Visit This East Coast National Park To Learn More About U.S. History
By LESLIE VELIZ
Thomas Edison National Historic Park in West Orange, New Jersey, is the site of Edison's laboratory and his Glenmont Estate home.
Edison bought the Victorian-style property in 1886, sharing it with his second wife, Mina Miller Edison, and built the laboratory to replace his old lab in nearby Menlo Park.
The inventor ultimately garnered 1,093 patents in this laboratory. It closed after he died in 1931, and the National Park Service acquired the land in 1962.
Since becoming a national park in 2009, visitors can have a peek at the visitor's center, the main laboratory building, and the chemistry laboratory for an entrance fee of $15.
The main lab is exciting as it features Edison's library, machine shop, and fascinating antiques that provide a snapshot of who Edison was and how his mind worked.
The courtyard has a reconstruction of Black Maria, Edison's famed movie studio. Guests can tour his home, Glenmont Estate, on select dates and times.
Visitors can see original period-style furnishings, family photos, and Edison's garage and cars. You can also pay your respects to him and his wife, Mina, as they are buried there.