The New Jersey State Museum is a center for the exploration of science, history and the arts.
We preserve and share stories that inspire curiosity and creativity for the enrichment of our communities.

New Jersey State Museum Strategic Plan 2021-2026
Annual Report FY2024

General Inquiries
NJSM.Info@sos.nj.gov

School and Group Reservations (Public Tours/Group Visits)
NJSM.Reservations@sos.nj.gov
609-292-1382

Rentals – War Memorial and Museum Auditorium
Rentals.NJSM@sos.nj.gov
609-984-8484

Museum Shop
Friends.of@sos.nj.gov
609-826-3936

Press and Media Inquiries
Susan.Greitz@sos.nj.gov
609-292-6308

Development & Membership
Melissa.Mantz@sos.nj.gov
609-292-2117

Rights & Reproductions Requests
Archaeology & Ethnography: Susan.Orr@sos.nj.gov
Cultural History: Paula.Andras@sos.nj.gov
Fine Art: Sarah.Kirk@sos.nj.gov
Natural History: Rodrigo.Pellegrini@sos.nj.gov

Museum Staff

Administration

Archaeology & Ethnography

Cultural History

Education & Public Programs

Exhibits Design & Fabrication

Fine Art

Natural History

In 1895, the New Jersey State Legislature formally established the New Jersey State Museum in the capital city of Trenton with a mission to collect and exhibit specimens in natural history, archaeology, and industrial history. Original collections included natural history specimens amassed in the 19th century. Between 1900 and 1912, the State Museum strengthened its archaeology focus by initiating a field research program.

It adopted a statewide Education Extension Service in 1914 that lent models, lantern slides, and specimens to schools throughout the state. In 1929 expanded space in the newly-constructed State House Annex permitted extensive exhibitions of the natural history and New Jersey prehistory collections. Decorative arts became a third collection field at this time when the State Museum expanded its focus beyond industrial history to include the manufacture of ceramics.

The ethnographic collection was initiated in 1932 when the State Museum purchased part of an exhibition of North American Indian art. The collection was strengthened in the 1940s when noted anthropologist Frank Speck made field collections for the State Museum among the Delaware Indians of Oklahoma and Canada.

Exhibitions of these artifacts attracted the interest of New Jersey residents whose donations from private collections built the collection in the ensuing years.Growing interest in education and culture in the late 1950s resulted in the construction of a modern cultural complex near the State House that opened in 1965 and included a four-level Museum building, an adjoining planetarium, and an adjacent auditorium. At that time, fine art became the Museum's fourth collection area.

The State Museum was initially accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1974. Since 1983 it has been a division of the New Jersey Department of State.

Timeline

Further your education, career, and interests by interning at the New Jersey State Museum!

The State Museum has numerous opportunities for students who want to learn more about their fields of study, gain valuable experience, or to broaden their interests.

Multiple intern opportunities exist throughout the Museum (Archaeology/Ethnography, Cultural History, Education/Planetarium, Fine Art, Natural History, Marketing and Public Relations, and Rentals).

Duties may include working in a bureau’s office, laboratory, collections management, library, or helping with research, exhibitions, education and field work, developing social media.

Recent interns have aided in the cataloging of fossil specimens, served as docents in the Museum’s exhibitions, aided in the preparations for a major exhibition, and helped to develop educational programs, services and curricula. Interns have also worked on projects that were published in scientific journals. Project ideas initiated by the interns will be considered.

Interns work under the supervision of the professional staff. Contact between the student, the academic advisor, and the Museum staff is encouraged.

An interview with the appropriate staff member and approval by the Bureau’s Curator is required.

Interns should be able to work with a high degree of independence, self-motivation, and accuracy. Please note: the NJSM cannot offer paid internships at this time, however, we will work with your educational institution to assist you in gaining credit (where possible) for the internship.

If you are interested in interning at the New Jersey State Museum, or if you would like more information, please contact one of the curators below: