I spent most of my youth growing up in Bristol and I think I only went to the Carousel Museum one…read moretime. Now, as a grown adult who lives thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, it was time to revisit this place on a recent trip back to the nutmeg state. My wife and I ended up coming here on a Wednesday morning because we collect museum magnets and we figured Bristol was a fun little spot to grab one of these. The building itself is insanely beautiful and gave me some wild flashbacks. From the moment we walked into this place to the second we left we are surrounded by hundreds of beautiful vintage carousels from the 1800's up to more recent times. On top of having the carousel's themselves they had binders with info on everything so you could absolutely learn every possibly detail about these things and that's so cool. On top of the carousels, they had a big section dedicated to Lake Compounce which is where I practically lived as a kid. It was super interesting to see photos from the original park, old photos of the Wildcat Coaster from back in the day, and a ton of old photos and memorabilia from old rides and the park itself. Are we done? No, they also had a fire museum upstairs and even though it's not something that really interests me, it was still a cool little bonus at the end of our tour. Overall, The Carousel Museum is such a cool spot and definitely somewhere everyone in Connecticut should go to at least once. It was really cool getting to see some of the same pieces I saw as a little kid 30+ years later. This was a wonderful time.

I had the best time at the Carousel Museum! Prices are a little steep but once you see everything…read morethey have to offer you can see it's worth it and totally necessary to keep them running! I originally went because I thought my toddler would love it honestly I think we all had an equal amount of fun and enjoyment here! Two floors of beautifully constructed animals and cool history of them all. My daughter loved the carousel ride and probably could've gone around on it for hours if we let her. She also loved the puppet show area with books and dress up items. Second floor was absolutely beautiful and a firehouse museum was on it which my husband enjoyed. Everything was super accessible. My mid 80s grandmother had a blast and everything was flat, walkable and had elevator access. People working are dedicated and passionate about this museum. I've been recommending it to everyone!

I love the accessible trail here! It is a mostly shaded trail made up of compressed gravel or wood…read moredecking. A little over 1 mile long, the trail meanders through the forest past tall trees and a small brook. There are several benches and lookouts along the trail to sit and relax. Also, a few of the wooded trails connect to the accessible trail for those who want to extend their walk. The trail is open even when the Nature Center is not. Leashed dogs are welcome.

Wallace Barnes Nature Trail is a 1.1 mile, fully accessible trail behind the Barnes Nature Center…read more There were plenty of parking spots when I went. It is a level boardwalk with some crushed stones throughout; people can use wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, etc. It goes through the woods so there were plenty of shade. I love that it has benches and shelters, for a quick rest. Those shelters overlooked a stream and field. There are informational signs throughout giving facts about the area. This trail also connects to 5 other trails; those trails are: Elmer's Way 0.5 mile Blue Trail 0.7 mile Yellow Trail 0.2 mile White Trail 0.3 mile Purple Trail 1.2 mile My children and I thoroughly enjoyed this very easy walking trail. We are a fan of boardwalks so it was enjoyable and pleasant. There were a few others out enjoying the trail also. I look forward to going back and checking out the other trails as well as the nature center. The nature center was closed when I went (Tuesday) but opens Thursday through Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 12-4. I highly recommend it!

Surprisingly great little art museum / historical home. It's on the more expensive end of tours at…read more$18, but the previous owners were big art collectors: so you'll see Monet, Manet, Degas, Chippendale, and more. There's a great art range, and the tour guide was very informative to the Pope family and the daughter Theodate who did a lot of the architectural designing. The house has a lot of great things to look at (between the art and furniture in all the rooms) and at the visitor's center there is a small art exhibit. No photos in the house allowed though. There are trails on the property and a sunken garden. On a nice weather day, it's great for walking around the property. It was crowded when I went on a Saturday, and tours are on the hour, so don't show up at the last minute. Overall, a great site to visit!

Came here for a work catered event so cannot speak to the actual museum. Had no idea that this…read morehidden gem was nearby to where I work. The grounds are beautifully kept and well maintained. Great photo ops for all occasions. Plenty of parking available. The event inside space can easily be opened up to the outside to make the venue space bigger for larger groups. Great event space with plenty of privacy for intimate gatherings and parties.

This museum is adorable! I came because of a Groupon, and parking may be an issue for events. It…read morewas very limited on the property itself, although there is handicapped parking right next to the main house. Outside there is a barn and old outhouse, and a beautiful garden display. it's very well maintained. The entrance is off the front porch, where you're greeted by a docent or intern. Tours of the house are 20-30 minutes, and it contains so many original items from the original family who owned it (it went right from the last surviving to a museum), and the last generation was into collecting. There's a lot of local history, many dog decorations, and GOBLETS. There's over 1,000 goblets, and most seem to be single styles. They are working on cataloging them. The house is beautiful, and the history is fascinating. If you live in the area, you'll pick up pieces of Southington back in the day. Children would even enjoy seeing the cases of old products and what names they may recognize. And the goblets are breathtaking. This is a great value museum! (They also sell postcards for a great price)

This guy never…read more threw out anything The Barnes Museum, formerly known as the Bradley Homestead, is a cool old house that serves as a historical library and is open to the public. It was built in 1836 and for five bucks you get to see and hear about another time and way of life. The first thing you notice once you are inside the house is that there is a lot of stuff. Lots of lots of stuff. All kinds of stuff. Stuff everywhere. It turns out Bradley Barnes, a son of the original builder of the house never threw out anything. He collected and kept all kinds of stuff. Some very cool stuff but also a lot of crap. It seems every single receipt, letter, photo, magazine, toy, knick knack and doo dad he every owned he kept. Perhaps some serious OCD going on there. It almost seemed like he knew the house was going to be a museum and wanted it well stocked with stuff. Of course all this stuff makes the house interesting to tour. The lady bringing us around seemed to know exactly what every single piece in the house was and where it came from. Pretty cool and amazing. All the stuff isn't from Bradley or from one temporal moment. Leela Barnes, Bradley's wife was a prolific painter and many of her paintings are scattered throughout the domicile. She also had many collections and also seem to keep just about everything she ever owned. You can definitely see what the attraction between these two was The house was being lived in until the 1970's when it was donated to the town so there were modifications and changes to the original structure and items from different decades. Going through the place is almost like a walk through time. Shifting back and forth through different years ands individuals. Of course you inevitable go back to Bradley's stuff. A great old house that is in absolutely pristine condition. It's filled with lots of very cool and some not so cool stuff. So much stuff that you have to thread carefully in places so that you don't end up breaking some of the stuff. I have a feeling that Leela and Bradley were a couple of crazy sob's but because of them we have a great old historic house filled with lots of very interesting stuff.

An alcove on the second floor of the Carousel Museum, it has a few examples of Greek art (slowly…read morebeing displaced by the ever expanding collection of carousel animals). My first visit here had more items on display than my second. However, it's an interesting break from the horses.

A fun tiny glimpse into one man's collection of Greek artifacts. Done tastefully. Needs more donorsread more