South Jersey Historical Museums

When your history dates back a few million years, there is bound to be a thing or two worth saving and South Jersey's museums are jam packed with lots of "things." From dinosaur bones to fragile china to centuries-old military uniforms to priceless Native American arts, to battleships, wandering through the region's museums and historical society collections is like spending an afternoon in the family attic.

The galleries of the New Jersey State Museum can keep even the most avid history buff occupied for hours and hours. Start at the very beginning – that would be a few million years ago - with the Museum's Natural History collection. Fossils from the Cretaceous and Paleozoic eras, rock and glowing mineral samples, and mammal and amphibian skeletons, more than 55,000 in all, lay the groundwork for everything that happened afterward.

Which brings us to the Museum's Archaeology and Cultural History collections.  Discover Native American textiles and bead work that dates back hundreds, even thousands of years. Or step into yesterday – well, a few hundred years ago, but when history goes back that far, time is relative – where the collection of artifacts that includes everything from quilts and crocks and clocks and clothes and more help portray the people and the events that brought us to where we are today.

From the nation's earliest days, South Jersey has played a significant role in America's defense and that proud heritage is preserved in several museums throughout the region.

It was a long, hard haul before the colonists finally defeated those pesky Redcoats, but not before the Old Barracks was occupied by both sides. Originally constructed in 1758 during the French and Indian War, the National Historic Landmark combines live interpreters, extensive military collections and, of course, its historic facilities for a hands-on, interactive museum experience.

Ever since World War I broke out, Fort Dix has trained new soldiers for their duties. The Fort Dix Military Museum guides visitors through its almost 100 year role in our nation's defense, with artifacts from both World Wars, through the Korean Conflict and Viet Nam, up to today's mission in Iraq. Posters calling for food and gas rationing highlight some of the sacrifices civilians were asked to make during WWI and WWII. But they were nothing compared to the sacrifices the soldiers made in the field of battle. Samples of C-rations, canteens and mess kits, collections of weapons and equipment, and both men's and women's uniforms paint a picture of the hardships endured by those who serve. The museum is self-guided, but you'll need to call ahead to arrange an appointment.

A floating museum, the Battleship New Jersey is 11 stories high, has 142 guns and is the most decorated battleship in the nation's history. Many of the guides served on the Battleship New Jersey, so you'll hear the stories of their dangerous adventures first-hand. A walk through the officers and enlisted men's quarters, mess halls, communications centers and battle stations is captivating. But the real jaw-droppers are the new interactive exhibits, including a 4-D Flight Simulator Ride, where you can engage your own Seahawk plane in a dog fight with the enemy and land on the water next to the battleship, plus the radar and sonar tracking stations with dramatic videos of actual Tomahawk missile launches. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Battleship New Jersey is a "must see" during any visit to the Camden Waterfront.

And while you're down by the waterfront, stop into the Walt Whitman House where the poet spent his final days. A National Historical Landmark, the House features his personal belongings, photos, letters and furnishings.

History isn't just made by heroes. It is made by people who go to work, raise families and play with their friends and the region's many historical societies preserve the day-to-day artifacts, photos, tools and toys that tell their stories.

Greenfield Hall, the home of the Haddonfield Historical Society is almost as historic as the artifacts inside. Tools dating back to the Lenape Indians, who inhabited the region more than 7,000 years ago, as well as more modern gizmos, tell how we worked. A collection of 800 dolls, complete with elaborate hand-made wardrobes, shows how we played. Hoop skirts, ladies ‘unmentionables,' gentlemen's suits and military uniforms show how we dressed. And a collection of furnishings and quilts shows how we equipped our homes.

In the lush garden behind the Salem County Historical Society is possibly the most unusual lawyer's office ever constructed. Stand in the middle of John Jones' 1735 octagonal-shaped law office and stretch your arms out. It is so small, it's almost possible to touch the walls. Back inside the Society's headquarters, there are photos of the ‘good old days,' changing exhibits and a two-story barn right next door that is chock full of antique sleds, tools, carriages and other artifacts.

For people researching their family-trees, the Gloucester County Historical Society is a popular stop. More than 2,200 reels of microfilm and 800 printed genealogy volumes trace the lives of South Jersey and Delaware Valley residents through census records, wills, real estate records, newspaper articles, church records. Nearby, the Historical Society's 18th century Museum House features elegant Victorian architecture and décor, an outstanding collection of needlework and displays that change regularly.

Next time the kids ask "are we there yet,?" shirk their chores, or complain about school, a trip to the Camden County Historical Society is in order. The Society's Museum wing features an old-fashioned one-room school house - complete with dunce cap and pot-bellied wood stove - an extensive collection of tools, including a fabric loom and farming equipment, and carriages, sleds and other vehicles that took w-a-y longer to get where they were going than today's cars. There's even an old-fashioned hand-pump fire engine to capture youngsters' imaginations.

Pomona Hall, one of the Camden County Historical Society's three buildings, has been cited as the finest example of Georgian architecture in New Jersey, preserving the luxurious and upscale lifestyle of its original 18th century residents. The research library boasts more than 20,000 volumes for genealogists, maps, official documents and other materials that make it a favorite for researchers. And changing exhibits, featuring photos, clothing, and other artifacts, tell the stories of South Jersey from its earliest days up to modern times.

Fans of Hawkeye in "The Last of the Mohicans" will want to check out the birthplace of its author, James Fenimore Cooper. The Cooper House is one of three historic homes that are part of the Burlington County Historical Society complex which is open for research or guided tours. The 1738 Smith Cadbury House, headquarters to the Moorestown Historical Society, has earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places. And a trip to the Historical Society of Princeton is like a trip through the town's attic with more than 40,000 artifacts, including photos, clothing, decorative arts, documents, maps and more.

With so many museums, so many historic collections and so many eras to explore, time traveling through thousands of millennia is easy in South Jersey.

Pictured: Gloucester County Historical Society, Woodbury
Credit: Thomas E. Briglia - Photographics