Here's our Guide to Free Museum Days 

Get a little bit of history, and explore art, culture, and theater with your family. Several kid-friendly museums are always gratis (or pay-what-you-wish), and tons more offer special free museum days. Here are some ideas. Exploring cool and out or the ordinary is one of our favorite free things to do with kids, so check out our list and get going! Please call ahead to confirm schedules and fees as they are subject to change.

Montclair Art Museum
3 S. Mountain Ave, Montclair, 973.746.5555, montclairartmuseum.org
Free First Thursday Nights at MAM every month from fall to spring: November through June, 5–9p.m. Appreciate the full experience of Free First Thursday Night while your kids enjoy getting creative in the new Helen and Bill Geyer Art Studio. Half Price Summer Admission. Adults $5, Students $3 and children under 12 are free. Enjoy an evening of free art and dynamic programming. Explore the Learning Lab on the 3rd floor as part of your visit. Large illustrations from the exhibition allow families to "step into" the stories. Engage with the stories using activity prompts, art supplies, and books.

New Jersey State Museum
205 W State St, Trenton, 609.292.6464 nj.gov/state/museum
Science. History. Art. With holdings of more than two million artifacts, you can explore collections in natural and cultural history, archaeology and ethnography, and fine art at the New Jersey State Museum. Take a tour, participate in hands-on activities, enjoy a lecture, see a planetarium show, interact with scientists working on real fossils, or browse the galleries. Get to know more about New Jersey and its place in the world! During the summer, they offer free activities all summer-long! During the fall, winter and spring, local families can register for the Free Small Explorers program, a playgroup where you get to explore the museum, and connect with other families, usually held on the second Saturday of the month (October through June). There are free guided tours for students. 

Rutgers Geology Museum
New Brunswick, 848.932.7243, geologymuseum.rutgers.edu
Museum admission is always free. Housed within Geology Hall which is located on the Queens Campus of Rutgers University. Explore extensive collection which include minerals and fossils and emphasize the geology of New Jersey and surrounding states. The exhibits include a variety of geological, anthropological, natural history specimens. Some highlights include: a dinosaur trackway with a model of a small carnivorous dinosaur, a fully articulated mastodon skeleton from Salem County, a Ptolemaic era Egyptian mummy and flourescent mineral exhibit. The building itself is of historical and architectural importance as the building is recognized as a historic place. Ask about their free scavenger hunt. Also look out for a variety of fun and educational activities and events throughout the year for your family. 

Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University

71 Hamilton St, New Brunswick, zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu
The Princeton University Art Museum seeks to bring the visual arts to the heart of the Princeton University experience for students, scholars, and visitors of all kinds as one of the world’s greatest comprehensive museums in an academic setting. Housing more than 60,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary art. Visit website for schedule of lectures, films, concerts, performances, and classes for children to adults. Free General Admission

Princeton University Art Museum
McCormick Hall, Princeton, 609-965-4677, artmuseum.princeton.edu
The Princeton University Art Museum seeks to bring the visual arts to the heart of the Princeton University experience for students, scholars, and visitors of all kinds as one of the world’s greatest comprehensive museums in an academic setting. 

Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum
3055 River Road, Bedminster, 908-396-6053, jvanderveerhouse.com
A great place to bring kids to learn history during the revolutionary war era.

Air Victory Museum
68 Stacy Haines Road, Lumberton 609-267-4488, www.airvictorymuseum.com
See dozens of airplanes, engines, missiles and bombs from the U.S. Air Force! Great museum for history fanatics! Children: $2

Heritage Glass Museum
25 E. High St., Glassboro, 856.881.7468, heritageglassmuseum.com
From antique glassworker tools and handblown glass to vintage bottles and paperweights, the Heritage Glass Museum in Glassboro features more than 200 years of South Jersey glass, and it won’t cost you anything to visit. The museum is located in the stately Hollybush Mansion, built in 1847.

The Center for Contemporary Art
2020 Burnt Mills Red, Bedminster Township, 908.234.2345, ccabedminster.org
Featuring a variety of contemporary art exhibits by emerging, established and underrepresented artists in a range of media, The Center for Contemporary Art is a thought provoking destination for visual arts. Admission is free (with a suggested donation of $5), and classes for a cost are also available. 

Thomas Edison National Historical Park
211 Main Street, West Orange, 973.736.0550x11
Come visit the Laboratory Complex. Explore 20,000 square feet of additional exhibit space, including two floors of the main laboratory building which were previously closed to the public. Spend an hour or spend the day. The Laboratory is now a self guided experience so you can pick and choose what’s interesting to you. Entrance to Laboratory and Edison Estate $10, Under 16 years is Free. Park pass on a first come first serve basis.

New Jersey Maritime Museum
Beach Haven, LBI, 609.492.0202, njmaritimemuseum.org
Come visit us and explore the most extensive collection of maritime history and artifacts in the entire state of New Jersey!
Dig through the ship wreck database and map! The museum is open all year long, Friday through Sunday in the off season, and seven days a week during the summer. 

The Indian King Tavern Museum

233 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, 856.429.6792, indiankingfriends.org

The Indian King Tavern Museum is almost 300 years old and nestled on Kings Highway, the main street in historic Haddonfield. It is New Jersey’s first state-owned historic site (acquired in 1903) and it is where New Jersey completed its transition from colony to state. Laws that revised election procedures, created township governments, set up state courts, regulated a war economy were passed. 
They offer free tours and history lessons to all. Student field trips are at no cost to the students nor schools and often teachers create entire lesson plans around their visits to Indian King. Visitors can take free tours of the first and second floor.

Waterloo Village Historical Site
Waterloo Rd, Stanhope, 973.347.1835, waterloovillage
There are no entrance fees to this open-air museum that is situated within Allamuchy Mountain State Park. As part of the State Park, it is open to the public from sunrise to sunset. Explore the historic site at your own pace, taking in the sights and sounds of the 19th-century canal town during the day. This authentic village was transformed into a living history tourist attraction and therefore truly a unique and immersive experience. You can witness working blacksmiths, potters, candle dippers, and weavers demonstrating crafts from the colonial historic eras, providing an interactive and educational experience. 

Wildwood Historical Museum 
Wildwood, 973.347.1835, wildwoodhistoricalmuseum
Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day (closed Sunday and closed during the winter). If you're local, or down for the summer, this museum will add a little bit of history, culture and art and expand your horizons of the Wildwoods. They offer educational programs and events that are fund for the entire family. This museum experience is rated one of the top 10 things to do in Wildwood according to TripAdvisor! Free admission.