List of museums in Connecticut


This list of museums in Connecticut contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Non-profit and university art galleries are also included. Museums that exist only in cyberspace are not included.
Inclusion in this list is generally for institutions with the name "museum" in the title. Some other institutions not included here are very like museums, and some "museums" here don't fit the typical definition of a place that shows exhibits. The Lockwood–Mathews Mansion Museum, for instance, is a historic mansion in which the "exhibit" is essentially the building itself. For Wikipedia links to institutions similar to museums in Connecticut, consult the "See also" section.

Museums

NameTown/cityCountyTypeSummary
Academy Hall MuseumRocky HillHartfordLocalOperated by the Rocky Hill Historical Society; local history, culture, maritime heritage, agriculture
Academy MuseumOrangeNew HavenLocal history, operated by the Orange Historical Society
Adam Stanton HouseClintonMiddlesexHistoric house, 1791 house and store with 19th-century clothing, furnishings, documents, and store inventory all belonging to the original Stanton family
[The Aldrich Contemporary Art museum|Art Museum|Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum]RidgefieldFairfieldArtContemporary art
Allis-Bushnell HouseMadisonNew HavenHistoric houseOperated by the Madison Historical Society, 17th-century house with period furniture, textiles, toys, costumes, and medical, nautical, and agricultural implements
Amasa Day House MuseumMoodusMiddlesexHistoric houseOwned by Connecticut Landmarks; open by appointment; 19th-century house
American Clock & Watch MuseumBristolHartfordHorologyFocus is American-made clocks and watches
American Museum of Tort LawWinstedLitchfieldLawA museum developed by Ralph Nader, focusing on topics of civil justice and aspects of the legal system that handle wrongful actions that result in injury. Facilities include a theater and exhibitions on famous precedent-setting legal cases
Andrews HomesteadMeridenNew HavenHistoric house, operated by the Meriden Historical Society, 18th-century house
ArtspaceNew HavenNew HavenArtContemporary art gallery
Ashbel Woodward MuseumFranklinNew LondonLocalLocal history exhibits and an art gallery
Avery-Copp HouseGrotonNew LondonHistoric house, 19th-century house with Victorian period rooms, local history exhibits
Ballard Institute and Museum of PuppetryStorrsTollandPuppetryPart of University of Connecticut, includes hand puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets, memorabilia
Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon MuseumCheshireNew HavenMedia, character toys & artifacts, comic strip, cartoon, western, T.V. and advertising memorabilia, celebrity rubber ducks
Barnes MuseumSouthingtonHartfordHistoric house, 19th-century house with furnishings reflecting three generations of ownership
Barnum MuseumBridgeportFairfieldBiographicalA collection related to P. T. Barnum, his circus and the history of Bridgeport, Connecticut housed in a historic building on the National Register of Historic Places
Bates-Scofield HomesteadDarienFairfieldHistoric house, operated by the Darien Historical Society, 18th-century period house
Bellamy-Ferriday House and GardenBethlehemLitchfieldHistoric house18th-century house, owned by Connecticut Landmarks
Bellarmine Museum of ArtFairfieldFairfieldArtPart of Fairfield University, collections include Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Celtic and Asian art and artifacts
Blue Slope Country MuseumFranklinNew LondonFarming, working dairy farm, museum with historic farm tools, equipment and rural life artifacts
Boothe Memorial Park and MuseumStratfordFairfieldOpen-airThe museum's collection of buildings includes a carriage house, Americana Museum, miniature lighthouse and windmill, a clocktower museum, trolley station, chapel, and blacksmith shop. The park also has the last remaining highway toll booth in Connecticut from the Merritt Parkway.
Brayton Grist MillPomfretWindhamMillLate 19th-century mill and blacksmithing tools and equipment, located by Mashamoquet Brook State Park, open by appointment with the Pomfret Historical Society
Brick School HouseCoventryTollandLocalLocal history museum run by the Coventry Historical Society; a small brick building that functioned as a one-room school from 1825 to 1953. The only one-room schoolhouse open to the public in Connecticut.
Bristol Historical Society MuseumBristolHartfordLocalLocal history, industry and locally made products, military collection of the Bristol Military Memorial Museum including uniforms, decorations, weapons, photographs and memorabilia
Brookfield Craft CenterBrookfieldFairfieldCraftSchool teaching skills of fine craftsmanship, associated exhibition gallery of crafts
Brookfield MuseumBrookfieldFairfieldLocal, local history, culture, operated by the Brookfield Historical Society
Brooklyn Historical Society MuseumBrooklynWindhamLocal, local history, local American Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam, includes Daniel Putnam Tyler Law Office
Bruce Museum of Arts and ScienceGreenwichFairfieldMultipleFine art, natural history, geology; town-run museum has art exhibits regularly reviewed in The New York Times, a section for children and a section set aside for natural history
Bryan-Andrew HouseOrangeNew HavenHistoric house18th-century house, operated by the Orange Historical Society
Buell Tool MuseumClintonMiddlesexTechnology, early tools and machines, open by appointment with the Clinton Historical Society
Bush–Holley HouseGreenwichFairfieldHistoric houseThis former boarding house, now run by the Greenwich Historical Society, was once used by artists in the Cos Cob Art Colony, holds examples of their work and regularly offers exhibits on art and local history
