Morris Museum

When you think of New Jersey, a world-class collection of mechanical musical instruments and automata isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. Yet that is exactly what the Morris Museum offers.

Most of the museum, a catchall establishment for art, science, theatre and history, is somewhat spare, but the permanent exhibition Musical Machines & Living Dolls is worth the visit alone. The strange setting for this incredible collection is due one passionate collector’s lifetime of acquisition which he donated to the Morris Museum. With over 700 antique mechanical figures and machines, the collection is one of the largest in the world on public display.

The museum does a nice job displaying these fragile, if eerie, machines. Short films show the more delicate automatons in action and a daily demonstration displays some of the less delicate pieces. Beautiful and strange automatons line the walls behind glass cases, in sumptuous dress, with bright faces. Those that do not fit in the gallery are on display in the basement, a storeroom of lonely un-wound figures behind two panes of glass for curious visitors to peer at.