The Paterson Museum

 

Paterson Museum is a museum in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. Founded in 1925, it is owned and run by the city of Paterson and its mission is to preserve and display the industrial history of Paterson. This was its website in the early 2000's.

The best way to get current information regarding the library is by going to their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatersonMuseum/
OR go to: http://www.patersonnj.gov/department/index.php?structureid=16 which is the City of Paterson website
The content below is from the site's archived pages as well as other outside sources.

2 Market Street
Paterson, New Jersey
(973) 321-1260

Visiting Hours
Tuesday through Friday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Closed Mondays and Holidays

Guided Tours
The Museum offers guided tours for School and community groups by appointment. Please call for further information about program details or to make a group tour reservation.

Admission
Suggested donation of $2.00 for adults; Children under 18 free.

The Paterson Museum -

Paterson Museum – Thomas Rogers Building, 2 Market Street, Paterson – Owned and maintained by the City of Paterson, the Museum was organized in 1925. Its first exhibit, displayed in the assembly room of the Danforth Public Library, consisted of natural history objects donated by local residents.

Two years later, the growing collection was moved to the adjacent carriage house of former Mayor Nathan Barnert, and within a few years, its mineral collection was one of the largest in New Jersey. The museum was relocated to the restored Thomas Rogers Locomotive Erecting Shop in 1982, giving visitors the opportunity of viewing a variety of artifacts and exhibits which help tell the industrial history of Paterson.

…From its inception, the Paterson Museum has stressed the educational aspects of it’s interpretive exhibits. A major strength of the museum lies in its varied collections, including local archaeology, history, and mineralogy. Paterson has been a birthplace and springboard to many innovators and inventors. The museum relates to the history of Paterson by showing its evolution as a machinery and textile center, the “Silk City,” locomotive manufacturing, Colt arms, and the unique Holland submarines.

Visitors will enjoy looking over the dyeing, winding, warping, weaving and Jacquard loom products that gave Paterson its worldwide reputation in silk and textiles.

REVIEWS

 

2016 Yelp Reviews

 

Cynthia A
NYC, NY
“Fascinating.”
**** September 03, 2016 
Took my kids and their grandparents to the museum just before school began this year. Everyone enjoyed the visit. My father could remember when he visited the museum as a young boy which really impressed my kids. My mother mused when looking at the textiles what a shame that just about the entire textile industry has moved overseas to India, Pakistan, Korea, and China. She was a textile designer for a number of years. My oldest daughter commented that the manufacturing of textiles with their dying and use of other chemicals were probably terrible for the environment back then, which is mostly likely quite true. When we arrived home, several carpets that I had sent out for cleaning arrived. My youngest pipped up when she saw the cleaned rugs, I hope They are using organic rug shampoo and not nasty chemicals like at the museum.  I assured her that the company I hired was an experienced local rug cleaner NYC that offers an organic option which I had requested and she shouldn't be concerned. And by thr way, the museum is worth a day trip if you live close by.

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Ginny P
Somerset, New Jersey
“A step back in the past.”
**** July 20, 2016 
Having been raised in New Jersey, my husband and I decided to go here and see what could possibly be here. To our surprise this place was a delight and it should be a great place to take the kids to learn a little bit about the area.

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Lorena A
“Nice place”
**** bubblesReviewed June 28, 2016
One of the nice things about Silk city is the history behind the town. Is good to see the good side of Paterson.


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Katie D
“A MUST-SEE in Paterson!”
***** June 14, 2016
We LOVED this museum! It was filled to the rooftop with interesting histories and tidbits about the town and the people from it! We spent a good two hours there at least, and LOVED every minute of it! The one down side of the place, is that there's no gift/souvenir shop.

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Monalisarr
Best museum”
***** June 12, 2016 
This is one and the only Museum in Paterson NJ lived here all my life took my children when they were little and now I'm taking my grandchildren so they can learn the heritage of the museum and look at all the beautiful things they have displayed we love it

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RfoxtrotMike
Shreveport, Louisiana
“Immigration patterns and role of shipping companies in recruiting skilled workers from old world.”
**** May 21, 2016
A great insight to how textile depts. were organized , often by language spoken and how shipping companies recruited from N Italy and Germany skilled workers for the Silk City and how Haledon was founded by some of these. Paterson the first planned industrial city in the USA explained. Other industries fro locomotives to Colt revolvers exhibitions


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ross5100
Florida
“Interesting exhibits”
***** May 12, 2016 
I visited here today. The parking lot was full although I was the only person there, but I parked at the Falls up the street as I was also stopping there. The museum does a good job of having exhibits highlighting the history of Paterson. It is well worth a trip.


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Nick M
Flanders, New Jersey
 “The Paterson Museum”
**** March 3, 2016 
If your interested in our nation's industrial revolution or a 1881 submarine, Colt pistols or Lou Costello then you should visit this museum. Less than a minute to the Great Falls of Paterson and historic Hinchliffe Stadium.

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Dashon D-Block E
 “Edication”
***** December 30, 2015
The museum is cool you get to see the diesel power machine like the old trains and engines from back in the days and all items are in great condition. Three floor of history, great guides, with vast knowledge of the museum.

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robcurtross
New York City, New York
 “Excellent local museum”
**** December 12, 2015
This museum is near the Great Falls of the Passaic and has a number of great names: Colt, Holland, Costello -- and great exhibits about the history of the area. The museum has some notable old-found items. It has a range of old guns, Native American artifacts, to gem stones and old locomotives.
If you have any interest in the industrial history of America, this is an essential stop, great natural beauty and great history.

 

 

ThePatersonMuseum.com