Welcome from Director

Welcome and thank you for visiting the Paterson Museum’s website. I hope that your online experience inspires you to come visit and spend an hour or more with us as you learn about the history of Paterson, New Jersey: America’s First Planned Industrial City.

For nearly 100 years, the Paterson Museum has been an important part of the cultural foundation of the city. The Museum’s wide-ranging collection spans more than 3,000 years, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the people that made this city their home.

From New Jersey’s first people, the Lenape, to Alexander Hamilton & the Society for establishing Useful Manufactures that founded the city or the numerous inventions developed here to the waves of immigrants that worked in our factories, there is something for everyone to experience.

For the 2017-18, we are developing a dynamic calendar of special events and programs to complement our permanent exhibitions. I encourage you to revisit our site for the latest happenings.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum soon!

Giacomo DeStefano