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NEW and Must See Liberty Science Center Exhibits, Shows, & Activities (Photos)

Liberty Science Center is a must-visit attraction in New Jersey. No matter if you are 2 or 92, there is something for everyone to learn and experience. Bring the kids! Bring the grandparents! You are guaranteed to leave with a plethora of new information. Your experience there will leave you wanting to come back for more.

While we could talk about the Liberty Science Center all day, we wanted to take this time to focus on the newest and must-see Liberty Science Center exhibits and shows. Our thanks to the Liberty Science Center for sponsoring our April 2023 visit in order for us to share this exciting information about NJ’s most popular science museum.

Got toddlers and preschoolers? After reading this guide to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ be sure to read our guide to what toddlers and preschoolers can do at Liberty Science Center.

Outside-the-Liberty-Science-Center-signage-for-Minecraft-the-Exhibition

New and Must See Liberty Science Center Exhibits

There is always something new and exciting to see at the Liberty Science Center. From temporary exhibits to areas renovated to new areas to learn and explore, if you haven’t been to this NJ science museum in a while it’s time to get back.

OceanXperience

  • The OceanXperience is a temporary exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center until September 4th, 2023.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 4th Floor. The entrance is across from Brain Games.
  • Admission to the exhibit is not included with your general admission ticket. It is an additional $8 per person.
  • The OceanXperience exhibit is great for older kids who can read well. The (virtual reality experience) Holo Lab is limited to people who are at least 13 years old.

About The OceanXperience

Families can become honorary “ocean researchers ” as they navigate through this interactive and immersive ocean research ship, the OceanXplorer. The journey starts out with each group receiving an RFID bracelet and choosing a mission. We chose “Orca”.

Once the mission starts, each family uses the bracelet to connect to each station and record data and findings as they immerse themselves in oceanic science activities throughout the exhibit. Each group’s visit is as unique as the natural ocean.

We all were inspired by an appreciation for how much the scientists have learned about the ocean’s splendor and how much there is yet to learn about our beautiful, vast, and varied oceans. My eight year old put it best when he said, “I didn’t know ocean science was so cool!”

computers on the bridge at OceanXperience at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

What can kids do in OceanXperience?

Activities will vary based on which path of study your group chooses to take. But here are a few:

  • Tag a whale using RFID technology.
  • Sit on the Bridge and navigate OceanXplorer.
  • Look through a microscope at samples in the lab.
  • Help co-pilot the ROV  to collect coral samples.
  • See “OceanX”, a deep-sea submersible, up close.
  • Practice using tools to pick up ocean items.
  • Explore a “Wet Lab”
  • Learn and experience Hologram technology and how researchers use it in the Holo Lab (Ages 13+ only.)
  • Experience the exhilarating sights and sounds of oceans from all over the world on floor-to-ceiling video screens with authentic soundscapes.

The Great Train Set

  • The Great Train Set is a permanent exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor, near Thomas & Friends.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
  • The Great Train Set is best for ages 5 years old and older. This is not an interactive exhibit.

About The Great Train Set

Enter the Lackawanna Train Station and see people waiting for a ride. Recall the oldies including the A&P, The Lipton Tea Factory, Maxwell House Coffee, My T Fine Pudding, or cars from the 50’s. All this and more is recreated in an amazing miniature city. This train village replica took 3 artists, 10 years, and over 100,000 hours of labor to complete. If you are a train lover, this is the exhibit for you.

What can kids do in The Great Train Set?

  • Walk slowly because there is a lot of detail to see.
  • Look at different scales of train sizes.
  • Read how trains transferred passengers and freight loads from one point to another.
  • Learn the importance of transportation.
  • Watch a video about the architect of the building of The Great Train Set and interesting train facts.
The Great Train Set entrance mural at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails

  • Thomas and Friends is a temporary exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center until September 4, 2023.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor, near The Great Train Set.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
  • Although all ages are welcome, Thomas & Friends is best for ages up to 8 years old.
Thomas & Friends- Explore the Rails at Liberty Science Center a science museum in New Jersey

About the Thomas & Friends Museum exhibit

Enter into a world where you can be a conductor on a train, work with Percy, ride the rails, sell tickets, and much more. There is so much to do in the town of Sodor. So hop on and fasten your seatbelts into a world of imagination. Enjoy the ride!

What can kids do in the Thomas & Friends museum exhibit?

  • Dress up as Sir Topham Hat.
  • Be a passenger on a train. Don’t forget your luggage!
  • Be a ticket agent.
  • Play with the train sets.
Thomas the Train train tracks table at the Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails a Liberty Science Center Museum exhibit.

The Building, 2023

  • The Building, 2023 is a temporary exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center until the end of August 2023.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 1st Floor, near the entrance.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
  • The Building, 2023 is best for ages 5 years old and older. All ages are welcome to enjoy the exhibit, but there is climbing involved on a hard surface.