Burnham–Hibbard HouseHamptonWindhamHistoric house, 19th-century house with historic furnishings and artifacts, operated by the Hampton Antiquarian and Historical Society, open twice a year
Butler-McCook House & GardenHartfordHartfordHistoric houseOwned by Connecticut Landmarks, late 18th-century house with furnishings and artifacts reflecting four generations of ownership
Buttolph–Williams HouseWethersfieldHartfordHistoric houseOwned by Connecticut Landmarks, operated by the Webb-Dean-Stevens Museum, late 17th-century period house
Canton Historical MuseumCantonHartfordHistory, 19th-century clothing, furniture, household items, kitchen and decorative items, a Victorian parlor, toys, tools, reconstructed 19th-century general store, post office, barber shop, and blacksmith shop
Captain David Judson HouseStratfordFairfieldHistoric houseOperated by the Stratford Historical Society, 18th-century period house
Captain Palmer HouseStoningtonNew LondonHistoric houseMid-19th-century period Victorian mansion, operated by the Stonington Historical Society
Captain's Cove SeaportBridgeportFairfieldMaritime, Dundon House features exhibits on local maritime history and artifacts, oyster industry, open by appointment
cARTieSheltonFairfieldChildren's, Mobile art museum gallery featuring emerging student-art in interactive, participatory ways for young audiences, open by appointment
Center for Contemporary PrintmakingNorwalkFairfieldArtChanging exhibits of prints
Chaplin MuseumChaplinWindhamLocal18th- and 19th-century family life
Chatham Historical Society MuseumEast HamptonMiddlesexLocalLocal history, culture, one-room schoolhouse
Cheney Homestead and Keeney SchoolhouseManchesterHartfordHistoric house, operated by the Manchester Historical Society, late 18th-century house and replica one-room schoolhouse
Chester Museum at the MillChesterMiddlesexLocal, operated by the Chester Historical Society, local history, culture
[The The Children's Museum, Connecticut|Children's Museum, Connecticut|Children's Museum]West HartfordHartfordChildren'sFormerly known as The Science Center of Connecticut, children's exhibits with a science and nature focus
Children's Museum of Southeastern ConnecticutNianticNew LondonChildren's
Clinton Historical Society MuseumClintonMiddlesexLocal, located in Andrews Memorial Town Hall, local history, culture, Native American origins, English colonization, transportation, business, and education
Colchester Historical Society MuseumColchesterNew LondonLocal, local history
Connecticut Air and Space CenterStratfordFairfieldAviationIncludes aircraft and helicopters
Connecticut Antique Machinery Association MuseumKentLitchfieldTechnology, antique steam and diesel engines, farm equipment, tractors, locomotives, road construction and earth moving equipment, historic schoolhouse with natural history displays, blacksmith shop; also houses the Connecticut Museum of Mining and Mineral Science
Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and SanctuaryFairfieldFairfieldNatural historyThe oldest private songbird sanctuary in the United States. The site contains a natural history museum with mounted preserved animals displayed in dioramas and a collection of mounted African animals.
Children's MuseumNew HavenNew HavenChildren's
Connecticut Eastern Railroad MuseumWillimanticWindhamRailroad, locomotives, rolling stock, vintage railroad buildings and a six-stall roundhouse
Connecticut Fire Museum[East Windsor, Connecticut|Windsor, Connecticut|East Windsor]HartfordFirefightingPart of the Connecticut Trolley Museum, firefighting vehicles and apparatus
Connecticut Museum of Culture and HistoryHartfordHartfordHistoryExhibits on Connecticut history and culture
Connecticut Museum of Mining and Mineral ScienceKentLitchfieldIndustry, part of Connecticut Antique Machinery Association Museum, state's mining industry, geology, mining equipment
Connecticut River MuseumEssexMiddlesexMaritimeMaritime heritage of the Connecticut River Valley, shipbuilding
Connecticut Science CenterHartfordHartfordScience
Natural HistoryStorrsTollandNaturalNatural history and cultural history of Connecticut, part of the University of Connecticut
Connecticut Trolley MuseumEast WindsorHartfordRailroadElectric trolley cars, includes the Connecticut Fire Museum
CRRA Trash MuseumHartfordHartfordScienceRecycling and the environment
Contemporary Art Galleries at UConnStorrsTollandArtContemporary trends and issues in visual arts
Cornwall Historical SocietyCornwallLitchfieldHistory, summer exhibits of local history
Cummings Art GalleriesNew LondonNew LondonArtPart of the Cummings Art Center at Connecticut College
Cushing CenterNew HavenNew HavenLibraryFormally the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, displays from its collections of rare books, medical history documents and artifacts
Custom House Maritime MuseumNew LondonNew LondonMaritimeLocal maritime history, ship models, the ship La Amistad, customs, regional lighthouses, operated by the New London Maritime Society
Danbury Museum and Historical SocietyDanburyFairfieldMultipleFocusing on Danbury-area history, the museum has five buildings including the John Rider House, the Marian Anderson Studio and the Charles Ives birthplace.
Danbury Railway MuseumDanburyFairfieldRailroadThe museum has a railroad yard full of restored and unrestored railroad equipment, and the restored 1903 station house containing exhibits of photographs and railroad paraphernalia, model train layouts, an extensive reference library, and a gift shop. Visitors can take a 25-minute ride the "Rail Yard Local" on weekends in season.
