Thegoal of the museum is to provide the community with a cultural centerto display permanent and rotating exhibits and programs about thehistory of the City of Bayonne as well as to present artistic exhibitsthat interpret Bayonne's past, present and future.  In addition todisplays on local history, art and culture, the museum is open to otherkinds of travelling exhibits which are ofinterest to the residents of Bayonne.  The magnificent museumbuilding is also available as a distinctive venue for performing artsand other special events.

The museum is committed to the prospect of enhancing an understanding of the development of the city and of fostering renewed pride to its residents.  The museum unites all its stakeholders - municipal government, educational system, library, historical society, historic preservation commission, community organizations, and residents-to improve the quality of the culture of the city.

--To preserve the history of the City of  Bayonne;
--To educate the public and school groups about the history of Bayonne and to serve as a learning resource for the city;
--To promote interest in the history of Bayonne;
--To expand the collections of artifacts and objects representative of the material and artistic culture of Bayonne;
--To catalog collections of Bayonne photographs, postcards, and documents, related to the history of Bayonne; and
--To establish an electronic exhibit of the collections and to share the collections with the community.

The role of the museum is to communicate with the community through both a retrospective and a forward approach to encourage the public to feel welcome.  Activities of collections, research and conservation are intended to inform visitors with programs and exhibits from what is in the collections and/or on exhibit about Bayonne.