The Morris Museum houses a diverse collection of materials which celebrate art, science, history, and the performing arts through various exhibitions and programs. These exhibits and programs are created with the mission of making visitors excited about these topics and cultural interests. Our New Jersey DWI lawyers love to visit here often, as there's always something new to discover and learn about. Some highlights from one of our recent visits include:
The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata
The Guinness Collection was awarded to the Morris Museum in 2003 and features 750 historic mechanical music instruments and mechanical figures which are programmed with over 5,000 media, from player piano rolls to pinned cylinders. This is one of the largest collections of mechanical music instruments and automata in the world. The display is situated in a 4,300 square foot permanent exhibition called Musical Machines & Living Dolls: Mechanical Music Instruments and Automata from the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection. You can gain additional insight into the collection by visiting during one of the daily demonstrations, which are held Tuesdays through Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
American Indian
The permanent American Indian exhibition features artifacts and materials from several American Indian tribes from all over the country. These fine artifacts are displayed in color-coded cases, which helps provide context for when and where the objects were created.
Highlights of the American Indian exhibition include:
- Bead and quillwork
- Pottery
- Carvings
- Basketry
- Textiles
These artifacts have been collected from all regions of the United States, including the Northeast Woodlands, the American plains, and the Pacific Northwest Coast. Many of the artifacts are from the Captain William Philo Clark Collection.
Dinosaur Den
The Dinosaur Den offers visitors the unique opportunity to travel 65 million years into the past. You can learn what the New Jersey landscape looked like during the time of the dinosaurs and about the daily lives of these giant reptiles. There are several hands-on interactive stations to enjoy, which include:
- Touching a real dinosaur egg
- Following dinosaur tracks
- Make your own dinosaur track rubbing
- Hear the simulated sound of a Hadrosaur
- Nesting and Growth
- Tracks and Movement
- Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction
- Predator and Prey
- What's For Dinner
- Examine fossils and specimens using electric magnifiers and magnifying glasses
Mammals
The Mammal Gallery features several examples of skeletons and taxidermy. The crown jewel of this display is the towering Grizzly Bear. In the Mammal Gallery, you and your kids can learn all about endangered species, birds of prey, and various local animals.
Rocks and Minerals
The geological collection at the Morris Museum is regarded as one of the best collections in all of New Jersey. Visitors can view and learn about geological specimens from all over the globe, and houses 100 percent of New Jersey's minerals - including Franklin and Watchung Mountain materials.
The Rock and Mineral Gallery offers visitors the chance to engage with the specimens in interactive ways, including a walk into a dark "cave" with fluorescent properties. The museum also hosts a display of Favorite Minerals from the Morris Museum MineralogicalSociety.
