Thomas Edison National Historical Park Tours
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Adult and Commercial Group Tour: The Life and Times of Thomas Edison
THIS GUIDED WALKING TOUR IS FOR ADULT AND COMMERCIAL GROUPS to learn about Thomas Edison’s West Orange Laboratory as this is our main group program for adult groups, its theme is by necessity broad. Visitors will come to understand Thomas Edison’s laboratory complex as a prototype of the research and development laboratories that are now ubiquitous worldwide.
Visitors will:
- View Edison and his inventions on a continuum of innovation as opposed to being
frozen in time when first patented.
- Gain contextual understanding of the life and times of Thomas Alva Edison.
- See what work and workplaces in Edison’s laboratory looked like and compare them to
other factories of the past and today.
Adult and Commercial Group Tour: The Life and Times of Thomas Edison
THIS GUIDED WALKING TOUR IS FOR ADULT AND COMMERCIAL GROUPS to learn about Thomas Edison’s West Orange Laboratory as this is our main group program for adult groups, its theme is by necessity broad. Visitors will come to understand Thomas Edison’s laboratory complex as a prototype of the research and development laboratories that are now ubiquitous worldwide.
Visitors will:
- View Edison and his inventions on a continuum of innovation as opposed to being
frozen in time when first patented.
- Gain contextual understanding of the life and times of Thomas Alva Edison.
- See what work and workplaces in Edison’s laboratory looked like and compare them to
other factories of the past and today.
Notifications and Alerts
- Face masks and physical distancing are required in all federal buildings and facilities. Face masks covering the nose and mouth should be worn in outdoor shared spaces when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
PLEASE NOTE: Thomas Edison National Historical Park will be closed January 1, 2023 - March 15, 2023.
Need to Know
- Individual Tickets Required
- When booking your reservation, please ensure that you account for and pay the $1 Non-Refundable Reservation Fee for all adults and children (anyone under 16).
- Entrance Pass Also Required
- All visitors 16 and over must purchase a $15 Entrance Pass. Purchase in advance on Recreation.gov or on site at the Laboratory Visitor Center, 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. This entrance fee does not guarantee a ticket for the Glenmont Estate Tour.
- EXCEPTION: If you have an IA Park Pass or Site Annual Pass the $15 Entrance fee is waived for the CARD HOLDER and 3 ADULT GUEST. IA Park Pass or Site Annual Pass must be present when you check in.
- Please arrive at the Laboratory Visitor Center first, located at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ, 30 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. Late arrival may result in forfeiting your reserved tour.
- Arrival Time
- Please arrive at the Laboratory Visitor Center first, located at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ, 30 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. Late arrival may result in forfeiting your reserved tour.
- Arrival Time
- Visitors must be at the front door of Glenmont Estate by their ticketed tour time. Late arrivals will not be permitted.
- Ticket Availability
- Tickets will be released for sale 7 days in advance of the date of scheduled tour at 10:00AM ET until midnight the day before the tour. No tickets will be available for purchase the day of the tours or on site at the Laboratory Complex.
- Masks
- Masks are required in buildings when the CDC has marked the COVID-19 Community Level HIGH for Essex County. On the site, enter New Jersey as the state and Essex as the county. Guidance updates every week by Friday. Check the Site here for current level: COVID-19 by County | CDC
- Operating Hours
- Open 10AM to 4 PM Eastern Time Zone Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Ticket Rules
- Each Recreation.gov user account may purchase up to seven tickets per day.
Booking Windows
- Primary Booking Window: Tickets will be released for sale 90 days in advance of the date of scheduled tour at 10:00AM ET until midnight the day before the tour.
- Secondary Booking Window: Tickets will be released for sale 7 days in advance of the date of scheduled tour at 10:00AM ET until midnight the day before the tour.
Changes and Cancellations
- Reservation fees are non-refundable.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
211 Main Street West Orange NJ 07052
Phone Number
973-736-0550 EXT. 26
Available Tours and Tickets
- Glenmont Estate Tour
- School Groups: Idea to Product the Edison Way
- Adult and Commercial Group Tour: The Life and Times of Thomas Edison
