Morris Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Morris Children's Museum, Morris Junior Museum, Morris Museum of Arts and Sciences |
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| Established | 1913 |
| Location | 6 Normandy Heights Rd, Morristown, NJ 07960 |
The Morris Museum has been open since 1913. It's the second biggest museum in New Jersey, covering a huge area of 75,524 square feet! The museum is officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums, which means it meets high standards.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's Journey
Early Years: 1913 to 1957
The Morris Children's Museum started in 1913. It began as a collection of interesting objects, like a "curio cabinet," at the Neighborhood House School in Morristown, New Jersey.
In 1922, the school grew and took over an old macaroni factory. The Children's Museum also got bigger, filling two rooms in the factory. By 1938, the museum moved to the Maple Avenue School. Its collections of stuffed birds, toys, and fossils were on the third floor.
The museum became an official organization in 1943. It started lending out exhibits to local schools and libraries. At first, volunteers ran the museum. But in 1956, Chester H. Newkirk became its first paid director. The museum kept adding more items, opening a Native American exhibit in 1949. In 1957, the museum bought a new building at 141 Madison Avenue. It also changed its name to the "Morris Junior Museum."
Growing Up: 1958 to Today
In 1963, the Morris Junior Museum bought the Twin Oaks Mansion. This beautiful old house is where the museum is located today! A famous family called the Frelinghuysens used to own the mansion.
The mansion was built between 1910 and 1913. It has a special design called Neo-Georgian architecture. The museum opened its doors in this new home in 1965. In 1969, it added more galleries and a theater. With these new additions, the museum changed its name again to the "Morris Museum of Arts and Sciences."
The museum officially received its accreditation in 1972. This means it met high standards set by the American Association of Museums. In 1976, the museum started charging an entrance fee. In 1985, it changed its name one last time to its current name, the Morris Museum.
The museum grew even more in 1989 and 1990. Today, it covers 75,524 square feet. It has many permanent collections and a busy theater.
What You Can See: Exhibits and Collections
The Morris Museum has many cool exhibits that are always there. They focus on local wildlife, musical boxes, automata (moving mechanical figures), and history.
Some of the permanent exhibits include:
- A fossil exhibit
- A natural science exhibit
- Minerals
- Textiles (fabrics)
- A Native American collection
- A model train room
There's also the Dodge Room, named after Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge. She was a kind person who lived in Morristown and gave a lot of money to good causes. This room shows paintings and sculptures about her work, especially with animals. The museum also has temporary art shows throughout the year. These shows feature local artists and even student artists.
The museum also helps local teachers with special programs. They even lend out exhibits to schools!
The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection
In 2003, the museum received a very special gift: the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection. This amazing exhibit opened in 2007 and covers 5,000 square feet. It shows 150 pieces from a huge collection of 750 mechanical musical instruments and automata.
Many pieces not on display can be seen in a special storage area in the museum's basement. You can watch a daily show of the automata and music boxes every day at 2:00 pm. The museum also hosts AutomataCon every two years. This convention is all about automata and how they are made. The museum hosted it in 2016 and 2018.
Kinetic Art: Art That Moves
In 2017, the museum announced a four-year series of exhibits called "A Cache of Kinetic Art." This series focuses on kinetic art, which is art that moves! These exhibits show art from new and famous artists from all over the world.
The series started in the spring of 2018 with "Curious Characters." This show featured unique moving figures, from traditional to abstract. Future exhibits planned for the series include "Simply Steampunk," "Tiny Intricacies," and "Timeless Movement."
Images for kids
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A taxidermy fox and bird, part of the mammals exhibit at the Morris Museum
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Children playing in the interactive area of the Guinness Collection.
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A section of the Digging Dinos exhibit at the Morris Museum.
See also
- List of music museums
