Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Visit Thomas Edison's laboratory and private residence.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park encompasses over 20 acres and features Edison's private residence and laboratories. The laboratories operated for more than four decades and consisted of over a dozen buildings. This is where Edison researched electricity, chemistry, photography, motion pictures, and more. In fact, the first motion picture camera, nickel-iron alkaline batteries, and other things were invented within these walls.

This historic home was owned by Henry Pedder in the early 1880s, but he lost it due to embezzlement. Edison acquired the home in 1886 for $125,000 and lived there with his second wife and three children from his first marriage. When Edison first purchased the house, it consisted of 23 rooms, but he added six more rooms, plus electrical wiring throughout the mansion. The home contains all its original furnishings and is a must-see for anyone touring through New Jersey.