the bay. You can find Cape May diamond jewelry in the gift stores at the beach.
(NJ Leisure Guide)
Sunset Beach during the day
Visiting again in 2025:
When I came in the Summer of 2025, for the Firemen’s Convention, that Saturday evening I came on the most spectacular sunny evening and the beach was packed.
Sunset Beach in the summer of 2025
I loved the sailboat in the distance
The beach was crowded with people
Then the sun started to set and the magic began. It was such a clear night it was perfect to see the sun set with no cloud interference.
The setting of the sun at 7:00pm
People getting the birds-eye view of the setting sun
While I was at Sunset Beach, I took a series of videos when the sun was setting to share with all the readers. You really must visit Sunset Beach to experience the beauty and the gracefulness of Mother Nature at her best. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys these videos of the setting of the sun in Delaware Bay.
The pictures and videos of the setting of the sun at Sunset Beach:
A video of the beauty of the beginning of the sunset
The sun in the horizon
A video of the sun setting
A video of the colors were brilliant that night
All the colors of three rainbow
The crowds that stared to thin out
Rainbow of cololr
The old snack shop here is now a fine dining restaurant
I saw this in the sand
This beach has some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world and I have seen a lot of them. Try not to miss seeing this when you visit Cape May.
Disclaimer: This information was taken from the NJ Leisure Guide and I give their writer full credit for it. The beach is open all year around but it is the best in the warmer months. Don’t miss this spectacular view at sunset.
The Newark Museum at 49 Washington Place in Newark, NJ.
I have been a member of the Newark Museum for 29 years and have enjoyed the experience. There is a lot of things to do at all times of the year.
During the Summer months, I enjoy “Jazz in the Garden” where local and international jazz musicians perform in the beauty of the back garden of the museum under the trees. These almost hour and a half performance can be enjoyed on sunny, clear days in the gardens and in the auditorium on a rainy afternoon. It is something I look forward to every summer.
Jazz in the Garden at the Newark Museum. The gardens are amazing in the summer months.
The Newark Garden in the back of the museum.
Jazz in the Garden was a big event before the pandemic. It is on hiatus for now. It had resumed after COVID with a fee and did not happen in the Summer of 2023. Still, I had enjoyed these concerts for years.
I heard Vanessa Rubin perform at the last ‘Jazz in the Garden’. She is amazing.
The New entrance opened where the original once was:
The new entrance to the Newark Museum
The video celebration of the new entrance reopening
Entering the foyer of the museum
During December of 2019 I attended a holiday afternoon tea at the Ballantine House, the historic home attached to the museum. The Ballantine’s were one of the oldest families in Newark, NJ and were once major brewers in the city. They were considered High Society in Newark and the home, and its renovation reflect that.
The outside of the Ballantine House in 2019.
A new tradition was started this year with a Holiday Afternoon Tea and tour of the mansion. The caterer did a nice job with the food and their was plenty of it. We had finger sandwiches, various scones and pastries and different varieties of teas.
After the tea, we had a tour of the house and a talk about how the Ballantine’s and their crowd celebrated the holidays. They would be an open house for the neighbors during the holidays and then on Christmas day were church services in the morning and then a lunch afterwards with the family.
Ballantine House set for the neighborhood open house
Entering the newly renovated Ballantine House.
Another nice event is the Members Mornings of specialty tours of the galleries on a Sunday morning and a light breakfast afterwards. These are really nice, and you get a more in-depth view of the galleries with the docents. This is where I highly recommend membership.
The Ballantine House model
The Ballantine House reopened after a two year renovation of the property and I toured it in January of 2024 to see the redesign of the home. The home had been cleaned and new signage and carpeting had been added to the site. They were new signs with interpretations of the house with some major design changes.
The Ballantine children in portrait.
The house had gotten some much needed renovation work and cleaning and the house looked sparkling and looked like someone had just moved in. In 2024, the house continued its tradition of being decorated for the Christmas holidays but with a twist to it
The Foyer of the Ballantine House
The fireplace in the Foyer of the home at the holidays
The front door ablaze with colors
The Reception/Receiving Room for guests.
The Receiving Room at the Ballantine House.