About The Building, 2023

This exhibit gives the illusion that you are walking on a building. Climb a fire escape, or hang from a window. The possibilities are endless. I will not give their secret away. Go experience the fun for yourself. 

What can kids do in The Building, 2023?

  • Walk on a brick building like Spiderman.
  • Climb down a fire escape.
  • Hang from the roof of a tall building.
  • Relax in a window unit.
The Building, 2023 is a temporary exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center until the end of August 2023.

More Popular Liberty Science Center Exhibits

In addition to those new Liberty Science Center exhibits there are those popular exhibits that just blow our minds or are just so much fun they keep us coming back over and over again.

Dino Dig

  • Dino Dig is a permanent exhibit at the Liberty Science Center.
  • The exhibit is outdoors and accessible in almost all types of weather.
  • The exhibit is located outside near the group dining area on the 2nd floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with admission.
Dinosaur Dig at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ vertical image

About Dino Dig

This exhibit makes you feel like you are on the site of a real dinosaur fossil dig. There are several areas for children to explore. Everyone can pick up a brush as they enter the exhibit and choose an area to start digging. Each area is labeled with the type of dinosaur you will find and some information about them.

What can kids do at the Dino Dig?

Kids of all ages are able to dig for fossils easily. They can try to identify the dinosaur or ask a member of the Liberty Science Center team for some help.

Dinosaur Dig at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

Making Mammoths

  • Making Mammoths is a permanent exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor, inside the Microbes Rule exhibit and next to Thomas & Friends.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
  • Making Mammoths is best for 5 years and older to understand, but it is available for all ages.
Mammoth exhibit at at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

About Making Mammoths

Making Mammoths is a very small exhibit, but it explodes with information. So many fun facts such as Paleobiologists can take bits of Mammoth DNA and use computers to figure out important Mammoth genes; genes that include growing hair, controlling body heat, or how to adapt to the changes in the climate.

What can kids do in Making Mammoths?

  • Read some fun facts in large comic book signs.
  • See an actual size replica of a mammoth.
  • Find out what they use their tusks for.
  • See mammoths then and now if they were to return to our Earth.
Making Mammoths Comic Strip on wall

Microbes Rule!

  • Microbes Rule is a permanent exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor, near Thomas & Friends.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
  • Microbes Rule is best for ages 8 years old and older. Although all ages are welcome, there are a lot of educational facts that would mostly benefit school-aged children.
The Contagion Station in Microbes Rule at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

Microbes Rule!

If you love science, this is the exhibit for you! Learn all about the past, present, and future of vaccines, antibiotics, genetics, and technology. See how easy it is to spread diseases, learn about Microbes Vs Medicine and much more.

What can kids do in Microbes Rule?

  • Visit the Contagion Station and experience what a sneeze feels like when the sneezer does not cover their nose.
  • Learn what makes diseases come and go.
  • See how microbes can help us.
  • Find out how to program a microbe and turn it into medicine.
  • Check out the wall of bacteria.
  • Learn about your body and how your gut works.
  • See bacteria through a microscope and so much more.
Microbes Rule entrance to exhibit at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

Wonder Why

  • Wonder Why is a permanent exhibit available at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor, near Microbes Rule!
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with general admission tickets.
  • Wonder Why is great for all ages.

About Wonder Why

Spend hours here making your own discoveries. See if you can climb the rock wall. How far can you make the ball travel through the tubes? See how air can make a beach ball float. Generate your own currents by spinning the glass at different speeds and in different directions. The possibilities are endless.

What can kids do in Wonder Why?

  • Spin the Kalliroscope at different speeds.
  • See how sound moves and works.
  • Check out the power of air with the Bernoulli Blower.
  • Challenge your strength with rock climbing.
  • Strong Arms? Count how long you can hang without letting go.
Rock climbing and Wonder Why wall at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City NJ

Wild About Animals

  • Wild About Animals is a permanent exhibit at the Liberty Science Center
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd Floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with admission.
Interesting animal in Wild Animals exhibit

About Wild About Animals

This exhibit is like visiting a zoo within the science center. There are many different kinds of live animals to observe and learn about. They have birds, turtles, monkeys, and more!

What can kids do in Wild About Animals?

  • Check out the live animals and watch them in action.
  • Learn about the animals through signs and Liberty Science Center employees who are always happy to answer questions.
McCaw in Wild Animals Exhibit

Block Party

  • The Block Party is a permanent exhibit at the Liberty Science Center
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 2nd floor. It’s where the top of the stairs from the bottom level meets the stairs going to the 3rd and 4th floors.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with admission.

About the Block Party

Adults and kids love taking time during their visit to build in the giant block party. There are now several different types of huge blocks to build giant towers. The building blocks are always changing. Sometimes it’s butterfly shapes. Other times it’s been foam dinosaur parts.

