The Morris Museum Collection began as a curio cabinet display at the Morristown Neighborhood House in 1913.  Here Mrs. Aldus Pierson, the House's first headworker, gave talks to the neighborhood children about the different cultures represented by the various objects on display.  By 1927 the Morris Junior Museum had expanded to seven rooms, featuring displays of colonial and 19th-century household articles and children's toys. 

The ensuing years saw tremendous expansion, both in the size and variety of the Museum's collections and in its influence on its communities through educational programs.  Between 1956 and 1981 Chester H. Newkirk, the Museum's first director, took the Museum to a new level.  The Georgian-style mansion "Twin Oaks," the former Frelinghuysen estate, became the Museum's home in 1964.  Since then the facility has been enlarged with expanded gallery space, and even a 312-seat theater.  Today the museum complex fills an area of 75,524 square feet. 

The Museum's growing collection includes some 48,000 objects encompassing 
The Fine Arts:  European and American paintings from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries as well as contemporary prints, drawings, sculpture and photographs. 
Costumes and Textiles:  clothing and accessories, as well as American quilts, samplers and lace, mostly from the 19th century. 
Dolls and Toys:  a magnificent collection spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, which includes an exceptional array of children's furniture. 
Decorative Arts:  historical, contemporary ceramics, glass, and furnishings. 
Natural Science:  anthropoids, mollusks, mammals, birds, and reptiles.  Here visitors can see a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates, including live ones in the Museum's Mini-Zoo. 
Anthropology:  ethnographic and archaeological specimens from around the world, focusing on Native American, Oceanic, African, Asian and North and South American cultures. 
Geology and Paleontology:  represents the Museum's largest collection and features the minerals of New Jersey and regional dinosaur remains. 

Changing Exhibitions 
In addition to its permanent displays the Morris Museum regularly has temporary exhibitions, including thematic displays drawn from its collections as well as traveling exhibitions and items on loan from other museums.  Call for a calendar or check the Museum's official website (URL above). 

Family Activities 
The Morris Museum offers a full calendar of special events, festivals, classes, and activities for the entire family.  Call for info. 

The Bickford Theatre 
The John H. Bickford Theatre is a showcase for live presentation of a wide variety of family oriented performances.  From drama to comedy, the Bickford Theatre brings audiences a regular schedule of outstanding shows. 

"The Bickford Theatre has announced the smartest and most audience-friendly schedule I've seen since I've been covering New Jersey theatres!" said the Star-Ledger's Peter Filichia about a recent season's lineup of classic comedies.  Read some of the rave reviews at the Morris Museum's website. 

The Bickford also presents their wonderful interactive Cheers & Applause Theatre Series for Children, where kids get to be more than an audience.  Call for the schedule. 

Education 
Education has been the Museum's focus since its 1913 beginning.  The tradition has been carried on with enthusiasm and today the Morris Museum offers a great many educational programs for groups of all ages and virtually all interests. 

Gallery Talks are docent-guided tours conducted by museum staff and exhibiting artists.  They are tailored to the age and grade level of the group and can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the group's needs.  Long programs comprise a more intensive study and can include hands-on activities.  Gallery Talks may include a Workshop and can focus on changing or permanent exhibitions. 

Just a few titles of Gallery Talks Related to Permanent Exhibitions include 
Woodlands & Wetlands (Grades 1 and up):  Introduces students to the animals of the northern regions of North America. 
Endangered Species (Grades 2 and up):  utilizes the Museum's Natural Science Gallery to describe the causes of animal and plant extinction, such as habitat destruction and animal exploitation. 
Reptiles (Grades K and up):  Students observe live reptiles to learn about them in the Pearson Science Center in a hands-on program. 
Earth Explorers (Grades K - 2):  Introduces children to simple geological processes through reading and drawing activities. 
Dinosaurs (Grades 2 and up):  Students tour the Dinosaur and Fossil Gallery, where they learn where dinosaur remains are found and how scientists recover them.  Slides, fossils and reproductions help describe facts and theories. 

Many other programs are available, covering anthropology, geology and the natural sciences.  In addition to programs done at the Museum, Outreach Programs can be delivered at school, including those done with the help of a portable Planetarium. 

The Bickford Theatre offers its own series of unique programs encompassing the performing arts and film.  Call the Museum for details.