The Reception Room decorated for the holidays
We started the tour clock wise through all the rooms on the first floor starting with the Reception Room where guests would be received for a visit and would wait until the Ballantine’s were ready to greet you. We then moved onto the Library where the whole family would gather in the evenings to read and converse with one another in a more casual setting.
The Library
The Library at the Ballantine House
Mr. Ballantine’s chair and desk in the Library of the Ballantine House.
The Library decorated for the Christmas holidays:
The Library decorated for the Christmas holidays:
The Library decorated for the Christmas holidays:
The Dining Room
The Dining Room set for dinner.
The Dining Room sideboard.
The Dining Room decorated for the Christmas holidays:
The Dining Room decorated for the Christmas holidays:
The Billiard Room across the hall from the Dining Room.
The Billiard Room at the Ballantine House.
The Parlor at the Ballantine House.
The Parlor for receiving guests for afternoon tea
The other side of the parlor.
The Parlor set for tea.
The Parlor set up for the Christmas Eve Tea:
The Parlor set for the Christmas Eve Tea service of the neighbors:
The Parlor would have been set for a light reception on Christmas Eve for the neighbors in the immediate neighborhood to stop in and join the family for a casual conversation and have a light snack. No one would stay more than an hour and it was in bad manners to stay longer than that.
The reception foods would be replenished as they ran out and this would take place for about two to three hours on Christmas Eve night as people would be leaving for church services or on their way to other celebrations.
The tour took us next upstairs to see the renovated bedrooms on the second floor and the galleries where some of the jewelry and art objects were on display.
The Staircase decorated for the Christmas holidays
The beautiful stained glass window on the landing to the second floor.
Mr. & Mrs. Ballantine’s Bedroom
The Boudoir where Mrs. Ballantine did her work.
The Boudoir where Mrs. Ballantine worked.
Alice’s bedroom on the second floor that was adjoined to her parents room by the way of the Boudoir.
Alice’s bedroom on the second floor looking over Washington Park.
The staircase to the Third Floor to Alice’s family apartment.
This was the main room of the apartment that was used by the family for entertaining friends and family. Alice, her husband and their four children lived in this apartment until 1919 at the time of Mrs. Ballantine’s death. Then her daughter moved to another part of Newark and then onto Morris County.
The Third floor apartment for Alice and her family that Mrs. Ballantine build for Alice and her family.
The beautiful skylight in Alice’s apartment on the Third floor of the Ballantine house.
The decorative fireplace that worked in Alice’s family apartment on the third floor of the house
On my most recent trip to the museum, I attended the opening of the new ‘Norman Bluhm Metamorphosis’ exhibition on February 11th, 2020.
Artist Norman Bluhm
Norman Bluhm: Metamorphosis celebrates six decades of painting by post-war American artist Norman Bluhm (1920-1999), who combined action painting with a lavish sense of color and formal experimentation on a grand scale.
Paintings and works on paper dating from 1947 to 1998 are on view in the Museum’s Special Exhibition Gallery and the Traphagen promenade galleries surrounding the Charles W. Engelhard Court (Newark Museum publication press release).
These large works showcase the artist’s work over a fifty year period.
Norman Bluhm’s work is quite dramatic
In 2022, I went on the first Members Morning that we had in almost two years. We toured the “Carlos Villa: Worlds in Collusion” exhibition featuring the works by American San Franciso born artist of Philippine decent Carlos Villa.
Artist Carlos Villa in the exhibition “Worlds in Collison”
Video on the Exhibition “Carlos Villa: Worlds in Collison”
What made this exhibition interesting was the feather work that he used in his art. He was trying to capture the ethnic history of identity not just of the Asian but the Pan-Pacific cultures of Hawaii. He used robes and other costumes to show the dynamic of the background of these cultures. Not just that but what describes Americans who are not of white decadency and where their role plays in society. The impression I got from his work and from the tour was feeling like an outsider in the country he was born in.
One of the feathered cloches that are in the exhibition
I also visited the interactive exhibition “Endangered”, showing video screenings of nature on the walls of the Natural Science Galleries. The exhibition highlights how human behavior is affection the natural environment and what we can do to stop it.
