Highest-rated museums in New Jersey by visitors
Museums are popular tourist attractions because they provide fun ways to learn about history, science, and culture. As stewards of our civilization, they collect and exhibit items of significant importance, typically based around a theme, topic, or place. Many cover areas like art, natural history, or science, but some museums dedicate themselves to highly specific topics like mustard, play, hot air balloons, and even funeral history. Ultimately, museums present a window into different eras of society so people can learn about the past.
Collecting, preserving, and displaying items is not a new idea. The dates to about 530 B.C., a project of Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Babylonian who had a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts. The oldest public museums still in existence are the Capitoline Museums in Rome, a collection of art and archeology museums . America's oldest museum predates our country's founding. The Charleston Museum, a preservation of South Carolinian Lowcountry history,.
Museums are important not just because they preserve important elements of our history and culture but also because they can improve our well-being. Naturally, museums promote education and learning and can also bring joy. Researchers studying art museums found that they can. Quiet museum environments allow people to slow down and relax, and looking at exhibits. Museums also foster community by hosting events, activities, and tours that encourage social interaction.
No wonder they attract nearly.
With over in the country to choose from, there's something for everyone. compiled a list of the highest-rated museums in New Jersey on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 11, 2025. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see what museums are in your own home state.
#30. The Robert J. Novins Planetarium
- Rating: 4.7/5 (58 reviews)
- City: Toms River New
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#29. Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
- Rating: 4.5/5 (164 reviews)
- City: Millville New
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#28. Montclair Art Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (131 reviews)
- City: Montclair New
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#27. Franklin Mineral Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (69 reviews)
- City: Franklin New
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#26. Waterloo Village Historic Site
- Rating: 4.4/5 (51 reviews)
- City: Stanhope New
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#25. Imagine That! Children's Museum
- Rating: 4.1/5 (168 reviews)
- City: Florham Park Morris County New
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#24. Insectropolis, the Bugseum of New Jersey
- Rating: 4.5/5 (83 reviews)
- City: Toms River New
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#23. Red Mill Museum Village
- Rating: 4.4/5 (114 reviews)
- City: Clinton New
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#22. The Doo Wop Preservation League Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (105 reviews)
- City: Wildwood Cape May County New
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#21. Space Farms Zoo & Museum
- Rating: 3.4/5 (236 reviews)
- City: Sussex New
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#20. Tuckerton Seaport
- Rating: 4.1/5 (152 reviews)
- City: Tuckerton New
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#19. Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park
- Rating: 4.3/5 (165 reviews)
- City: Edison New
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#18. New Jersey State Museum
- Rating: 3.9/5 (139 reviews)
- City: Trenton New
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#17. Morven Museum and Garden
- Rating: 4.3/5 (85 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
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#16. Morris Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (152 reviews)
- City: Morristown Morris County New
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#15. Allaire State Park
- Rating: 4.2/5 (186 reviews)
- City: Farmingdale New
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#14. Museum of NJ Maritime History
- Rating: 4.8/5 (128 reviews)
- City: Beach Haven Long Beach Island New
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#13. World War II Lookout Tower
- Rating: 4.4/5 (318 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#12. Old Barracks Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (251 reviews)
- City: Trenton New
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#11. Historic Cold Spring Village
- Rating: 4.4/5 (343 reviews)
- City: Lower Township Cape May County New
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#10. Sterling Hill Mining Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (256 reviews)
- City: Ogdensburg New
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#9. Princeton University Art Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (729 reviews)
- City: Princeton New
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#8. The Newark Museum of Art
- Rating: 4.6/5 (297 reviews)
- City: Newark New
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#7. Silverball Retro Arcade Asbury Park
- Rating: 4.8/5 (640 reviews)
- City: Asbury Park New
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#6. Emlen Physick Estate
- Rating: 4.3/5 (718 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#5. Battleship New Jersey
- Rating: 4.6/5 (622 reviews)
- City: Camden New
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#4. Liberty Science Center
- Rating: 4.1/5 (786 reviews)
- City: not available
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#3. Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,054 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#2. Cape May Lighthouse
- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,174 reviews)
- City: Cape May Cape May County New
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#1. Grounds For Sculpture
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,980 reviews)
- City: Hamilton New
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.