New study aims for better destination signs in Morristown and Morris County
Finding your destination in Morristown is one thing. Finding reasons to linger afterward is another.
A new study aims to make it easier for travelers to find their way around Morristown and Morris County. Area tourism officials and businesses are hoping better signs–maybe with some digital enhancements– might persuade visitors to stay longer.
“The system now is primarily for the vehicular network. We want to make it more pedestrian-friendly, with local kiosks,” said Leslie Bensley, executive director of the Morris County Tourism Bureau.
The bureau has hired a Philadelphia consulting firm, MERJE, to perform an $80,000 “wayfinding” study to recommend ways to make destination signs more legible and visually appealing. The money includes a $50,000 grant from the Garden State Historic Trust Fund; the rest was raised by the bureau at an April gala.
George Fiore, executive director of the Morristown Parking Authority, discusses signage issues with consultant John Bosio, whose firm is starting an $80,000 "wayfinding" study for the Morris County Tourism Bureau. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Representatives of government, business and cultural organizations met with MERJE’s John Bosio at the Morristown Club this week to share their frustrations with the present sign system, which dates to 1999, and to suggest improvements.
John Bosio of MERJE, a Philadephia consulting firm, will study how to improve destination signs around Morris County. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown Councilwoman Rebecca Feldman said visitors have a hard time finding Morristown Memorial Hospital.
Some 18,000 babies are born there every year, she said, and that means parents must venture to Morristown’s town hall for birth certificates.
Better signs might encourage these people, and other hospital visitors, to explore Morristown while they are here, she said.
Morris County is among three sections of the state identified for a possible pilot project under the state wayfinding master plan, which was created by the nonprofit group Celebrate NJ.
Such a project would implement proposals from the MERJE study, and would require a second round of funding.
“This is about how people get from point A to point B, but in a broader sense it’s about creating a brand and identity for the community,” said John Bosio, who has done signage studies in Newark, Jersey City and Camden.
At this week’s meeting he showed examples of signs in Asheville, N.C.; Augusta, Ga., and Fredericksburg, Va., places that have a blend of historical and natural attractions similar to Morris County.
Leslie Bensley, executive director of the Morris County Tourism Bureau, has secured a grant to study how to improve destination signs across the county. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
The MERJE study, expected to finished by next spring, also will examine how websites, mobile applications and interactive signs might be incorporated into a pilot program, John said.
Kiosks in Tampa, Fla., list special phone numbers. When you send a text message to those numbers, you receive a reply with information specific to that location, he said.
Butler County, Ohio, has an easy-to-navigate cell phone application with information on destinations, including driving directions.
“It’s all about the experience people have when they come here, and helping them find their way–whether it’s a mobile app or a website,” John said.
“We’re not just running around putting signs up. We may come out of this and say that the thing they should do is update the (tourism) website.”
Organizations represented at the meeting included the Morristown Partnership, the Morristown Parking Authority, Morristown’s Community Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Stickley Museum, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the National Park Service, Acorn Hall, the Morris Museum, the Morris County engineering department, AAA and Morristown Airport.
Weekend in Morristown: Tim Conway, 19th century horror, Disney tunes and a confessional author
There’s plenty to do around Morristown this weekend. Comedian Tim Conway, perhaps best known for his years with the Carol Burnett Show, comes to the Community Theatre tonight at 8. Tim will be joined by Chuck McCann–who hosted a beloved kids TV show in New York in the 1960s–and impressionist Louise Duart. Tickets are $62-$100.
Retired Judge Kenneth MacKenzie with bust of Antoine LeBlanc, a notorious 19th-century killer in Morristown. LeBlanc's execution and subsequent experiments on his corpse went beyond macabre. Judge MacKenzie explores this bizarre case in a walking tour Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Morris County Tourism Bureau.
At the Minstrel in Morris Township, it’s open mic night–a chance to cheer on your friends who are taking the stage for the first time.
One of Morristown’s most gruesome and macabre murder stories will be explored on Saturday at 10 a.m. Retired Judge Kenneth MacKenzie will walk you through the 1833 case of Antoine LeBlanc, an immigrant who killed a prominent couple and their servant. The trial, and the Frankenstein-like experiments performed on LeBlanc’s executed corpse, are the stuff of local legend. We’ve taken this 90-minute walking tour, and it’s a classic! Reservations are required. The tour starts at 6 Court St. and is sponsored by the Morris County Tourism Bureau. Admission is $10; call 973 631-5151.
On Sunday at 3 p.m., the Morris Choral Society will perform songs from Disney movies, and music by George and Ira Gershwin. The concert will feature soprano Carmen Artis and tenor John Hammel, both of Morristown. Tickets are $25 (seniors are $20, students, $15). Call 973-998-7239.
And from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, former priest and counselor Finbarr Corr will be signing copies of his latest book, “Up Close and Personal: Talking with Teens and Parents,” at the Dublin Pub in Morristown.
