Rocker Jon Bon Jovi’s jacket. A Les Paul guitar. A Green Bay Packers helmet representing longtime Coach Vince Lombari. These were just a few of the items viewed by sixth graders at Forrestdale School in Rumson when they visited the New Jersey Hall of Fame Mobile Museum.

“The whole point of this exhibit is to be inspired and dream big,” said Docent Sue Shroth, who welcomed the students and provided facts and pointers during their visit to the Everyone Needs A Hero-themed museum on March 14. “We may live in a very small state, but just look at all of the people who have made their mark in the world and in so many different fields of endeavor.”

A 53-foot double-wide trailer featuring 850 square feet of exhibition space, the Mobile Museum is a moving capsule of the almost 100 New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees’ contributions to history.

The sixth graders experienced innovative and interactive learning centers as well as artifacts and memorabilia from New Jersey notables including Clara Barton, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. All of the inductees featured were either born in New Jersey or lived in The Garden State for at least five years.

Launched in 2013, the Mobile Museum is the first state hall of fame mobile in the nation and has welcomed over 200,000 visitors. It provides educators with a resource to help students learn about the roles that New Jersey residents have had in shaping global, social, scientific, economic, cultural, and political communities.

The mobile learning experience for Forrestdale students was made possible by a donation from the Borough of Rumson.