In the Summer of 2022, we had a member’s tour of one of the ongoing exhibitions at the museum and the docent described the works of local Brooklyn based artist Saya Woolfalk.
I joined the membership one morning to tour the exhibition on artist Saya Woolfalk who is based out of Brooklyn. Her current exhibition “Tumbling into Landscape” is being featured on a long-term exhibition. The works are a communication with nature and our relationship with nature and with one another. When you walk through it you are so relaxed between the music and the lighting. The artist ‘uses science fiction and fantasy to reimagine the world in multiple dimensions’ (Newark Museum).
The videos in the Saya Woolfalk exhibition
Her look at nature is very interesting. She looks at our relationship with the natural world and to each other and where we belong. Here works have a calming effect on the visitor and our interaction with the art.
‘The Four Virtues’ (Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude)
She even did a study of the Hudson River School and how her art worked into that perspective of nature. She included between six paintings from the School of Art with a self-portrait of herself.
It was interesting how she used her own self to compare to the stylized view of nature taken on by these past artists.
Recently, I joined other members for a special “Members Morning” that happen every third Thursday entitled “The Art of Collecting Abstracts”. It was a look at the contemporary works that have been collected by the Newark Museum over the years. We got a look at works from the early part of the last century to today. Each of the pieces chose were a way for us to think about the artist and what they were trying to convey. Some used bold strokes and colors to tell their story. I thought they were quite colorful.
The group of us on the tour walked through various galleries, admiring and learning about the contemporary collections of abstract work from artists from various periods. Each docent took their take on pieces they admired in the collection.
Abstract by Ilya Bolotwosky “Study for Mural for Hall of Medicine, Public Health Building, New York World’s Fair.
Artist Bony Ramirez is a Dominican artist born in the Dominican Republic and works in New Jersey. He is known for his island influences in his works and reflects life in the Caribbean nation. He uses all sorts of materials to achieve his works of art (Artist’s bio).
The gallery opening of the artist’s work on the second floor of the museum.
The write up on his work.
Cow sculpture
Painting and sculpture
One of the artist’s paintings on Colonialization.
One of the artist’s recent sculptures.
The exhibition was small and it was one of the first shows that the artist mounted at a major museum. I thought the work was okay but nothing dramatic. Still it was a nice opening and a reception. The artist seemed thrilled by it all.
Newark Museum History and Highlights tour:
Welcome to the Newark Museum. Our unique approach to exhibiting our extraordinary art and science collections provides unforgettable experiences for people of all ages. It is a place where people of different generations, cultures and communications encounter a robust science collection and world-class act including the arts of Africa, Ancient arts, Arts of Asia, Decorative arts and American art.
The American Wing galleries at the Newark Museum. The Max Webber piece is to the right.
Take an inspirational journey through our many galleries. Marvel at shooting stars in our popular planetarium. Travel to another era in the Victorian Ballantine House, a National Historic Landmark. Pause at a Tibetan Buddhist altar consecrated by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. Stroll through our beautiful sculpture garden, visit our Museum Shops and enjoy delicious light fare or snacks at our Cafe (will be reopening soon).
For the Lunar New Year in 2025, the Newark Museum had a wonderful family celebration for Chinese New Year. The museum had all sorts of games and crafts for the kids and tours for the families.
A Chinese musical group started the festivities for Chinese New Year at the Newark Museum. This was the folk band from JTL Band. They sang traditional songs in Chinese.
The group entertained the crowd with a wide applause
After the performance, we were treated to a Ribbon Dance. Dancer Lina Liu
The traditional Ribbon Dance by the Lina Liu Artist Group
The beauty of the dance
The end of the performance
The museum did a wonderful job with all the entertainment. The Planetarium also had a interesting show in the Moon and the phases that show in the evening sky. It was a very interesting show. Even though it was geared towards children, they made it so easy to understand in fun and engaging way.
The museum did a nice job for the Lunar holidays. In 2026, they had another interesting festival of Korean music and dance.
Entertainment from the Korean Cultural Society
The best was the resfreshments at the end of the program. They had the most delicious Korean Chicken and Dumplings along with other dishes.
The Korean dishes I enjoyed that afternoon. I had to go back for seconds of the chicken and dumplings.
