Liberty Science Center: A Great Half-Day Trip in Jersey City

If you are staying in a New Jersey hotel near MetLife Stadium and have children in tow, traveling into Manhattan every single day can become exhausting. For a brilliant, family-friendly half-day excursion that doesn't require crossing the Hudson River, look no further than the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

A World-Class Facility

Located within Liberty State Park, the Liberty Science Center is a massive, 300,000-square-foot interactive learning facility. It is widely considered one of the best science museums in the country. Unlike traditional museums where you stare at paintings behind glass, everything here is designed to be touched, climbed on, and experimented with, making it an absolute paradise for children and teenagers.

Must-See Exhibits

• The Infinity Climber:

  A massive, multi-story wire playground suspended in mid-air in the center of the atrium. Kids (and brave adults) can crawl through the maze high above the museum floor.

• The Touch Tunnel:

  An 80-foot, pitch-black, crawl-through maze. You must rely entirely on your sense of touch to navigate the twists and turns. It is a legendary rite of passage for local New Jersey school children.

• The Planetarium:

  The Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium is the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. The shows are breathtaking and offer a great opportunity to sit in air-conditioned comfort.

Because it is located right on the waterfront, you can easily pair a morning at the Liberty Science Center with an afternoon viewing the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline from Liberty State Park.