The Paterson Museum was organized by the City of Paterson Library?s Board of Trustees in 1925. The Museum first operated in the assembly room of the Danforth Public Library showcasing natural history items that were donated by the local residents to the library.

The collections were moved to the carriage house of former Mayor of Paterson and philanthropist Nathan Barnett in 1927. As time passed, the collection grew wider and wider until additional exhibit space was needed. In 1982, the Thomas Rogers Locomotive Erecting Shop was restored and completed and a year after, it housed the Museum. The backdrop of this new location provided a beautiful backdrop to the exhibits.

The Museum?s collections cover local archaeology, mineralogy, and history. It depicts the history of Paterson by showcasing its evolution as a machinery and textile center, as the ?Silk City? locomotive manufacturing, and others.