Liberty Hall Academic Center & Exhibition Hall

Liberty Hall Academic Center & Exhibition Hall is home to the Special Collections Research Library and Archive, Kean University History Department, and Liberty Hall Academic Center Gallery. Engaging performances, carefully curated exhibitions, elegant private receptions, and community events are held alongside traditional lectures and seminars in its more than 24,000 square feet of award-winning state-of-the-art space featuring stunning views of the Liberty Hall estate.

Virtual Special Collection Access  

The Special Collections Research Library and Archive, known as SCRLA, offers five centuries of primary source documents to make your research projects stand out. Located in the Liberty Hall Academic Center, the research experience offers access to original and digital materials and one-on-one support from our SCRLA Associates on New Jersey and global topics. We welcome learners from Kean University and the greater community at every level, individuals or groups. Email LHAC@kean.edu to let us know how we can help you.

• The Liberty Hall Academic Center (LHAC) gallery is located inside the Liberty Hall Academic Center on the Liberty Hall campus in Union, New Jersey.
• The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery is located inside the Union campus's Maxine and Jack Lane Center for Academic Success.
• The Human Rights Institute Gallery is located in the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons on the Union campus.
• The Nancy Dryfoos Gallery is located in the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons on the Union campus.
• The student gallery is located in the Vaughn Eames building on the Union campus.
• The Exhibition Hall is located in the Liberty Hall Academic Center on the Liberty Hall campus.

Transcending Boundaries – The Artist at Work brings together a powerful collection of artwork created through the Matheny Arts Access Program, a nationally recognized fine arts initiative that empowers artists with disabilities to create in the visual, literary, and performing arts. This exhibition celebrates the uniquely creative and compelling approaches these artists bring to the studio—shaped by curiosity, authenticity, and a limitless commitment to expression.

At the heart of Transcending Boundaries is the idea that art is a universal language, one that reaches beyond the boundaries of speech, culture, and physical ability. Each work on view demonstrates how the act of creating becomes its own form of communication. Through vibrant color, bold mark-making, dynamic composition, and deeply personal imagery, these artists share stories, emotions, and perspectives that might otherwise remain unheard. Their artwork stands as a testament to the ways creativity can bring people together, highlighting the different experiences that shape us and the connections we share.

The Liberty Hall Academic Center & Exhibition Hall is a stop on all routes of the free Kean University Shuttle Service. Once you arrive on campus, our ADA-compliant shuttles can help you get directly to LHAC.

Where you arrive on campus varies by modality:

By Car

Liberty Hall Academic Center & Exhibition Hall is searchable on most mapping/GPS platforms, but note that the Liberty Hall Museum is a separate building/facility from the Liberty Hall Academic Center. The LHAC’s physical address is 1003 Morris Avenue #2 in Union. It is easily accessible via several major arteries.

• NJ Turnpike/Interstate 95: Exit 13A toward Newark Airport and Elizabeth Seaport
• Garden State Parkway
  • Northbound: Exit 140 toward Hillside and NJ-82
  • Southbound: Exit 141 toward Vauxhall Rd
• Interstate 78: Exit 52 toward Garden State Parkway
• US-22: Exit toward NJ-82 East toward Elizabeth

By Train 

The Raritan Valley Line provides service to the on-campus, wheelchair-accessible Union Station, an 18-min walk from LHAC. (Those with limited or device-assisted mobility might consider using the Kean University Shuttle Service due to inconsistent sidewalk placement along the route.)

The North Jersey Coast Line and the Northeast Corridor Line each provide service to the wheelchair-accessible Elizabeth Station, which is about a mile from campus. Direct connections from Elizabeth Station to campus are available via bus routes 26 and 52.

By Bus 

Routes 26 and 52 each provide intra-state service to the on-campus Morris Ave at Kean Dr stop, an 8-min walk from LHAC. From the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, route 113 provides express service to the North Ave at Lynmar Way stop, a 15-min walk from LHAC. The NJ Transit trip planner offers detailed route and schedule information.