Daniel Benton HomesteadTollandTollandHistoric house, operated by the Tolland Historical Society, early 18th-century period house
Daniel Putnam Tyler Law OfficeBrooklynWindhamHistoric house, located at Brooklyn Historical Society Museum
Darling House MuseumWoodbridgeNew HavenHistoric houseRun by the Amity and Woodbridge Historical Society, open by appointment and for special events, late 18th-century farmhouse and outbuildings
Davison Art CenterMiddletownMiddlesexArtPart of Wesleyan University
D'Elia Antique Tool MuseumScotlandWindhamTechnology, located in the Scotland Public Library, collection of antique woodworking planes and tools
Deacon John Graves HouseMadisonNew HavenHistoric house1685 house used by seven generations of one family
Denison HomesteadMysticNew LondonHistoric houseEarly 18th-century house with rooms furnished to reflect different eras
Denison Pequotsepos Nature CenterMysticNew LondonNatural history, dioramas of different habitats, live animals
Derrin HouseAvonHartfordHistoric house, one of three properties owned by the Avon Historical Society, 18th-century farmhouse
Dinosaur State Park and ArboretumRocky HillHartfordNatural historyDinosaur tracks, models, dioramas, arboretum
Discovery Museum and PlanetariumBridgeportFairfieldScienceInteractive science exhibits, high-definition movies and daily planetarium shows, Challenger Learning Center
Dudley FarmGuilfordNew HavenFarm, late 19th-century restored farmhouse, barns, and grounds, tools and farm equipment
EarthplaceWestportFairfieldNatural historyWildlife dioramas of seasons and ecosystems in Connecticut, interactive exhibits, live animals, wildlife sanctuary with trails
East Haddam Historical Society Museum[East Haddam, Connecticut|Haddam, Connecticut|East Haddam]MiddlesexLocal, local history, industry, costumes
Ebenezer Avery HouseGrotonNew LondonHistoric houseLocated in Fort Griswold State Park, 18th-century period house
Edward Waldo HouseScotlandWindhamHistoric houseOperated by the Scotland Historical Society, 18th-century period house, open by appointment and for special events
Elisha White HouseClintonMiddlesexHistoric house, mid-18th-century house known as "Old Brick", open by appointment with the Clinton Historical Society
Eli Whitney MuseumHamdenNew HavenScienceInventions and inventor Eli Whitney, toy maker A.C. Gilbert
Enoch Kelsey HouseNewingtonHartfordHistoric houseOperated by the Newington Historical Society, late 18th-century house
Fairfield Museum and History CenterFairfieldFairfieldLocalLocal history, changing exhibits, a library and reading room, a family education center, and an 80-seat theater, founded by the Fairfield Historical Society
Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society MuseumFalls VillageLitchfieldLocal, local history, industry
Fire MuseumManchesterHartfordFirefighting, horse-drawn and motorized firefighting vehicles and apparatus, equipment, memorabilia
Florence Griswold MuseumOld LymeNew LondonArtNoted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings, collections include fine art, sculpture, works on paper, artist's studio material, toys and dolls, ceramics, furniture, textiles, decorative arts and historic artifacts
Fort Griswold Battlefield State ParkGrotonNew LondonMilitaryRestored 18th-century earthwork battery, cannons, shot furnace and powder magazine, includes the Monument House Museum with exhibits about the American Revolutionary War, and the 18th-century Ebenezer Avery House
Trumbull State ParkNew LondonNew LondonMilitaryVisitor center depicts over 225 years of military history and technological advances from the Revolutionary War to the Cold War
Gallery of Art at Sacred Heart UniversityFairfieldFairfieldArt
Gasoline Alley Automotive MuseumStafford SpringsTollandAutomotiveCollection of Ford memorabilia, open by appointment only
Gateway Museum at Nature's Art VillageMontvilleNew LondonHistory, focuses on the past 200 years of America's progression in technology and tools, features period business and shop displays, agriculture equipment, steam engines, fire fighting equipment, print shop
Gay-Hoyt HouseSharonLitchfieldLocal, operated by the Sharon Historical Society, local history, American furniture and decorative arts, iron and iron-industry related artifacts
General David Humphreys HouseAnsoniaNew HavenHistoric houseHeadquarters of the Derby Historical Society, home to America's first ambassador under George Washington, restored to mid-18th-century appearance
Gertrude Warner Boxcar MuseumPutnamWindhamBiographical, artifacts and memorabilia of Gertrude Chandler Warner, author of The Boxcar Children series
Gillette Castle State ParkEast HaddamMiddlesexHistoric houseUnusual early 20th-century "castle" home built by actor William Gillette, famous for his portrayals of Sherlock Holmes
Glass HouseNew CanaanFairfieldHistoric houseModern house designed and owned by architect Philip Johnson
Glebe HouseWoodburyLitchfieldHistoric houseMid-18th-century period farmhouse, and 20th-century English garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll
Governor Jonathan Trumbull HouseLebanonNew LondonHistoric houseLate 18th-century period house operated by the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution
Greater Middletown Military MuseumMiddletownMiddlesexMilitary, small display
Gridley-Parsons-Staples HomesteadFarmingtonHartfordLocalOperated by the Farmington Historical Society
Griswold Historical Society MuseumJewett CityNew LondonHistoryLocal history, located in the Slater Library, life in New England during the 18th and 19th centuries
Gunn Memorial Library and MuseumWashingtonLitchfieldLocal, local history
Gurleyville Grist MillMansfieldTollandMill, 19th-century grist mill, operated by Joshua's Trust, adjacent miller's house was the birthplace of Governor Wilbur L. Cross
Haddam Shad MuseumHigganumMiddlesexIndustry, museum about the heritage of shad fishing on the Connecticut River,
Harriet Beecher Stowe CenterHartfordHartfordHistoric houseVictorian home of author Harriet Beecher Stowe
Haul of Fame Trucking MuseumCanterburyWindhamHistory, historic truck collection
Hempsted HousesNew LondonNew LondonHistoric houseOwned by Connecticut Landmarks, includes the 1678 Joshua Hempsted House and the 1759 Nathaniel Hempsted House
Henry Whitfield State MuseumGuilfordNew HavenHistoric houseOriginally a fortress for the community, this oldest house in Connecticut and oldest stone house in New England has three floors filled with 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century furnishings, along with an introductory exhibit on the house's history; there are changing exhibits in two galleries.
Hezekiah Chaffee HouseWindsorHartfordHistoric houseMid-18th-century Georgian colonial house and doctor's office
Hicks-Stearns Family MuseumTollandTollandHistoric house, 19th-century house reflecting three generations of owners up to the Victorian era
Hill-Stead MuseumFarmingtonHartfordArtKnown for its French Impressionist masterpieces, architecture, and stately grounds
Hill's AcademyEssexMiddlesexLocal historyOperated by the Essex Historical Society
Historical Houses at Martin ParkEast HartfordHartfordHistoric houseRun by East Hartford Historical Society, includes the late 18th-century Makens Bemont House, mid-19th-century Goodwin Schoolhouse, and late 19th-century Burnham Blacksmith Shop
Hitchcock-Phillips HouseCheshireNew HavenHistoric house, run by Cheshire Historical Society
Hotchkiss-Fyler House MuseumTorringtonLitchfieldHistoric houseOperated by the Torrington Historical Society, collections include glass, porcelain, early American paintings
Hotchkiss House MuseumProspectNew HavenLocal history, operated by the Prospect Historical Society
Housatonic Museum of ArtBridgeportFairfieldArtPart of Housatonic Community College, includes works by Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Miró and Chagall. Much of the collection is displayed throughout the college.