What can kids do at the Block Party?

  • Create a tower out of foam blocks of different shapes and sizes.
  • Knock down their tower and rebuild.
Block-Party-at-Liberty-Science-Center-00005

Dream Machine

  • Dream Machine is a permanent exhibit at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 3rd floor in the foyer space in front of the stairs.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with admission.

About Dream Machine

From the Liberty Science Center website, the Dream Machine debuted at New York’s Panorama Festival in 2017. It has a permanent home at LSC! In this interactive, sensory adventure, guests young and older can use bicycle pumps to produce combinations of colors, sounds, and scents – some pleasant, some unpleasant.

What can kids do at the Dream Machine?

  • Pump bicycle pumps to create colors in the Dream Machine’s tubes, generate sounds from their speakers, and emit smells.
  • Listen to different sounds.
  • Smell a variety of scents.
  • Watch tubes swirl and bubble with streams of color.

The Dream Machine was created by experience designer and multimedia artist Emilie Baltz; sound design by Antfood Studios; technology by Smooth Technology; fabrication by No.4 Studios; and scent by Giavudan.

Dream Machine at Liberty Science Center kids at machine 2

PixelArt

  • The Pixel Art is a permanent exhibit at the Liberty Science Center.
  • This exhibit is indoors.
  • The exhibit is located on the 4th floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is included with admission.
Pixel-Art-at-the-Liberty-Science-Center

About Pixel Art

Pixel Art is a giant wall with over 900 individual pixels. 

What can kids do in Pixel Art?

The pixels can be turned on or off in different colors. Visitors can create a work of art by playing with the pixels.

The Infinity Climber – Liberty Science Center’s Most Popular Activity

The Liberty Science Center offers interactive lab shows and exhibits, but by far and large the most popular activity is climbing through the Infinity Climber.

Liberty-Science-Center-infinity-climber

This is a suspended multi-story play space with some areas as high as 35 feet above the floor. Kids and their parents can climb on 64 petal-like platforms anchored to large curved steel pipes. It may weigh 21,000 pounds and be the world’s first suspended climbing play space but it feels completely secure and is totally fun.

Every Jersey Family Fun kid enjoys crawling and climbing through the Infinity Climber, exploring various routes along the suspended play space. It’s like a web hanging in the science museum suspended below the third floor and above the first floor. It’s accessed through an opening on the second floor. There is no additional fee for this activity.

New and Must See Liberty Science Center Shows for Kids

A trip to Liberty Science Center is not complete without a visit to the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium. Seeing a show at the planetarium is an amazing and educational experience. 

There is such a great selection of Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium shows and Joseph D. Williams 3D Science Theater shows to choose from. I had such trouble deciding which ones to see. I wanted to see them all. I chose Wonders from the Webb because of my fascination with space. The possibilities are endless. Another choice is the Beyonce Laser Show because I am amazed at how far laser lights have come. I enjoy music and dancing. Besides, who doesn’t love Beyonce?

An older Liberty Science Center planetarium that caught my eye is the Oceans 3D. There is a whole other world that we are still learning about in the depths of the sea. I left with more knowledge and appreciation for sea life.

Liberty Science Center Jennifer Chalsty's Planetarium

Wonders from the Webb Telescope, a planetarium show

  • Showtime is approximately 35 minutes long.
  • Wonders of the Webb takes place several times during the day.
  • Wonders of the Webb is located in the Planetarium on the 2nd floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is not included with your general admission ticket. You can purchase a ticket for an additional $8.00 per person.
  • Wonders of the Webb is best for ages 2 years old and older, although there are no age restrictions.

About Wonders of the Webb

Before the Webb telescope, the Hubble was the only telescope capable of taking photos from outer space. The Hubble telescope was named after Edward Hubble. This newly designed Webb telescope is much larger and more powerful than the Hubble. 

The Webb telescope is named after James Webb. It was launched on Christmas Day 2021. The mirror on the Webb telescope is 23 feet long whereas Hubble’s mirror is only 7 feet long. 

The Hubble circles the earth at 340 miles above, but the Webb circles our earth at 1 million miles. This is 4 times further than the moon. 

We learned that there are over 2 trillion galaxies. We also saw photos sent from the Webb telescope in space. 

The Webb telescope is not a replacement for the Hubble telescope. Their capabilities are not identical. Their distance captures a different variety of things. The Webb telescope will observe primarily infrared, whereas the Hubble’s primary capabilities are in the ultraviolet and visible parts of the spectrum.

Your love of space will deepen after 35 minutes in the Planetarium. Photos or video recordings were not allowed until the last 2 minutes of the show. They wanted the fans to enjoy the full experience the theater has to offer.

