Museum Honors Mascot With Beaver-Themed Party

The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts will celebrate the birthday of its mascot, Widget the beaver, with beaver-themed activities and treats on Friday, Feb. 28.

Widget, a furry puppet, has been a long time member of the museum staff, helping educators teach children and adults about American history.

The event will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 and is appropriate for children ages 2 to 6. Advanced registration is recommended. Call 973-377-2982 ext. 12 for more information. Cost is $3 for each participant and regular admission charges ($5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children) for all others. Family maximum admission is $13.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

About the museum:
 
Housed in a 1900 Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival building listed on the National Register of Historic places, the Museum explores 18th- and 19th-century American history, with a focus on New Jersey.  Drawing on its collection of over 8,000 hand tools and their products, METC uses material culture to interpret the lives and technologies of people who lived and worked before the rise of large-scale industrialization in this country.  The Museum offers visitors of all ages a broad range of changing exhibits, and related programs that address many facets of early American history, craftsmanship, and the diversity of trades performed by men and women.

The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts received a General Operating Support Grant from the Borough of Madison, Charles Read Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is located at 9 Main St. For information, call 973-377-2982 x10 or visit www.metc.org.