Hoyt-Barnum HouseStamfordFairfieldHistoric houseOpen by appointment with the Stamford Historical Society, 1699 house with 17th- and 18th-century furnishings
Huntington HomesteadScotlandWindhamHistoric house18th-century boyhood home of Governor Samuel Huntington
Husky Heritage Sports MuseumStorrsTollandSportsHistory and memorabilia of UConn Husky athletics
Hyland HouseGuilfordNew HavenHistoryLiving museum of colonial life and architecture
Ireland’s Great Hunger MuseumHamdenNew HavenArtArt related to the Irish Great Hunger of 1845–1852
Imagine Nation MuseumBristolHartfordChildren's, hands-on, interactive children's museum for ages 2 to 10
Institute For American Indian StudiesWashingtonLitchfieldNative AmericanHistory and culture of Connecticut's Native American peoples
Isham-Terry HouseHartfordHartfordHistoric houseOwned by Connecticut Landmarks, late 19th-century house and doctor's office
Jabez Smith HouseGrotonNew LondonHistoric house18th-century house with 18th- and 19th-century antiques
James Morris MuseumMorrisLitchfieldHistoryLocated in Morris Town Hall, also Aline Brothier Morris Reading Room, contains James Morris III family archives and heirlooms, local history displays, reference library
Jillson House MuseumWindhamWindhamHistoric houseOperated by the Windham Historical Society, 18th-century house with collections of household items, quilts, toys, dolls,
John Bishop House & MuseumLisbonNew LondonHistoric houseEarly 19th-century house, operated by the Lisbon Historical Society
Joseloff GalleryWest HartfordHartfordArt, contemporary art gallery of the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford, located in the Harry Jack Gray Center
Joseph N. Goff House Museum and Cultural CenterEast HamptonMiddlesexLocal, local history, houses artifacts and memorabilia of Connecticut's 84th Governor, William O'Neill
Keeler Tavern MuseumRidgefieldFairfieldHistory18th-century tavern with furnishings, artifacts and costumed guides
Kellogg-Eddy HouseNewingtonHartfordHistoric houseRun by Newington Historical Society, early 19th-century Georgian-style house
Kidcity Children's MuseumMiddletownMiddlesexChildren's, interactive exhibits for ages one to eight
King House MuseumSuffieldHartfordHistoric house, run by Suffield Historical Society, mid-18th-century house with collection of early Connecticut Valley furniture, local history artifacts
Killingly Historical CenterDanielsonWindhamLocal, local history
Knights of Columbus MuseumNew HavenNew HavenReligious, art and historic artifacts about the heritage of Catholicism and the Knights of Columbus
Lebanon Historical Society MuseumLebanonNew LondonLocal, local history, also operates Dr. William Beaumont House
Lee's AcademyMadisonNew HavenEducation, operated by the Madison Historical Society, early 19th-century schoolhouse used for lectures and special exhibits
Leffingwell House MuseumNorwichNew LondonHistoric house, early 18th-century period home of Revolutionary patriot, merchant, and industrialist Christopher Leffingwell
Lewis Walpole LibraryFarmingtonHartfordArtDepartment of the Yale University Library, changing exhibits of art from its collections, also life of author Horace Walpole
Litchfield History MuseumLitchfieldLitchfieldLocal, operated by the Litchfield Historical Society, local history, collections of furniture, paintings, textiles, toys, ceramics, trade signs, and other fine and decorative arts
Lock Museum of AmericaTerryvilleLitchfieldHistoryIts eight display rooms hold the largest collection of colonial and antique locks in the United States, including rooms devoted to bank locks and Yale locks. See also Timex Museum in Waterbury
Lockwood-Mathews MansionNorwalkFairfieldHistoric houseA 62-room Second Empire-style mansion on both the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark lists
Lost in New HavenNew HavenNew HavenLocalLocal history, artifacts and memorabilia
Luddy/Taylor Connecticut Valley Tobacco MuseumWindsorHartfordAgricultureTobacco curing barn with exhibits of early and modern equipment used to grow the crop, and a year-round facility with exhibits of photographs, writings, and other documents
Lutz Children's MuseumManchesterHartfordChildren's
Lyman Allyn Art MuseumNew LondonNew LondonArtPermanent collection includes over 10,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts; emphasis is on American art from the 18th to 20th centuries
Lyme Academy College of Fine ArtsOld LymeNew LondonArtFeatures exhibitions of professional, alumni and student art
MacDonough Gallery of Albertus Magnus CollegeNew HavenNew HavenArt
Manchester History CenterManchesterHartfordLocal, local history, silk and textile industry, operated by the Manchester Historical Society
Mansfield Historical Society MuseumMansfieldTollandLocal, local history, culture
Mark Twain House and MuseumHartfordHartfordHistoric houseGilded Age home of author Mark Twain
Martha A. Parsons House MuseumEnfieldHartfordHistoric house, operated by the Enfield Historical Society, late 18th-century house with furnishings from over 180 years of ownership
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research CenterMashantucketNew LondonNative AmericanHistory and culture of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Pequot, area natural history
Matthew Curtiss HouseNewtownFairfieldHistoric house, operated by the Newtown Historical Society, 18th-century Colonial saltbox house
Mattatuck MuseumWaterburyNew HavenMultipleRegional history and Connecticut art. Artists in the collection include John Trumbull, Erastus Salisbury Field, Frederic Church, John Frederick Kensett, Arshile Gorky, Kay Sage, Yves Tanguy, Peter Poskas, Abe Ajay and Alexander Calder. Waterbury Button Museum is a collection of about 10,000 buttons from all over the world, including some from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Merritt Parkway MuseumStratfordFairfieldTransportation, history of the design and construction of the Merritt Parkway
Middlebury Historical Society MuseumMiddleburyNew HavenLocal, local history
Middlesex County Historical Society MuseumMiddletownMiddlesexLocal, located in General Mansfield House, local history and culture
Middletown Sports Hall of Fame and MuseumMiddletownMiddlesexHall of fame - sports, town's sports figures
Milford Historical MuseumMilfordNew HavenHistoric homes, operated by the Milford Historical Society, Colonial homes open for tour that date to 18th century. The Eells-Stow House is one of the oldest homes in Connecticut.