Coming back for seconds
I then walked around the main hall to enjoy the works of local Korean-American artists. I have to admit it was a quick afternoon
The works of local artists
Come visit us. You’ll wonder why you waited:
(from the website and from the museum pamphlet)
The Newark Museum exhibits world-class art and science in a unique way. Visitors feel enriched by what they had planned to see and excited about the unexpected discoveries that they made along the way.
The new entrance of the museum
American Art:
With more than 12,000 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and multimedia art, the American art collection at the Newark Museum, many on view in the Picturing America galleries, is one of the finest in the country. Surveying four centuries, the Museum’s American holdings range from the Colonial to the Contemporary and are particularly strong in works from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ancient Art:
The Museum’s art of the ancient Mediterranean cultures, Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Rome, includes a remarkable array of classical antiques, as well as an Egyptian collection featuring the coffin lid of Henet-Mer. The Eugene Schaefer Collection of ancient glass offers a visual history of the evolution of glass technology in Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Islamic worlds and dates from 1500 B.C. to 1400 A.D.
Arts of Africa:
With works ranging from Moroccan textiles in South African beadwork to contemporary fine art, the Museum’s African art collection is as diverse as the continent itself. The collection is among the most comprehensive in the United States with more than 4,000 art works dating from the 17th century to the present day. Its holdings are also distinguished for their breadth of artistic representation, including masks and figural statuary, dress and adornment, photography and paintings.
Arts of Native North America:
The Native North American art collection spans the continental United States, as well as Alaska and Canada. Most of the works date from the 19th to the late 20th centuries. The collection represents the diversity and richness of indigenous arts with a range of object types including tools, household items, personal effects, clothing, ritual and ceremonial objects, paintings and drawings.
Arts of Asia:
The most extraordinary historical collection of Tibetan art in the Western Hemisphere is on permanent view. Additional galleries dedicated to the arts of Japan, Korea, China as well as South and Southeast Asia feature superior examples of sculptures, paintings, ceramics and decorative arts from the past 2,000 years.
Decorative Arts:
Furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, jewelry, costumes and textiles comprise the vast Decorative Arts holdings, which range from the 16th century to the present. A wide variety of American and European household furnishings create an international context for New Jersey-made and owned objects displayed in rotating gallery installations.
Ballantine House:
Built in 1885 for Jeanette and John Holme Ballantine of the celebrated Newark beer-brewing family, this brick and limestone mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Wander through history in House & Home, a suite of eight Victorian period rooms and accompanying thematic galleries depicting how people have decorated their homes in America, from the 1650’s to the present day.
The Ballantine House
Science:
You will also find New Jersey’s first planetarium here and an 83,000-specimen natural Science Collection, which is the basis of the exhibit Dynamic Earth: Revealing Nature’s Secrets, located in the Victoria Hall of Science. This engaging exhibit features interactive and multimedia displays that make the natural sciences come alive and help adults and children better understand the natural world.
Newark Fire Museum:
Housed in the circa 1860 Ward Carriage House in the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden, the newly refurbished Newark Fire Museum tells the story of the challenges faced by firefighters in the 19th century and includes historic fire apparatus and equipment. An exciting new exhibit adds a potentially life-saving element to our mission with a high-tech interactive Fire Safety Center designed to teach fire safety and prevention to children and families.
The Newark Fire Museum in the gardens.
1784 Old Stone School House:
The oldest standing school building in Newark, this one-room school hosted generations of students between 1784 and the early 20th century. Recently restored, its detailed bring the past to life: the foundation built with sandstone from a local Newark quarry, the floorboards sawed by hand from trees cut from a local forest and the old cast iron stove used to heat the school with wood provided by the students.
The Old Stone Schoolhouse in the gardens.
The historic plaque at the Old Stone Schoolhouse
Planetarium:
The Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium provides an immersive, out-of-this-world experience through which adults and children can learn about astronomy, planetary science and space travel. Featured is a state-of-the-art, full dome digital video system, a 5.1 surround-sound system and a Zeiss ZKP3B star projector.
Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Newark Museum pamphlet. The museum is the pride and joy of the State of New Jersey. It has great programming and wonderful events. Please call or email the museum for more details.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 