Art museums have extremely finicky hours, always closed on the one day you are visiting a city far away. Starting today and running until April 26th the Newark Museum will give you no excuse as to why you can't visit: they are open 100 hours straight in honor of their 100th birthday. Admission to this great museum is free and activities are a plenty. There is a midnight flashlight tour of the Ballantine House, laser light shows and overnight films, dinosaur day, live music, early morning yoga and morning prayers at the Tibetan altar.
The Newark Museum is a gem that sometimes gets lost in the shadow of New York's mega museums. They have one of the largest collections of Tibetan art outside of Tibet, and since the 1930's have had a gorgeous consecrated Tibetan Buddhist altar, most recently renovated in the 1990's by a monk who worked on it for months, offering visitors the chance to observe his daily progress. The museum began in 1909 with an assortment of Japanese artworks, and later grew to included the Ballantine House, former home of a Ballantine Brewery heir. Like many small museums they have a collection of individual interests determined by idiosyncratic curators and local donors. For me, that is what makes a visit here so special.
Great museum with one of the best Tibetan collections around. And it's one of the only collections to include silk appliqué thangkas! I was recently there for the second time and highly recommend going if you have the chance. Friendly staff too!
Posted by: Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo | April 23, 2009 at 05:04 AM
I agree that this museum is an unsung gem. The best kept secret in New Jersey for sure. From it's planetarium to Tibetan art, Night creature (live animals) zoo to the natural history section, fantastic. The Ballentine house is particularly nice at Christamas time when it' decorated like the days of yore.
Come early on Sundays and park free on the streets nearby.
Posted by: lex medved | April 26, 2009 at 11:45 AM