Hosting Organization: InfoAge Science & History Museum
County: Monmouth
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and digital tools, something refreshingly simple happened at InfoAge Science and History Museums this March: families stepped away from their screens and started building.
Over the course of NJ Makers Day weekend, more than 100 visitors—parents and children alike—came to the historic Camp Evans National Historic Landmark in Wall Township to explore, experiment, and create together. For many, it was their first visit to InfoAge. And as we often hear, more than a few left saying the same thing: “I can’t believe all of this has been right here under our noses.” Inside Guglielmo Marconi’s original 1912 hotel, the space buzzed with activity. At one table, children designed model railroad scenery. Nearby, visitors constructed a soda bottle diver and experimented with electrical circuits. Others tried their hand at vintage computer programming, nautical knot tying, or tackled open-ended engineering challenges. Everyone walked away with a souvenir wood coin of their choice, lasercut live in five minutes or less.
There were no prerequisites, no right answers—just curiosity, hands-on exploration, and the freedom to try,
fail, and try again. That spirit of invention is not new to Camp Evans. More than a century ago, Marconi established wireless laboratories here. In 1946, scientists on this site bounced the first radar signal off the moon, helping to launch the modern space age. NJ Makers Day connects that legacy to the present, reminding visitors that innovation begins with simple questions and the willingness to explore.
What makes the experience especially meaningful is the people behind it. Dozens of volunteers from InfoAge’s nonprofits, museums, and exhibits came together to design and lead activities, share their expertise, and welcome visitors into the stories they help preserve year-round. Their passion is what transforms a historic site into a living, interactive learning environment.
This year’s event was also supported by a grant from the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network in recognition of NJ STEM Month, helping expand the range of activities and materials available to participants. But the real impact is harder to measure in numbers alone. It’s in the moments: a child figuring out how to program a traffic light, a family working together to plant a garden, a parent rediscovering the joy of tinkering.
NJ Makers Day at InfoAge is a reminder that learning doesn’t always require a screen—sometimes it just requires a table, a few materials, and the chance to explore. And for many who visited this year, it won’t be their last time discovering what’s been here all along.