Rutgers Geology Museum

The Rutgers University Geology Museum, located on the historic Rutgers, New Brunswick campus, is one of New Jersey’s oldest and most engaging museums, welcoming visitors since 1872. Housed at 85 Somerset Street in New Brunswick, NJ, the museum invites families, students, and curious explorers to discover Earth’s history through fascinating exhibits of rocks, minerals, fossils, and New Jersey’s natural past. At the center of it all stands Manny, the museum’s most famous resident, a magnificent 12‑foot‑tall, fully articulated mastodon skeleton from the Ice Age. Seeing Manny in person is an unforgettable experience that sparks wonder, questions, and excitement about science among people of all ages.

The museum is free and open to the public during the academic year, Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with select Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

A visit to meet Manny is the perfect opportunity to continue the adventure with the children’s book My Friend Manny, which brings the mastodon’s real history to life through storytelling inspired directly by the Rutgers University Geology Museum. Whether you visit first and read later, or read first and hurry in to see Manny for yourself, the museum and book together offer a fun, educational way for families to explore science, history, and discovery side by side.