Mill Hill Historic ParkNorwalkFairfieldOpen-airThree buildings: 1835 Norwalk Town House, circa 1740 Governor Fitch law office and the Downtown District Schoolhouse, circa 1826, operated by the Norwalk Historical Society
Millstone Energy Education CenterWaterfordNew LondonScienceLocated at the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, exhibits about nuclear energy and Long Island Sound, now only scheduled tours by school groups,
Monte Cristo CottageNew LondonNew LondonHistoric houseSummer home of American playwright Eugene O'Neill
Museum of Andover HistoryAndoverTollandLocal, local history, historic household items, located in the Old Town Hall
Museum of Connecticut GlassCoventryTollandIndustry - glass, historical glass made in the numerous glassworks of Connecticut, open by request and for special events
Museum of Connecticut HistoryHartfordHartfordHistoryLocated at Connecticut State Library, Connecticut's government, industrial and military history
Museum of Fife & DrumIvorytonMiddlesexMusic, operated by the Company of Fifers & Drummers, includes drums, fifes, military swords, music, uniforms, medals
Museum of Jewish CivilizationWest HartfordHartfordEthnic - Jewish, located inside the Mortensen Library in the Harry Jack Gray Center at the University of Hartford, exhibits of Jewish art, history and culture
Museum on the GreenGlastonburyHartfordLocal, local history, operated by the Historical Society of Glastonbury
Mystic Museum of ArtMysticNew LondonLocal, art museum, non-profit operated by Mystic Art Association. Galleries, exhibitions, studio courses, education outreach, wedding events
Mystic SeaportMysticNew LondonMaritimeLiving history museum focusing on 19th-century maritime industries, including whaling; with period ships and buildings
Nathan Hale HomesteadCoventryTollandHistoric houseOperated by Connecticut Landmarks, 18th home of the family of American Revolutionary War spy Nathan Hale
Nathan Lester HouseLedyardNew LondonHistoric house18th-century farmhouse and outbuildings
Nathaniel Backus HouseNorwichNew LondonHistoric houseOperated by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, open for events along with adjacent Perkins-Rockwell House
National Helicopter MuseumStratfordFairfieldAviationHoused in the eastbound building of the Stratford railroad station, the museum exhibits images and objects related to the history of the aviation and helicopter industry in Stratford, the home of Sikorsky Aircraft.
Naugatuck Historical Society MuseumNaugatuckNew HavenLocal, local history, located in a former train station
Nellie E. McKnight MuseumEllingtonTollandHistoric houseBuilt in 1812 in the Federalist style; home of the Ellington Historical Society
New Britain Industrial MuseumNew BritainHartfordIndustry, locally made tools and hardware from Stanley Works, Fafnir bearings, Landers, Frary & Clark, American Hardware Corporation, Acme Monaco Corporation and North & Judd
New Britain Museum of American ArtNew BritainHartfordArtAmerican art
New Britain Youth MuseumsNew BritainHartfordChildren's, two facilities in New Britain: 30 High Street and Hungerford Park.
New Canaan Historical Society MuseumsNew CanaanFairfieldOpen-air, includes Town House, John Rogers Studio, Rock School, Tool Museum and Hanford-Silliman House
New England Air MuseumWindsor LocksHartfordAviationExhibits on the history of Sikorsky Aircraft, early French aviation, including the Lafayette Escadrille, a history of air mail, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Mollisons and the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial
New England Carousel MuseumBristolHartfordArt, antique carousel animals
New England Civil War MuseumRockvilleTollandMilitaryLarge collection of Civil War items; archives relating to the Grand Army of the Republic.
