Things To Do

Brick, wood and concrete buildings, statue and gravel courtyard. Sky in background.
Thomas Edison's Laboratory Courtyard and Buildings

NPS Photo

Visitors can enter the following visitor facility buildings at the Laboratory Complex and Glenmont Estate Grounds:

  • Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM (Eastern Time Zone)
  • Glenmont Estate (Timed Tours available after April 5, 2023) Only available at Recreation.gov.
    • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM (Eastern Time Zone)
  • Main Laboratory, Visitor Center (Building 1) which includes the park orientation films and the museum store.
  • Main Laboratory Building (Building 5) which includes Thomas Edison's library, machine shops, music room, and other exhibits.
  • Chemistry Laboratory (Building 2) at the Laboratory Complex
  • Glenmont Grounds (Pass must be obtained from the visitor center at Laboratory)
  • Weather Permits: Look inside Glenmont Greenhouse where volunteers from the Short Hills Garden Club and park volunteers care for a variety of exotic plants like those grown by the Edisons.
  • Glenmont Garage which contains Thomas Edison’s historic vehicles (as staffing allows)
  • Laboratory Courtyard Cell Phone/App self-guided tour (information available at the visitor center)
  • Main Laboratory / Building 5 interior audio tour, now available online.
  • Laboratory Complex Restrooms are open
  • Glenmont Grounds Cell Phone/App self-guided tour (information available at the visitor center)
  • Visitor parking lots on Main Street and Honeysuckle Avenue are available for parking
  • Ranger staff are available to provide information at the Laboratory visitor center

 
1907 map showing layout of grounds with buildings and open spaces
Visitors must first stop at the Laboratory Complex (211 Main Street) to get a car pass before heading up to Glenmont grounds.

NPS PHOTO

Glenmont Estate Tours

Tickets for Glenmont: Tickets for Glenmont House Tours can be purchased ONLY on the Recreation.gov website. When booking your reservation, please remember all adults and children need tickets There is a $1 per ticket non-refundable reservation fee.

Glenmont Grounds

Feel free to enjoy the free Glenmont Grounds cell phone tour. Access it via preceding link or via the NPS app, available for download here. The tour will give you a history of the estate as well as many family stories.

 
Brochure cover for bike tour with a bike leaning on a brick and concrete pillar at the park entrance.
Brochure cover for the Washington Rock & Roll Tour for Cyclists.  One of the stops is Thomas Edison National Historical Park.  To view the brochure, click the link to the left that says - the brochure on the tour.

New Jersey Department of Transportation

Washington Rock & Roll Tour

Enjoy biking? Thomas Edison National Historical Park is one of the stops along the Washington Rock & Roll Tour. The bike route begins and ends at the parking lot of Bernard M. Degnan Park on Alisa Drive adjacent to West Orange High School. Along the ride you will also pass by Verona Park, Montclair Arts Museum and even South Mountain Reservation and Turtle Back Zoo. If you are looking for a different way to come visit the park, check out their brochure on the tour . For more biking information and other tours, check out the website for the Department of Transportation www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/tours/shtm

Last updated: November 19, 2023

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

211 Main Street
West Orange, NJ 07052

Phone:

973-736-0550 x11
Phones are monitored as staff are available with messages being checked Wednesday - Sunday. If a ranger is unavailable to take your call, we kindly ask that you leave us a detailed message with return contact information and we will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

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