Museum of Early Trades & Crafts
The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is a history museum in the United States that features artifacts and a collection of more than 8,000 hand tools used by 18th and 19th century New Jersey tradesmen. In addition, the museum is located in the historic James Library building in Madison, New Jersey. It is a non-profit educational institution that serves a wide audience, including students, teachers, and families. You can explore the museum on your own, or you can opt to participate in one of the many programs offered. Call your friends and family to visit this amazing museum at 9 Main St, Madison, NJ 07940.
The museum is open to the public on Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 am to 4 pm, and on Sundays from noon to 5 pm. Admission to the museum is free for members, $3 for seniors, and $7 for a family. A guided tour is available for $8 per person. There are also plenty of activities for school groups to engage in, including making a horn book and studying household objects.
The museum’s Education program features a number of learning experiences that combine a survey of the past with a look at how modern problem solving skills can help us make the world a better place. These include programs that examine life in early America. They are designed to teach people of all ages about the history and significance of the region’s trades and crafts. One of the most impressive displays is the Hotchkiss tower clock, which is made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company.
The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts’ main exhibit features a bi-annual rotating Main Gallery. This is where you will find an impressive collection of tools and other technologies of the 18th and 19th century trades, including a whirligig, a jigsaw, and a chessboard. Other features of the museum include wrought iron rails, original stenciling, and a spiral staircase.
In addition to the main exhibit, the museum offers many smaller but informative attractions. Among them are a hands-on model of a hammerhead hurricane, a carved tusk display, and a model of a 19th century steam locomotive. Also, the museum features a large selection of crafts from the past, including a fine example of American ingenuity.
The museum also has a voluminous collection of literature and literature-related items. A number of the items on display have been curated through the Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program, which provides a sustainable way for museums and other cultural institutions to preserve the humanities’ riches. As a result, the museum is able to better present its collection to a wider audience. Learn more
The museum also has the honor of being a recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ $50,000 Historic Site Management Grant. The award, which is administered by the Department of Community Affairs, will be put to good use by the museum in the form of a feasibility study. Ongoing efforts to strengthen the museum’s institutional resilience will be carried out under the leadership of new executive director Deborah Farrar Starker. Click here