New Haven Museum and Historical SocietyNew HavenNew HavenLocalLocal history and culture, fine and decorative arts
New Milford Historical Society and MuseumNew MilfordLitchfieldLocal, local history, 18th-century cooking hearth, antique toys,
Noah Webster HouseWest HartfordHartfordHistoric houseOperated by the West Hartford Historical Society, 18th-century home of American lexicographer Noah Webster
Noden-Reed Park MuseumWindsor LocksHartfordLocal, operated by the Windsor Locks Historical Society, Victorian farmhouse with local history displays
Northeast States Civilian Conservation Corps MuseumStafford SpringsTollandHistoryHistory and memorabilia of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Northeast, located in Shenipsit State Forest
Northrop House MuseumShermanFairfieldHistoric house, early 19th-century house and barn, operated by the Sherman Historical Society, open by appointment
Northwest Park Nature CenterWindsorHartfordNatural historyLive animals, natural history displays, nature education programs
Norwalk Historical Society MuseumNorwalkFairfieldLocal history
Ogden House and GardensFairfieldFairfieldHistoric houseOwned by Fairfield Museum and History Center, 18th-century period farmhouse
Old Bethlehem Historical Society MuseumBethlehemLitchfieldHistory, local history, open by appointment
Old Lighthouse MuseumStoningtonNew LondonLocalLocal history and maritime displays in a historic lighthouse, operated by the Stonington Historical Society
Old Manchester MuseumManchesterHartfordLocal, operated by the Manchester Historical Society, local history, culture, industry, mid-1800s dresses and furniture, school display, pharmacy and medicine exhibit, Manchester Sports Hall of Fame, Spencer and Springfield Rifle exhibits, household items
Old New-Gate Prison & Copper MineEast GranbyHartfordPrison18th-century prison
Old State House, Joseph Steward Museum of Oddities and CuriositiesHartfordHartfordMultipleOriginal state capitol, exhibits of Connecticut and Hartford history, also houses a recreation of a museum of unusual natural history specimens
Old Stone SchoolhouseFarmingtonHartfordEducation, one-room schoolhouse, operated by the Farmington Historical Society
Old Store MuseumShermanFairfieldLocal, 19th-century period store display, exhibits of local history and art, operated by the Sherman Historical Society
Old Tolland County CourthouseTollandTollandJail museum19th-century county courthouse, operated by the Tolland Historical Society
Old Tolland County Jail and MuseumTollandTollandJail museum19th-century county jail and jailer's house with local history displays, operated by the Tolland Historical Society
Old Town Hall MuseumEnfieldHartfordLocal, operated by the Enfield Historical Society, late 18th-century town hall with exhibits of local history
Oliver Ellsworth HomesteadWindsorHartfordHistoric houseOperated by the CT DAR, 18th-century period house of Oliver Ellsworth
Osborne Homestead MuseumDerbyNew HavenHistoric houseEstate house with collection of antiques and fine art
Paier College of ArtHamdenNew HavenArtStudent art exhibits
Pardee Morris HouseNew HavenNew HavenHistoric house18th-century period house, operated by the New Haven Museum and Historical Society
Peabody Museum of Natural HistoryNew HavenNew HavenNatural historyPart of Yale University, exhibits include dinosaurs, human and mammal evolution, wildlife dioramas, Egyptian artifacts, and the birds, minerals and Native Americans of Connecticut
Peoples State Forest Nature MuseumBarkhamstedLitchfieldNatural historyLocated in Peoples State Forest, area plants, animals, pioneers, Native American, forestry, quarrying
Phelps-Hatheway HouseSuffieldHartfordHistoric house, owned by Connecticut Landmarks, 18th-century house with period Connecticut furniture, formal garden
Phelps Tavern MuseumSimsburyHartfordHistoric tavernLate 18th- to early 19th-century tavern, operated by the Simsbury Historical Society
Pine Grove SchoolhouseAvonHartfordEducation, one of three properties owned by the Avon Historical Society, early 20th-century period schoolhouse
Plainville Historic CenterPlainvilleHartfordHistory, operated by the Plainville Historical Society, local history, agriculture, Farmington Canal, toys, turn-of-the-century kitchen, Victorian parlor, tools, Native American artifacts, minerals
Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse MuseumSouth WindsorHartfordEducationOperated by South Windsor Historical Society, one-room schoolhouse
Portersville AcademyMysticNew LondonEducation, owned by Mystic River Historical Society, 1840s period schoolroom
Pratt HouseEssexMiddlesexHistoric houseOperated by the Essex Historical Society, 18th-century house
Prudence Crandall MuseumCanterburyWindhamHistoryExhibits on Prudence Crandall, women's history and local history; located in Crandall's home on the Canterbury Green
Putnam CottageGreenwichFairfieldHistoric houseRevolutionary War period tavern
Putnam ElmsBrooklynWindhamHistoric house, 18th-century home
Putnam Memorial State Park MuseumReddingFairfieldHistoryExhibits depict Colonial life, artifacts from the camp site and reconstructed buildings
Railroad Museum of New EnglandThomastonLitchfieldRailroadHeritage railroad and museum
Real Art WaysHartfordHartfordArtNon-profit contemporary arts organization, several art galleries, programs in visual arts, live arts, film and video
Regina A. Quick Center for the ArtsFairfieldFairfieldArtPart of Fairfield University, includes the Thomas J. Walsh, Jr. Art Gallery
Rogers Studio and MuseumNew CanaanFairfieldHistoric artist's studioBuilt in 1878 by John Rogers, called "the people's sculptor" in the latter 19th century, the studio houses a collection of Rogers' groups of plaster statuary; the display area has been reconfigured to reflect the feeling of the artist's studio; operated by the New Canaan Historical Society.
Roseland CottageWoodstockWindhamHistoric houseOperated by Historic New England, mid-19th-century Gothic Revival cottage visited by three U.S. presidents
The Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History MuseumStratfordFairfieldHistory, operated by the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum
Ruth Callander House Museum of Portland HistoryPortlandMiddlesexHistory, operated by the Portland Historical Society
Salem Historical Society and MuseumSalemNew LondonHistory, local history, open seasonally
Savin Rock MuseumWest HavenNew HavenHistory, local history
Sawmill Park Mill MuseumLedyardNew LondonHistoric siteReconstructed 19th-century water-powered up and down sawmill, owned by the town and administered by the Ledyard Historic District Commission
Scantic Academy MuseumEast WindsorHartfordEducationHistoric schoolhouse
Schelfhaudt Gallery at the University of BridgeportBridgeportFairfieldArtPart of the Arnold Bernhard Center
Schoolhouse #3AvonHartfordLocal, one of three properties owned by the Avon Historical Society, former schoolhouse with local history displays, open by appointment
Seth-Thomas Bradstreet HouseThomastonLitchfieldHistoric house, owned by Seth Thomas (clockmaker)
Seton Gallery of the University of New HavenNew HavenNew HavenArt
Seven HearthsKentLitchfieldHistory, operated by the Kent Historical Society
Shaw Mansion MuseumNew LondonNew LondonHistoric houseOperated by the New London Historical Society
Sheffield Island LighthouseNorwalkFairfieldLighthouseOperated by the Norwalk Seaport Association, accessible by boat
Shelton History CenterSheltonFairfieldHistory, operated by the Shelton Historical Society
Shore Line Trolley MuseumEast HavenNew HavenRailroad
Silpe GalleryWest HartfordHartfordArt, showcase for student work of the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford
Solomon Goffe HouseMeridenNew HavenHistoric house18th-century period house
Stony Creek MuseumBranfordNew HavenHistory, history, culture and community of Stony Creek, the Stony Creek Quarry and the Thimble Islands
Slater Memorial Museum and Converse Art Gallery at Norwich Free AcademyNorwichNew LondonArtThe museum's collection includes "contemporary Connecticut crafts, 17th- to 19th-century European paintings and decorative arts, African and Oceanic sculpture, Native American objects, and a plaster cast collection of Egyptian, Archaic, Greek, Roman and Renaissance sculpture, and the adjacent Converse Art Gallery.
