InfoAge Museum to Reopen Saturday on Generator Power

After being without power for months following Hurricane Sandy, InfoAge Science & History museum will open to the public on Saturday, officials said. 

Thanks to the use of a generator on loan from town hall, the museum will open for its regular hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will attempt to keep regular hours for the foreseeable future, according to Fred Carl, president of the museum. 

Power to Camp Evans, a national landmark that contains InfoAge, comes not from the regular power grid, but from long-dated Army transformers, which were weakened by fluctuations in power during the recent storm. 

They finally gave out shortly after Christmas, Township Committeeman George Newberry has said.

The transformers that move power throughout the camp and to some surrounding buildings along Marconi Road, finally gave out shortly after Christmas, officials have said.

But with the help of a 400kw generator, three of the Camp’s buildings, including the Marconi Hotel, will be open.

Marconi Hotel and museum, the WWII radar and Shipwreck museum among several other of InfoAge’s attractions will be open, Carl said.

“All of our volunteers are eager to start inspiring kids again,’’ Carl said.

The generator, however, is not a permanent solution and buying new transformers is not an option for the cash-strapped facility.

Princeton University, Committeeman George Newberry has said, is interested in selling InfoAge a transformer for $1, with the condition that the museum sells it back to the college for $1 when it is finished using it.  

The transformer, which is smaller than the one it would replace, is being evaluated for fit at InfoAge. While the replacement may be smaller, the electrical demands of InfoAge are not as large as the Army’s needs were when the original was installed, Newberry has said.

Carl on Wednesday said the fit of that transformer is still being evaluated.

Meantime, Carl said the remaining facilities will still be in the dark, at least for the time being.  

“We’re under obligation to keep these buildings maintained,’’ Carl said. “Without electricity, that’s an extra challenge.’’