Visiting the Galleries

Contact Information

University Galleries
Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
(973) 720-2654

Gallery Hours

Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 10am – 5pm.

On-site tours as well as virtual arts education programs and virtual collection visits are available upon request (email universitygallery@wpunj.edu).

Admission

Admission, exhibitions, and programming are free and open to the public.

Directions and Parking Information

The general address for the University is 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470. The University Galleries is located in Ben Shahn Hall, which is next to the tennis courts and Parking Lot 2. Your GPS may give you different directions, but we recommend taking the following directions to avoid downtown Paterson, which has narrow roads and often lots of traffic. The following directions will lead you to Parking Lot 2. Please park in the four designated gallery spaces to your right as you enter the lot. If Lot 2 is full, there is paid parking in the parking garage. From Lot 2, Ben Shahn Hall will be the closest building. Enter through the brown double doors facing the parking lot and go up one floor, or take the outdoor staircase on the left to the front lobby entrance. For the elevator, please proceed though the brown double doors to the second set of doors and turn immediately left. 

From Interstate 80 West 

Follow I-80 East and take exit 54 for Minnisink Road toward Little Falls/Totowa. Turn LEFT onto Minnisink Road. In 0.1 miles, turn LEFT onto Vreeland Avenue and after 0.6 miles, turn RIGHT onto Riverview Drive. Continue onto French Hill Road and turn RIGHT on Valley Road. Continue for 2.6 miles and turn RIGHT on Ratzer Road. After 1.4 miles, continue straight past the CVS onto Pompton Road. Turn left onto University Drive at Entry 1. In 0.5 miles, turn left into Parking Lot 2. 

Link to complete directions and map: http://bit.ly/From80West 

From the George Washington Bridge 

From the Upper Level of the bridge, use the right 2 lanes to take the NJ-4/I-95 S exit toward Hackensack/I-80/New Jersey Turnpike. Keep right to continue on Exit 72A, following signs for NJ-4/Paramus. Continue onto NJ-4 West. Keep right to continue on NJ-208 North, following signs for Oakland. After 7.7 miles, take the Ewing Avenue exit toward Franklin Lakes/Bergen County 507. At off ramp, turn LEFT and stay on Ewing Avenue until it dead ends in 2 miles. Turn LEFT onto High Mountain Road. In 0.9 miles, slight RIGHT onto Belmont Avenue. In 1.3 miles, turn RIGHT onto Overlook Avenue. At the 3-way intersection, turn LEFT. Just after the next stop sign, you will make a RIGHT and enter Parking Lot 2. 

Link to complete directions and map: http://bit.ly/FromGWB  

From the Lincoln Tunnel 

After exiting the tunnel, continue onto NJ-495 West. In 2.8 miles, keep RIGHT at the fork to continue onto NJ-3 West, following signs for Garden State Parkway/Secaucus. Keep LEFT to stay on NJ-3 West, following signs for Clifton. Continue on NJ-3 for 10 miles. Use any lane to take the ramp to US-46 West. Keep LEFT, following signs for Route 46 and merge onto US-46 West. In 1.2 miles, take the exit toward Little Falls/Wayne/Passaic County 640/Riverview Drive. Turn LEFT onto Minnisink Road. In 154 feet, turn RIGHT onto Riverview Drive. Continue onto French Hill Road and turn RIGHT on Valley Road. Continue for 2.6 miles and turn RIGHT on Ratzer Road. After 1.4 miles, continue straight past the CVS onto Pompton Road. Turn left onto University Drive at Entry 1. In 0.5 miles, turn left into Parking Lot 2. 

Link to complete directions and map: http://bit.ly/FromLincolnTunnel  

From Southern or Central New Jersey via Garden State Parkway 

Heading north on the Garden State Parkway, use the left lane to take exit 153B to merge onto NJ-3 West toward US-46 West. Continue on NJ-3 for 10 miles. Merge onto US-46 West. In 1.2 miles, take the exit toward Little Falls/Wayne/Passaic County 640/Riverview Drive. Turn LEFT onto Minnisink Road. In 154 feet, turn RIGHT onto Riverview Drive. Continue onto French Hill Road and turn RIGHT on Valley Road. Continue for 2.6 miles and turn RIGHT on Ratzer Road. After 1.4 miles, continue straight past the CVS onto Pompton Road. Turn left onto University Drive at Entry 1. In 0.5 miles, turn left into Parking Lot 2. 

Link to complete directions and map: http://bit.ly/FromSouthCentralNJ  

From Upstate New York via Interstate 87 

From I-87 South, take exit 15 for NY-17 S/I-287 S toward New Jersey. Continue onto I-287 South. Take exit 59 to merge onto NJ-208 South toward Franklin Lakes. After 1.9 miles, take the Ewing Avenue exit toward Franklin Lakes/Bergen County 507. At off ramp, turn RIGHT and stay on Ewing Avenue until it dead ends in 2 miles. Turn LEFT onto High Mountain Road. In 0.9 miles, slight RIGHT onto Belmont Avenue. In 1.3 miles, turn RIGHT onto Overlook Avenue. At the 3-way intersection, turn LEFT. Just after the next stop sign, you will make a RIGHT and enter Parking Lot 2. 

Link to complete directions and map: http://bit.ly/FromNYvia87

Directions for the NJ Transit Bus from NYC

From the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, take the 198 NJ Transit bus from gate 233 to the William Paterson University - Main Campus stop. Travel time is approximately 54 minutes.