Where-To-Go Wednesday - Johnson & Johnson Powerhouse Museum

What: Johnson & Johnson Powerhouse Museum

Where: 501 George Street

             New Brunswick, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

Me - The J&J Powerhouse Museum was interesting. I didn't know a lot about Johnson & Johnson before I visited the museum. I just knew about a lot of their products and that they had made one of the COVID-19 vaccines. I also found out recently that a cousin of ours on my mother's side of the family was married to one of the Johnsons.

It is because of Johnson & Johnson that they started to make sterile medical equipment. There was a  display at the museum that showed how many germs there were when they performed medical procedures previously. It was very disturbing. 

They had a lot of fascinating exhibits and things at the museum. They had a lot of advertisements from all different time periods. Some of them were really cute, They had a cable from the original factory. The building that the museum was in was actually part of the original factory too. They had a whole display regarding how they handled the Tylenol crisis. There were also a lot of packs of bandaids. They included patriotic ones, endangered species ones, Olympic rings ones, and a bunch of others too. All in all, it was a fun and informative experience visiting the J&J Powerhouse Museum.

Mom - The Johnson and Johnson Company is perhaps best known for products like Bandaids and baby shampoo, but there is so much more to the company than that. The company has been at the forefront of innovation in the fields of medical technology and pharmaceuticals since its founding way back in 1886. Now, the groundbreaking history of this iconic company has been captured in a comprehensive museum located in the Powerhouse building, the oldest building at the Johnson & Johnson New Brunswick, New Jersey complex.

At this fascinating museum,  you can learn about the Johnson family and the founding of the company. You can also discover how some of its innovative products came to be invented. There are numerous vintage advertisements and products on display as well including a whole display of Bandaids with various designs.  

Another intriguing exhibit covers the Tylenol scare, an incident in 1982 in which someone was putting poison into Tylenol capsules. The company's handling of the matter is considered a textbook example of how to handle similar crises and still maintain a brand's relevance. The incident led to numerous changes in the way products are packaged and sold as well.

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The museum is quite interactive, and there are numerous touchscreens located throughout. There is also an immersive film with interviews and original footage plus a unique booth where you can experience some vintage Johnson & Johnson smells.

Unfortunately, the Johnson & Johnson Powerhouse museum is only currently open to Johnson & Johnson employees and contractors and their guests. Partners and hosted members of the New Brunswick Community can make an appointment to visit. An extensive virtual tour is available to all at ourstory.jnj.com/museum-virtual-tour

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.