Beyonce Laser Light Show, a laser light show

  • Showtime is approximately 25 minutes. 
  • Beyonce Laser Light Show takes place once a day, typically at 4:20 pm.
  • Beyonce Laser Light Show is located in the Planetarium on the 2nd floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is not included with your general admission ticket. You can purchase it for an additional $8.00 per person.
  • Beyonce Laser Light Show is great for all ages.

About Beyonce Laser Light Show

It is amazing how lights can dance to music. During the Beyonce Laser Light Show, they had laser lights in the shape of words, people, and animals. It told a story along with the songs. They played a variety of 6 songs. You can dance, sing, and even clap along. This was definitely a fun experience for all ages.

Photos or video recordings were not allowed until the last song of the show. They wanted the fans to enjoy the full experience the theater has to offer.

More Popular Liberty Science Center Shows for Kids

It’s not just new shows that visitors to the Liberty Science Center love, there are also some classic shows that keep guests excited and learning.

Oceans 3D, a 3D Science Theater Show

  • Show time is approximately 25 minutes 
  • Oceans 3D takes place several times during the day.
  • Oceans 3D is located in the Joseph D. Williams Science Center on the 2nd floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is not included with your general admission ticket. You can purchase it for an additional $8.00 per person.
  • Oceans 3D is best for ages 2 years old and older. The staff give you 3D glasses to get the full experience, that’s why I recommend the show for toddlers and older.

Oceans 3D

New technology allows scientists to explore the unknown and go further than we ever thought possible. Scientists created a device that can reach the depths of the ocean floor giving them. It gives us the opportunity to uncover stories of life and survival beneath the waves of the ocean and share those stories with us. Meet fascinating creatures from dolphins, walruses, and sea otters to everything in between. You won’t want to miss the mysteries of the blue planet.

There is a reason they are keeping Oceans 3D around. This show has such a positive impact on any age. 

Dinosaurs of Antarctica, a 3D show

  • Show time is approximately 35 minutes 
  • Dinosaurs of Antarctica takes place several times during the day.
  • Dinosaurs of Antarctica is located in the Joseph D. Williams Science Center on the 2nd floor.
  • Admission to the exhibit is not included with your general admission ticket. You can purchase it for an additional $8.00 per person.
  • The Dinosaurs of Antarctica show is best for ages 2 and up.

About Dinosaurs of Antarctica

Dinosaurs of Antarctica tells a story of how our prehistoric world was lost to ice glaciers. It also touches on what inhabited our forests and swamps millions of years ago. Traveling through time, the film explores climate change and investigates the earth’s last ice age. 

Planning Your Visit to Liberty Science Center 

To help you have the best visit possible to the Liberty Science Center we share these tips so you can be prepared before you go.

Tips for families visiting Liberty Science Center 

  • There is so much to see and do. Have a plan and a tentative schedule to get the most out of your experience. 
  • Transportation options are many. There is a parking lot if you are traveling by car. Bus or train are also options with a drop-off location directly across the street from the Liberty Science Center.
  • There are two dining options available inside Liberty Science Center.
    • The first is the Galaxy Grab and Go. Here you can grab a yogurt, sandwich, drinks, or chips. 
    • Second, you have the Cosmic Cafe. Here you can order hot foods such as burgers, chicken, or pizza. They even have a vegetable burger. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase as well.  
    • There are many tables for you to sit and enjoy your food. They even have several drink and snack vending machines. 
  • My recommendation is to get there early to avoid lines and crowds. The best times are early morning and a few hours before closing. 
Cosmic-Cafe-dining-area-of-the-Liberty-Science-Center

Learn more about the Liberty Science Center

Where is the Liberty Science Center?

The Liberty Science Center is located at 222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City.

When is the Liberty Science Center open?

The Liberty Science Center is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Most days the science museum opens at 10 am. Wednesdays through Fridays they close at 4 pm. Saturdays and Sundays they close at 5 pm. During school holidays the museum may be open later.

How much is admission to the Liberty Science Center?

As of April 11, 2023, adult tickets cost $29.99 and child tickets (ages 2-12) are $24.99. Tickets can be purchased online at the Liberty Science Center website. Additional charges apply for theater shows and special exhibits.

How much is parking?

  • Parking is free for the first half hour, or $7.00 for the whole day.

Can we bring in outside food at Liberty Science Center?

The Liberty Science Center allows outside food and drinks into the science center. You may pack a snack or a whole lunch.

At the Liberty Science Center, you have the best of everything under one roof. What more can you ask for? Dinosaurs, space, lasers, the largest planetarium, in the Northeast, built in 2017, shows, sea life, animals, trains, and so much more! You name it and Liberty Science Center is sure to have it! 

Bring your love of science, your thirst for learning, and your hunger for fun experiences, and take in all that Liberty Science Center has to offer. You will not be disappointed.

large fish tank at Liberty Science Center

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