About this city
Also known as: Where Modern Motion Pictures Were Born
Situated beautifully in the rolling upland ridge country of central Essex County, West Orange is an affluent and historic township within the New York metropolitan area. Incorporated in 1863, the community achieved lasting global prominence as the home of 'Llewellyn Park,' one of America's very first master-planned, romantic residential enclaves. West Orange holds an indelible place in international history as the site of Thomas Edison's Laboratory Complex, established in 1887, where the legendary inventor spent his remaining 44 years industrializing modern breakthroughs like the motion picture camera, sound recordings, and alkaline batteries. Today, the town functions as a highly connected corporate and residential powerhouse, balancing high-capacity urban commercial avenues with sprawling preserved parks, elite public schools, and premier historic museums.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Tour the fully preserved historic formulation buildings and original black-maria movie studio at Thomas Edison National Historical Park. View exotic animals and ride the historic paddleboats at the Turtle Back Zoo and South Mountain Reservation complex. Stroll through the romantic, historic stone gates and tree-lined avenues of Llewellyn Park.
