Admission to the Museum is free! Planetarium shows are $5 per person and workshops are $5 per student. To see the full breakdown of pricing, visit our Pricing page.

Gallery exploration is an important part of any field trip to the New Jersey State Museum! We have four long-term exhibits highlighting History, Fine Art, Archaeology, and Natural History, with connections to curriculums and state learning standards. We also feature two rotating exhibit spaces that dive deeper into specific stories within the four main collections. See more about what is on display during your visit , or refer to the Gallery Exploration section of the Field Trip Guide. To help focus your students, please make use of our Teacher Resources, which include highlight maps and gallery guides for our permanent galleries. Starting this year, Museum docents will be available in galleries to help create meaningful gallery experiences for your students.

We also offer workshops covering natural history/paleontology, seasons, astronomy, archaeology, history, and art. Details about our workshops are available in our field trip guides. Our Planetarium shows are also a great option and include a wide range of topics covering both astronomy, natural history, and archaeology. We also offer Spanish language options for select shows. Details about our Planetarium shows are available in our field trip guides or on the Planetarium page.

To see what a day at the Museum might look like, please watch our pre-trip video here:

Please Note: All in-person programs are subject to change. We reserve the option to reschedule or cancel programs if we are unable to safely serve you.

Yes, absolutely! We can accommodate large groups at the Museum. Each Planetarium show can fit up to 140 people, which includes students, teachers, and chaperones. Large groups are separated into multiple Planetarium shows on one day. For our workshops, our classroom can fit up to 40 students at one time, and we can separate large groups across multiple workshops in the same day. Large groups are also welcome to come to the Museum and explore the galleries without any scheduled programs, though we do request that you still complete the reservation form to reserve a date.

Yes! Riverview Court, picnic tables, and the front lawn of the Museum are available as a lunch space on a first-come, first-served basis. Riverview Court is available for 60 people at a time, and the picnic tables and front lawn are perfect for larger groups, when the weather allows. We ask groups to limit their use to 30 minutes and to use the tables reserved for groups, as indicated by the signs. If you choose to have lunch at the Museum, we have bins in the lobby for you to store any food.

Our Teacher Resources currently include highlights maps and gallery worksheets.

Highlights maps identify interactives and suggestions from Museum staff of what objects to stop at. Think of them like a ‘must-see’ map for each gallery! You can use the highlights maps to structure your gallery exploration if you are short on time, or use them as a starting point of your gallery journey if your visit is longer. You can also use the highlights maps as a pre-trip orientation with your students, so they know what to look for before arriving!

We also offer gallery worksheets that prompt deeper learning and close looking in our permanent exhibits. Students can use the guides individually or in groups. If you choose to use the guides, please make sure your students bring a pencil and something to write on. Pens and markers are not allowed in the galleries, and cases and walls cannot be used to write on.

Yes! If your group will be exploring the Museum without any programs, please indicate that on the form and provide an estimated arrival time along with your preferred dates. We ask this so you receive our pre-trip email and a Museum staff member can greet your group.

Yes! We welcome homeschool groups to either explore the Museum on their own or to book programs. There is a minimum of 15 people to reserve a Planetarium show and 15 students to reserve a workshop. Please select ALL grade ranges that will be present when submitting the reservation form.

Yes! Camps for summer 2027 (July 6 – August 27) can choose from Planetarium public shows and a simplified list of workshop options. Registration for summer 2027 will open in February 2027. Please email our reservationist after February 2027 for our summer options.

General admission is FREE.

Pricing for reserved programs are listed below:

We request that all groups coming to the Museum submit a reservation request using the online form, even if you are exploring the Museum with no reserved programs.

Payments must be made in full 2 weeks in advance. No refunds can be issued once payment is processed. Official Purchase Orders are considered payment to secure the reservation. If you use a PO, payment in full is due on the date of the program and must be received no later than eight (8) weeks after the date of the trip. Groups providing a PO within the two-week deadline must pay in full directly after the field trip date.

Title I and Trenton Public School District schools receive a 20% discount. It is the responsibility of the group making the reservation to notify the reservationist if eligible for one of the discounts.

If you are interested in making five or more reservations in a school year and will be paying for all with one PO, please contact our reservationist directly at reservations.NJSM@sos.nj.gov. You will get a personal account representative who will work with you to schedule all of the trips. An Administrative fee of $100 will be added to all Bulk Orders