The Edison National Historic Site

West Orange, New Jersey

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There are two laboratory-oriented Edison museums. The first, created during Edison's lifetime by the moving of his Menlo Park, NJ laboratory to Dearborn Michigan by his good friend Henry Ford, and the second, the U.S. Government run site of his subsequent laboratory in West Orange, NJ.

Although the initial phonograph was actually built at the Menlo Park lab, many phonograph improvements were produced at this lab, and several machines, including the original tinfoil, are on display here.

The "traditional" National Park Service sign (left) actually sits afont the small parking lot across the street, and a rather unimpressive, small sign (right) marks the actual entrance to the Historic Site complex.

Inside however, it is immediately clear where you are!
Looking back toward the entrance, you see a lifesized cutout of Edison with his famous "Umbrella" signature overhead.
In the foreground are several of Edison's earlier inventions, including the stock ticker.

There are, of course, several phonographs on display here, but none so famous the original 1877 tinfoil that John Kruesi built for Edison from a set of rough drawings.

Also on display is an example of the "Perfected Phonograph" of 1888, complete with its "spectacle"-like combination reproducer and recorder.

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