Fluorescent Mineral Capital · Sussex County, New Jersey
Franklin is one of New Jersey’s most distinctive small boroughs: a former zinc-mining center internationally known for its extraordinary mineral diversity and fluorescence. Today the borough combines a traditional Main Street, a busy Route 23 corridor, neighborhood parks, golf, schools and a growing heritage-trail network.
Franklin Borough, Sussex County, New Jersey.
32 Evans Street · 973-827-3481
The museum preserves Franklin’s mining and mineral history with more than 7,000 local specimens in its holdings, mine artifacts, a life-size mine replica, fluorescent displays, gem screening, fossil activities and the famous Buckwheat Dump collecting area.
Current operating season: April through November, Wednesday through Sunday.
The Franklin–Ogdensburg mineral district now has more than 350 confirmed mineral species, and more than 90 local species are known to fluoresce under ultraviolet light. That rare geology is central to Franklin’s identity and to its long history of zinc mining.
46 Main Street
Franklin, NJ 07416
973-827-9280
Emergency: 911
Police non-emergency: 973-827-7700
Police administration / records: 973-827-9635
Fire, emergency management and first-aid services support borough residents through local and regional public-safety partners.
50 Washington Avenue · Franklin, NJ 07416 · 973-827-9775
The Franklin Borough School District serves students in pre-K through grade 8.
10 Grumm Road · Hamburg, NJ 07419 · 973-827-4100
Franklin students in grades 9–12 attend Wallkill Valley Regional High School with students from neighboring communities.
The borough’s major recreation complex includes athletic fields and courts, playground facilities, a pavilion and other community recreation amenities.
138 Route 23 · 973-862-4351
An 18-hole public/resort course with practice facilities and the Leadbetter Golf Academy.
34 Maple Road · 973-827-9620
A long-established private 9-hole golf club with deep roots in the Franklin community.
Franklin opened the first segment of the Wallkill Valley Heritage Trail in June 2026, with a trailhead on Maple Road near the police station. The project follows a historic rail corridor and is intended to connect Franklin’s mineral, industrial and natural heritage with a broader regional trail system.
Franklin’s identity is unusually tied to geology and mining, but the borough is also a practical local center for shopping, dining, schools, recreation and community events. The downtown/Main Street area, Route 23 commercial corridor and Franklin Pond recreation complex each play a different role in daily life.
Franklin adjoins or closely connects with Hamburg, Hardyston Township, Ogdensburg, Sparta Township and other communities in the Wallkill Valley portion of Sussex County.
NJTGO provides free basic listings for legitimate Franklin Borough businesses and community resources. Advertising opportunities are also available.