Sloane-Stanley MuseumKentLitchfieldHistoryStudio and antique collections of Eric Sloane
Smith–Harris HouseEast LymeNew LondonHistoric house19th-century period house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Thomas Avery House, c. 1845
Solomon Rockwell HouseWinchesterLitchfieldMultipleHome to the Winchester Historical Society
Somers Historical Society MuseumSomersTollandHistory
Sono Switchtower MuseumNorwalkFairfieldRailroadThe tiny museum exhibits the railroad switch tower in South Norwalk, where tracks were physically switched at the intersection of the Danbury Branch and the New Haven Line. Original equipment is supplemented by some photographs and demonstrations by docents
Southington Historical SocietySouthingtonHartfordLocal historyIncludes photos, area sports and school mementos, industry and business items, military artifacts
Stafford Historical Society MuseumStafford SpringsTollandHistory
Stamford Museum and Nature CenterStamfordFairfieldMultipleIncludes farm with animals, nature center, museum with natural history, art and Native American displays, an observatory and planetarium
Stanley-Whitman HouseFarmingtonHartfordHistoric house17th-century house with furnishings and artifacts from the 17th to 19th century
Stanton-Davis Homestead MuseumPawcatuckNew LondonHistoric housePlanned museum of a restored 17th-century homestead
Stepping Stones Museum for ChildrenNorwalkFairfieldChildren's
Stevens-Frisbie HouseCromwellMiddlesexLocal history, home to Cromwell Historical Society
Stone HouseDeep RiverMiddlesexHistoric house, operated by the Deep River Historical Society
Swain-Harrison HouseBranfordNew HavenHistoric houseOperated by the Branford Historical Society, 18th-century period house
Stone-Otis HouseOrangeNew HavenHistoric house, operated by the Orange Historical Society, mid 19th-century house
Strong-Porter MuseumCoventryTollandLocal historyOperated by the Coventry Historical Society
Strong-Howard HouseWindsorHartfordHistoric house, known for many years as the Lt. Walter Fyler House, operated by the Windsor Historical Society
Tapping Reeve House and Law SchoolLitchfieldLitchfieldEducationAlso known as Litchfield Law School, 19th-century school
Thankful Arnold House MuseumHaddamMiddlesexHistoric house, owned by Haddam Historical Society
The Dinosaur Place at Nature's Art VillageMontvilleNew LondonNatural History60 acre outdoor Dinosaur park with over 40 life-sized dinosaurs.
Thomas Griswold House MuseumGuilfordNew HavenHistoric houseOperated by the Guilford Keeping Society, includes the late 18th-century period New England saltbox house, a blacksmith shop, barn with farm tools and implements, two corn cribs and a Victorian era three seat outhouse
Thomas Lee House and MuseumEast LymeNew LondonHistoric house17th-century period house, operated by the East Lyme Historical Society
Thomaston Historical Society MuseumThomastonLitchfieldHistory, open by appointment only
Thompson Historical Society MuseumThompsonWindhamHistory, also known as the Ellen Larned Memorial Building and Museum
Tool MuseumNew CanaanFairfieldHistory / Commodity - toolsTiny museum displays tools use by cabinetmakers, wheelwrights, tanners, shoemakers, coopers, builders and others. A separate room re-creates a 19th-century printing office.
Torrington History MuseumTorringtonLitchfieldLocal, operated by the Torrington Historical Society
Tourtelotte Memorial RoomThompsonWindhamHistory, located in Tourtelotte Memorial High School
Trumbull Historical Society MuseumTrumbullFairfieldHistoric house, 19th-century historical building with displays and programs dedicated to Trumbull history
Trumbull War OfficeLebanonNew LondonHistoric houseOwned by the Sons of the American Revolution, 18th-century building used by Jonathan Trumbull for convening the Council of Safety during the American Revolution
Unionville MuseumUnionvilleHartfordLocal, local history
University of Saint Joseph Art GalleryWest HartfordHartfordArtFeatures a collection of over 2000 pieces including 20th-century American paintings, and European and American prints from the 15th century to the present
U.S. Coast Guard MuseumNew LondonNew LondonMaritimeHistory of the U.S. Coast Guard
U.S Military MuseumDanburyFairfieldMilitary, houses over 10,000 artifacts covering all of the armed services of the United States. Outdoor exhibits include tanks, cars, trucks and guns. Formerly the Military Museum of Southern New England.
