American Labor Museum Inc

Incredible local gem. A must-do for anyone who grew up here or wants to know the history of the area. Evelyn was great docent and made me proud of this place. Regret not spending more time with the library of local books.

First time there ...the history of this place us just amazing,noing that individuals from a totally different era in time walked the halls and lived amongst the walls. And the sacrifice for a decent living at that time would crumble people of today we are so spoiled by convince and technology...I have so much respect for silk and it's creators.. Took my son here for a possible internship for school and received a lesson myself...Evelyn Hershey gave a great tour and is overflowing with knowledge,,she is a true historian to say the least

I made a "day trip" out of it and the lovely place was absolutely worth the trip! I can't believe I was there for 3 1/2 hours. Evelyn (whom I believe is the education director) was so helpful and knowledgable about all our questions and stories. She went with the flow of our group, I'd say. The museum itself has a variety of interesting objects, room setups, and exhibits. They begin with a veey helpful documentary after which you can explore the exhibit, then get a guided tour of the rooms.
Although the museum focuses onnthe 1913 strike which is fascinating (23,000+ workers gathered outside each Sunday!) it incorporates more modern labor movements like NYC's 1982 Garment Workers Strike exhibit. I also like how they offer their building as a meeting place for modern day unions, and as a field trip destination for older children.
The gift shop is full of AMAZING books, both for adults and children. I recommend locals to shop there for book gifts.
There was no pressure to spend/donate money but there was a little cash box near the exit for cash donations. The site definitely is well managed and I had a very pleasant time. I hope to catch them on a big event day like May Day next year.
PS, they seemed to be doing some scaffolding renovations so I was scared they were closed, but they're still open- just using the summer as the time to renovate.

The tour guides knew their stuff and had excellent skills. The collection of materials on the 1913 Patterson Strike was good.

What a wonderful institution to learn about the silk workers and their strikes. We took a group of 20 students and they were entertained by the stories and the bocce court next to the house. This is definitely worth a stop if you're interested in history and to see authentic memorabilia. The tour guides were excellent and very well-informed. We definitely could have stayed another hour and for only $5 it is a great place.