These listings were published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on November 24, 1999. All rights reserved.
At this mini-museum children can explore fantastic sites of three favorite authors (C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, and E.B. White) by peeking through the fantasy wardrobe (as in C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"). Push a button in Wonderland to hear a voice recite "Jabberwocky," or use word magnets to write about the seasons in the barnyard of "Charlotte's Web." Among the high-tech attractions, a video studio where youngsters can act out an updated fairy tale and then watch themselves on screen. Funded by the Lloyd E. Cotsen, former CEO of Neutrogena Inc., this library is a wonderland for adults and children alike -- an excellent family destination. It is open weekdays from 9 to 5 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m, but closed on holidays, including from Friday, December 31 at 1 p.m. to Sunday, January 2 at 1 p.m.
Permanent exhibits of equipment, technology, and handicrafts of New Jersey farm life. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. Adults $4; seniors $3; children 4 through 12 $2.
A three-story adventure palace for all ages, the Liberty Science Center features permanent and changing hands-on exhibits, movies, and a lunchroom with a view of Manhattan. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission to the exhibits is $9.50 for adults; $7.50 for children ages 2 to 18, and seniors. Combination tickets that include the IMAX movie (currently showing "Wolves") and 3-D Theater are $15.50 adult; $13.50 children and seniors. Parking in the state-operated lot is $5.
The New Jersey State Aquarium -- a graceful, V-shaped domed building, its rooftop pennants flying above a riverside promenade with a remarkable view of Philadelphia's cityscape -- the crown jewel in the redevelopment of the Camden waterfront.
Operated by the New Jersey Academy of Aquatic Sciences, its 760,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank is one of the largest in the country. Interactivity is a part of each Aquarium exhibit, drawing in children and adults alike. The entry rotunda is adorned by a massive seven-foot-high open jaw of a Megalodon shark, extinct for 10,000 years; it leads to the Shark Zone, where other shark jaws are mounted in display cases around the Touch-a-Shark tank, its rim crowded by children.
The Aquarium's fish population numbers more than 4,000, and its recent tenants include a delightful colony of aquatic birds, joined last year by African penguins in a 6,000 square-foot exhibit called Inguza (an African word for "penguin") Island, complete with a 17,000-gallon, 8-foot pool. Winter hours: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for 12 and over cost $11.95; and $8.95 for children 3 to 11; under 3 free.
The holiday season kicks off Friday, November 26, with a holiday exhibit, "The Gift of Reading, featuring four interactive gift boxes that focus on classic children's stories marking the winter holidays of different faiths.
This interactive children's museum boasts a pumper fire truck, an ambulance, a castle fortress, a 1948 Gunther Biplane, a 1926 black Ford Model T roadster, a log cabin complete with pot-belly stove, half-size model of Columbus' ship, the Pinta, a teepee, a dance studio complete with ballet barre, a television station, a bank of computers -- and more.
It is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7.99 plus tax per person; children under 2 are free. It will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.