U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum and LibraryGrotonNew LondonMaritimeIncludes the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) submarine, a museum ship
Vernon Historical Society MuseumVernonTollandHistory, located in the former Vernon Grange building
Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of ConnecticutWindsorHartfordTechnologyCollection of technology related to vintage communications: radio, television, tubes, video, telephones;
Wadsworth AtheneumHartfordHartfordArt
Wadsworth Mansion at Long HillMiddletownMiddlesexHistoric houseEarly 20th-century mansion and estate
Wallop School MuseumEnfieldHartfordEducation, operated by Enfield Historical Society, late 18th-century one-room schoolhouse restored to appear as for it last use in 1947
Ward-Heitman HouseWest HavenNew HavenHistoric house, period rooms show the lives of the families at various times in the history of the house, from colonial through post-Civil War
Warren's Occult MuseumMonroeFairfieldHistory, open for tours and special events; features historic, obscure and "haunted" objects related to the occult
Waterford Historical Society MuseumsWaterfordNew LondonOpen-airHistoric buildings on the green including 1740 Jordan Schoolhouse, Margaret W. Stacey Memorial Barn/Museum, 1838 Beebe-Phillips House, Jordan Park House, corn crib, blacksmith shop, operated by the Waterford Historical Society
Webb-Deane-Stevens MuseumWethersfieldHartfordHistoric houseOperated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, sites include the Joseph Webb House, Silas Deane House, Isaac Stevens House and the Buttolph-Williams House
Weir Farm National Historic SiteWiltonFairfieldArtHistoric house and studio of artist J. Alden Weir, also changing art and history exhibits
Welles-Shipman-Ward HouseGlastonburyHartfordHistoric houseOperated by the Historical Society of Glastonbury, 18th-century mansion house
Wethersfield MuseumWethersfieldHartfordHistory, operated by the Wethersfield Historical Society at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, also weekend tours of the Hurlbut-Dunham House and Cove Warehouse, a maritime museum on Wethersfield Cove, and Captain James Francis House, open by appointment
Wheeler HouseWestportFairfieldLocal historyOperated by the Westport Historical Society, Victorian period house with changing exhibits of local history and art, also Museum of Westport History
White Memorial Conservation CenterLitchfieldLitchfieldNatural historyNatural history museum, trails
Widener Gallery at the Austin Arts CenterHartfordHartfordArtPart of Trinity College
William Benton Museum of ArtStorrsTollandArtPart of the University of Connecticut
Wilton Heritage MuseumWiltonFairfieldHistory, operated by the Wilton Historical Society, includes the 18th-century Sloan-Raymond-Fitch House and Betts-Sturges-Blackmar House with period rooms that reflect home life, the economy, furniture and decorations from 1740 to 1910
Windham Textile and History MuseumWillimanticWindhamHistoryIts main focus is the American Thread Company's now-closed Willimantic mill
Windsor Historical Society MuseumWindsorHartfordHistory
Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie MuseumBristolHartfordHistory
Wolcott Historical Society MuseumWolcottNew HavenHistory
Wood Memorial LibrarySouth WindsorHartfordMultiple, collections of Native American artifacts, mounted birds, 18th-century furniture, paintings, quilts
Woodstock Historical Society MuseumWoodstockWindhamHistory
Yale Center for British ArtNew HavenNew HavenArt
Yale University Art GalleryNew HavenNew HavenArt
Yale University Collection of Musical InstrumentsNew HavenNew HavenMusicMusical instruments
Palestine MuseumWoodbridgeNew HavenHistory & Culture
Pequot LibrarySouthportFairfieldSpecial Collections

Defunct museums

  • Bristol Military Memorial Museum, Bristol - collections now at the Bristol Historical Society
  • Burndy Library - formerly in Norwalk, collection is now in The Huntington Library in San Marino, California and in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
  • Children's Garbage Museum, Stratford - closed in 2011
  • Connecticut Cellar Savers Fire Museum, Portland
  • Connecticut Sports Museum & Hall of Fame - formerly located in the Hartford Civic Center, 2nd floor
  • Day-Lewis Museum of Indian Artifacts, Farmington - owned by Yale University, formerly operated by the Farmington Historical Society, collection of Tunxis artifacts found on the grounds of the Lewis Walpole Library, closed in 2005
  • Dequaine Museums, Meriden - included National Shaving & Barbershop Museum, Frank Chiarenza Museum of Glass, Rosa Ponselle Museum,
  • Edward E. King Museum, East Hartford,, collection of aviation and tobacco memorabilia, now spread throughout the East Hartford Public Library but not as a separate museum
  • Farm Implement Museum, Bloomfield - was dedicated to the history of farming in New England and displayed farm tools dating from the 1790s
  • Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Middlebury- antique trucks, carriages and collectibles, closed July, 2010;
  • Hartford Police Museum, Hartford - formerly located at 101 Pearl Street, confirmed closed by phone 2/12/08
  • Hitchcock Museum, Riverton - collection of furnishings from the Hitchcock Chair Company, closed in 2003
  • Holley-Williams House Museum, Lakeville - previously operated by the Salisbury Association, sold to private owner
  • Horse Guard Cavalry Museum, Avon - museum is now just a case with uniforms
  • Huntington House Museum, Windsor, closed in 2005, now private
  • Kerosene Lamp Museum, Winchester
  • Menczer Museum of Medicine and Dentistry, Hartford - operated by the Hartford Medical Society, closed in 2008, collections now at area hospitals and Tunxis Community College
  • Museum of American Political Life, West Hartford - collection of political campaign memorabilia, formerly in the Harry Jack Gray Center at University of Hartford, closed in 2003
  • National Purple Heart Museum, Enfield - proposed museum, never completed
  • Nehemiah Royce House, Wallingford - now private
  • Neil's American Dream Museum, West Hartford
  • New England Center for the Contemporary Arts, Brooklyn
  • New England Muscle Bicycle Museum, Bloomfield
  • Norwalk Museum, Norwalk - closed in 2012
  • Nut Museum, Old Lyme
  • Photomobile Model Museum, Woodstock - solar electric small-scale car, boat, plane, train and maglev vehicles
  • Salisbury Cannon Museum, Lakeville - currently closed;
  • Skitch Henderson Museum, New Milford, formerly part of Hunt Hill Farm
  • Somers Mountain Museum, Somers - collection of Native American and early settler tools
  • Submarine Library and Museum, Middletown - closed in 2003, collection now in, St. Marys, Georgia
  • Timexpo Museum, Waterbury, closed in 2015