It sure has been unprecedented summer. With our favorite place in the world, the Thomas Edison National Historical Park (TENHP), closed for the last few months we decided to take the opportunity to do some fun renovations that we wouldn’t normally be able to do when the courtyard filled with Edison fans…

Our latest project at TENHP has been restoring the courtyard patio space, which not only serves as the site for the Edison Pitch Contest Finals, but also serves to protect 5 million of Edison’s historical papers that are housed under it. This collection of papers is the largest in the world, with approximately 5 million (more than the Leonardo da Vinci collection). It includes the famous notebooks that Edison always carried with him, important letters of correspondence with other historical figures, and even the early doodles that generated his most famous inventions. These are only some of the files analyzed by historical professionals at the Rutgers Edison Papers Project.

Thanks to this project, park visitors will be able to safely walk, quite literally, on top of the artifacts that serve as the foundation of our country’s history…while getting a better look at the Black Maria (the world’s first recording studio) and taking a rest from a long day of learning under the new tent. 

Ready to plan your next visit to the park? As the park makes steps towards reopening completely, they have introduced new cellphone tours in the courtyard & Glenmont as well as certain buildings like the Chemical Lab and Machine Shop. To stay updated on their reopening phases, click here!