As New Jersey and the nation mark the 250th anniversary of our founding, many of us are reflecting more deeply on the people, places, and stories that have shaped our state. The New Jersey State Museum is one of the most important places to do that. It brings together history, heritage, art, science, and community in ways that help us understand where we have been — and where we are going.

This year, the Museum offers three powerful exhibitions that connect directly to the NJ 250 story: The Power to Change: Revolutionary Stories from the New Jersey State Archives, Spirit of ’76: The Bicentennial, and Pretty Big Things: Remember the Revolution.

• The Power to Change: Revolutionary Stories from the New Jersey State Archives explores rare Revolutionary-era documents and artifacts that illuminate New Jersey’s role in the birth of our nation. 
• Spirit of ’76: The Bicentennial looks back at the 50th anniversary of the American Bicentennial through a collection of objects and memories that remind us how previous generations celebrated the nation’s founding. 
• Pretty Big Things: Remember the Revolution serves as a long-term core exhibition, offering a creative and engaging look at the cultural history of our state with a focus on how all the changes impacted the state.

Together, these exhibitions show how the Museum helps visitors connect with the past in meaningful ways. They remind us that history is not only something we study — it is something we experience, question, and carry forward. In a year like this, when New Jersey’s history is in the spotlight, the State Museum becomes a place to reflect, discover, and celebrate the many voices that make our state unique.

For more than five decades, the New Jersey State Museum Foundation has helped make this work possible. Since 1968, the Foundation has supported the Museum’s collections, exhibitions, educational programs, and critical research through advocacy, fundraising, promotion, and volunteerism.

That support matters now more than ever. The Foundation helps ensure that the State Museum can continue preserving important collections, presenting compelling exhibitions, and offering relevant educational experiences that serve visitors of all ages. Every gift helps sustain the State Museum’s ability to connect communities through science, history and art.

If New Jersey’s story matters to you, now is the perfect time to visit the Museum, explore these exhibitions, and support the Foundation’s work.

Call to action: Visit the New Jersey State Museum, become a member, or make a gift today.