Thomas Edison established his major laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey, in 1887.
The West Orange laboratory replaced Edison’s earlier Menlo Park facility as his principal research and development center. The complex included laboratories, machine shops, a library, offices, and facilities for testing and manufacturing. Its scale reflected Edison’s increasingly industrial approach to invention.
Edison worked there on improved phonographs, motion pictures, batteries, cement, mining equipment, and other projects. The site also supported commercial production and experimentation, making it more than a single laboratory room. Edison lived nearby at Glenmont, his home in Llewellyn Park.
The West Orange complex is now preserved as part of Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Visitors can see surviving buildings, tools, laboratory equipment, and records associated with Edison and his employees. Menlo Park remains the laboratory most closely linked with the “Wizard of Menlo Park” nickname, but West Orange was the larger and longer-lasting research center.