paterson museum

The museum has spiffed itself up a bit. It is still a bit uneven, but the exhibits are genuine pieces of the industrial history.

The City of Paterson has done a great job presenting the history and importance of this city...and they literally cover every aspect. from Washington's picnic to Alexander Hamilton's vision of the city, the industrial revolution and the current influence of Peruvian-Americans. The staff are generally very knowledgeable, and there is a current gallery that allows for local artists to show their art. It's a great place to visit for a couple of hours.

the paterson museum is now in the old rogers locomotive factory, where one of the great locomotive chase engines was built. the museum has an extensive collection of memorabilia from the great industrial age of paterson, including colt firearms, a wright airplane engine, a silk loom, and a photo exhibit of the seventies by a dr verilla, one of the most respected school teachers from the paterson schools.

Paterson NJ was the epicenter for Industry for our country, everything from paper manufacturing to airplane engines. The Rogers company became the most innovative locomotive engineering and manufacturing company in the US. The Ivanhoe Paper Manufacturing company was the center for paper in the US, they provided the whitest paper for many religious books. The Curtiss-Wright Corporation During World War II became the major center for Curtiss-Wright engine production. In 1920, the Wright Aeronautical Corporation designed and built the Whirlwind and Cyclone aircraft engines, which made aviation history. In 1927 Charles Lindberg had a 200 Horsepower J-1 air-cooled which made it's solo historic flight. The museum is a must see if you like history.

The Paterson museum is small, but a real surprise and treat.It tells the little known story of how Paterson was a major industrial center - powered by the nearby Paterson Falls - for almost 2 centuries.Silk, locomotives, guns, fire engines and more.If you are in the area - it's worth a visit.You can do it in an hour or so and the admission is donation only.

Thanks to the curator, Mohammad, we got special and personalized attention as to the Paterson Museum and its history. Mohammad suggested we the film documentary which was interesting. On one floor, you would be amazed how many exhibits there are...all fascinating. Paterson has an extensive and proud history. This museum is worth the trip!

We visited the Paterson Museum primarily for their Lenape exhibit. We went there to do research for my son's school project. The exhibit wasn't completely finished, but the gentlemen at the desk kindly allowed us to view it. We loved not just the Lenape exhibit but the whole museum. On exhibit is a real submarine, large weaving looms, engines for planes and in front of the museum is a beautiful locomotive engine. Also, we saw a large variety of rocks and minerals. The part of the building that houses the museum is stunning also.

For only $2.00 you can't beat it. The first thing we did when we got there was watch the 28 minute documentary on Paterson, definitely recommend it, very informative. The museum is only a block from the Great Falls which is now part of the National Park Service.

Most locals know that Paterson, New Jersey was once called the "Silk City" because of the textile and silk production that took place in the later 19th century. A visit to the museum will teach you a lot more of Paterson's industrial and iconic history. The museum has exhibits on Rogers Locomotive and Machine works which manufactured railroad steam engines and employed 25,000 workers in the 1800's. Thomas Rogers can trace his family history to the Mayflower. Samual Colt manufactured the "Colt Paterson" pistol which was used in the Mexican wars, as well as, other legendary firearms which are nicely displayed in the museum. John Philip Holland's submarine, USS Holland is on display as is the "Fenian Ram" the first submarine prototype. Displays of Lenni Lenape artifacts and a Wigwam, early fire trucks, 19th century ap0thecary, rocks and minerals ,chronological pictures of the Great Falls, a running model railroad which is quite large, Curtis Wright exhibit with memorabilia and Lou Costello's skit of "Who's on First". One of my favorite exhibits was that of Larry Doby who was raised in Paterson. It was great to see old pictures of Eastside High School. Larry's H.S. yearbook picture and script, as well as, pictures of Larry on the football and basketball teams. Locals will love the early pictures of Hinchcliff stadium midget car racing and landmarks around the Paterson area. Some of the exhibits could have been upgraded and the lighting improved but, all in all, it was a wonderful nostalgic and informative experience. The Great Falls and Paterson's Historical District are in the same area. Free and safe parking at the museum and a donation box of only $2 for adults and children are free make it a bargain. Children will benefit from their knowledge of N.J. and Paterson's early history.

Paterson was a booming area of manufacturing heavy material as well as textiles. It was a rich area which has now fallen on hard times. (per Bob Dylan's song 'Hurricane").Colt rifles and guns were all manufactured here as well as the steam locomotives which both helped "tame" the west. Well worth it... It is small - great for a short visit

Paterson Museum was opened in 1925. It is owned and run by the city of Paterson and you will find displays on the industrial history of Paterson and uniquely the Silk industry. It is located in the Old Great Falls Historic District, housed in the Thomas Rogers Building on Market Street, of Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, a major 19th-century manufacturer of railroad steam locomotives. Two models are displayed as you enter and there is an extensive model railway.Other exhibits include the Fenian Ram, a very early submarine designed by John Philip Holland. There is an archive of Holland's life and work. There is a large collection of early Colt firearms and the facade of a playhouse built by Lou Costello for his children. A major part of the museum is industrial from the silk-weaving factories. There is a rock collection, fire trucks, and many other items of interest. The price for all of this is a measly $2.00 and children are free. This is an unprecedented bargain. If you are in the area there are four places you should visit: Guernsly Ice Cream, Torpedo Base USA, The Great Falls, and Lambert Castle.

I'm glad to see it is community friendly. A number of years ago when my daughter graduated from College we had her graduation party there and as picky as my daughter is she was thrilled when her guest raved about it for quite a while. I had my own caterer and rented tables/chairs the set up was great and during that time the exhibit that was on display included pictures which happened to be of my Great-Grandmother's house and there were pictures of people who I grew up in Church with. So I thing the museum is pretty good

Great museum across from the Paterson Falls. Has Holland's submarine. Also has a steam locomotive that was manufactured on site. Also was home to gun manufacturer. Nice exhibits.

We ended up here because me daughter had a school research project on historic Paterson. First we visited Great Falls and then walked down to the museum. Don't expect to get much in the way of help from the staff, they seem to be there solely to flip on the lights and man the desk. The museum, however, is small enough to guide yourself through and both my 7 and 9 year o,d were completely engaged with the looking at the early submarines, Wright brothers plane engines and early apothecary equipment. They also enjoyed looking at the huge wigwam and Lenni Lenape boat. The highlight of course were the Early industrial machines which were housed in beautiful displays. We took many pictures and my daughter was able to learn a lot about local history. Definitely worth a trip for an hour or so when you are driving past Paterson.

I feel somewhat guilty not having visited this museum before. I guess it was the location I was concerned with. But what a surprise! This is a wonderful, small museum in a nice location in Paterson. If you enjoy learning about the history of a city, especially its place in aviation and railroad history, this is the place to go. Although it's small and you'll probably walk around it for about an hour or so, you can couple the visit with a walk over to the Great Falls National Park. Don't expect a "National Park" experience, but the view is very nice. Don't forget to walk across the street from the falls to visit the Cultural Center.