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shopping, dining and culture.
There are so many "must-see" attractions in Paterson, and most are in walking distance or just a short drive from our Downtown Paterson retail district. After taking in the architectural sights of Downtown Paterson, one can stroll into our Great Falls Historic District and visit the Great Falls Historic District Cultural Center, which provides a variety of services to educators, students and researchers. Information from the center’s archives is available for review here.
As the focal point of the Historic District, the Thomas Rogers Locomotive Erecting Shop is a fitting home for the Paterson Museum, whose exhibits reflect the evolution of Paterson as an important industrial center of the United States. The Silk City exhibition features the machinery implemented in the dyeing, winding, warping, weaving, and the Jacquard advancements within the industry, which were first introduced by Christopher Colt in the Gun Mill built by his brother, Samuel.
The Museum also features the finest and largest collection of Paterson-made Colt firearms.
Paterson schoolteacher, John Philip Holland, was known as the Father of the Modern Submarine. On permanent display at the Museum are the hulls of Holland's first Submersibles.
One of the finest exhibited mineral collections in the state will also be found here – including a Fluorescent Mineral Display housed in a Simulated Mine. Most of the minerals displayed have been found in New Jersey, but other specimens from around the world can also be seen.
Historical researchers will find ample documentary resources on city history, which include the papers of John Philip Holland, original manuscripts, and a photograph collection consisting of approximately 50,000 negatives and prints.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Museum hosts changing exhibitions of a historical nature, as well as contemporary art exhibitions featuring works from local and metropolitan artists.
The Paterson Museum falls under the direction and administration of the Paterson Free Public Library, which is another architectural and cultural gem in the City of Paterson. The Paterson Free Public Library is New Jersey’s oldest public library. The main library branch (The Danforth Memorial Library) at 150 Broadway was designed by architect Henry Bacon, who also designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. In addition to the vast African American, Hispanic, Arabic, and Filipino collections of literature, and 35 computer stations, the Danforth Library is home to the Hobart Memorial Art Collection. On permanent exhibit in the library, the Hobart Memorial Collection is composed of twenty-five 19th century paintings, primarily American landscapes and genre scenes by well-known artists. The paintings were donated to the people of the City of Paterson by Mrs. Garret (Jennie) Hobart in 1925 as a memorial to her husband and are held in trust by the Library Board of Trustees. The collection includes the recently restored portraits of President McKinley and Vice-President Hobart.
If viewing the various landscape portraits at both the Library, and the Museum, have one anticipating a “real” landscape, one only has to walk from the Paterson Museum to the Great Falls National Park to experience the Great Falls waterfalls, which are 77 ft high. One of the United States' larger waterfalls, it played a significant role in the early industrial development of New Jersey starting in the earliest days of the nation. It is part of the Great Falls of Paterson-Garrett Mountain National Natural Landmark It has also been designated as a National Historic Landmark District since 1976. The Great Falls' raceway and power systems were designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1977.
The falls are viewable from Overlook Park (72 McBride Avenue) on the north and Hamilton Park on the south. A bridge downriver from the falls, the eighth such structure to be built, also provides a viewing of the falls. An adjacent visitor's center provides a historical overview of the falls.
To get a sense of the sort of person, Paterson’s Industrial history created, it’s off to Lambert Castle at 3 Valley Road. Lambert Castle was built in 1892 by English immigrant, Catholina Lambert. The son of working class parents, he came to the U.S. at the age of 17 to seek his fortune. He found his fortune “in silk,” when he became one of the nineteenth-century Paterson’s most prominent silk textile manufacturer. A tour of his home, Lambert Castle will not only reveal the rich and glorious history of Paterson, but of the working class as well.
If it is a relaxing stroll in a park you seek, Paterson is home to many parks large and small. The largest park for enjoying is the Eastside Park, which is in the Historic Eastside Park Neighborhood, managed by the Eastside Neighborhood Association. Attractions at Eastside Park include a historic horse barn and fountain. Each year, the East Side Neighborhood Association hosts a historic house tour, to raise money for the maintenance and beautification of the Park’s attractions. Information can be found on the ESNA website. In addition to the wonderful sights, Eastside Park is home to a state-of-the-art Frank Lautenberg Children’s Park, sponsored by the Paterson and Paterson AM Rotary Clubs. This handicapped accessible children’s park also features a water sprinkler attraction for children to keep cool in the hot summer months.
These are just some of the attractions that are available to you, for “A Day in Paterson.” Whether you are a Downtown Paterson shopper, County employee in our historic Passaic County Courthouse, student at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, history buff, or a teacher wanting to arrange an educational school trip, Paterson offers lots to see.
