My mother is a lover of all things old Hollywood, so when I learned of this museum online, I knew I…read morehad to take our family as a Christmas present. We weren't sure what to expect from our experience, but we spent about an hour here and thought it was really cool! The owner is so nice and really takes the time to go through each and every piece of his exhibit with you. Learning about the connections he had with the actors and how he obtained the different props was so interesting. If you're looking for something different to do, I recommend stopping by for a tour!

The Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum is a classic movie monster museum that opened in Bristol,…read moreConnecticut in 1966. It was founded by local artist Cortlandt Hull. As a young boy, Hull was frequently ill and occupied much of his time by building Aurora monster plastic model kits. He soon became fascinated with movie makeup and how it could transform an actor into a fearsome creature. Hull was disappointed with the "Chamber of Horrors" at many wax museums, so he decided to open his own horror museum. He started building life-size monster figurines. The first one he built was "Zenobia, The Gypsy Witch". Hull's father Robert helped him build a Swiss chalet-style building to house the full-size monsters, and the museum officially opened in 1966 when Hull was just 13-years-old. As an adult, Hull worked in the film industry creating art prints as well as creating special effects make-ups. He made a lot of connections with various actors and make-up artists over the years. His museum continued to grow and the monster figures continued to improve. For several decades the small museum was located on Hull's home property and was only open during the Halloween season. In the 2010s, the museum relocated to the Bristol Historical Society. There was more room for the monster figures and Hull was also able to showcase many of the authentic movie props he had collected over the years. The museum moved to its current larger location in Plainville in time for Halloween 2020. It is now open year-round, not just for Halloween. I have visited the Witch's Dungeon several times over the years since I was just a young boy. I still remember that first visit very well because it made such an impression on me. I'm a huge fan of the classic movie monsters. I've enjoyed watching the museum grow and improve over the following decades. There's an impressive collection of various movie artifacts and props, but the real stars of the museum are the full size figures of classic monsters that appeared from the 1920s to the 1950s. Some of my favorites include the Frankenstein Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Count Orlok, the Fly, and the Werewolf of London. The latter was portrayed by Hull's great uncle: the late actor Henry Hull. If you're a fan of horror films then you must visit the Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum!

Great collection. Totally worth the trip to New Britain. A little known gem in Connecticutread more

Needed to visit an art museum for a final assignment requirement and came here by default, because…read morethe museum closer to my house was closed for summer maintenance. When I pulled up, I was happy to see how convenient their parking lot was. I was eligible for a student discount and paid $10 for my admission, my professor could have scored me a free pass, but coming here spontaneously left me no time to obtain one; it's considered charity, so I wasn't upset about it. I told McKayla at the front desk it was my first time visiting and she enthusiastically showed me everything I needed on a map. I like that the space wasn't overcrowded with people, because that would have triggered anxiety. I was surprised to see they had work by Andy Warhol, an artist I am familiar with. They had a wide selection of older and newer pieces of work. I ended up choosing to do my report on Lilly Martin Spencer's 'This little pig went to market' oil on cut arch board 1857. She was the breadwinner of her household which was rare at the time and portrayed women in a respectable way; that won me over. Overall, I am happy the universe brought me here and I got a 105%, extra credit for submitting early!

Excellent museum, worth your time. There are many carousel horses and figures. Arranged by…read moreproduction region some quite old and some fairly new. There is also a restoration area on view. There is a small section that is a Greek history museum. Additionally a firefighting museum with an impressive collection of equipment, many from local fire stations. All of the staff greeted us. They have a banquet room where they host parties and weddings. Lots for children to do. Also, there is a small gift shop. Across the street is an impressive mural featuring Martin Luther King.

So we are having our wedding here, the process was the most amazing process ever. Samantha is…read moreamazing. I asked for info via email, the next day she reached out and we set up a tour. My partner and I are looking forward to the actual event. The museum is also gorgeous and happy to see all of this history being looked after

What an amazing toy collection! Every American toy you can imagine. A giant hulk promotion…read moresculpture is a bit scary. Hundreds of lunch boxes in alphabetical order line the ceilings. Disney, board games, dolls, cracker jacks, You name it, they have it. Joe is a fountain of knowledge and very friendly. Admission is very inexpensive. There is a second floor that I skipped did to the stairs.

What a joy to visit. The art gallery, much larger than it looks from the street is packed full of…read morememories. Disney, Hannah Barbara, Harry Potter and much more amazing lithographs. A friendly and helpful staff along with fair prices round out this gallery. Next door is the toy and cartoon museum with over 100,000 items. Toys and items I never dreamed existed and others took me right back to my own childhood and that of my children. The museum also has a most helpful and knowledgeable guide or wander on your own, take pictures and most of all enjoy. I feel this review doesn't do justice to this experience. Do yourself a favor and go. Make sure you check times before you go.

This is a gem - interactive exhibition- children's break tables in almost every gallery- very…read morecontemporary exhibition- with both local and international artists Events are very important- from Victorian death jewelry- to art book clubs

Love this museum. Eclectic collection with a hyper local focus on artists and history. The…read morebutton collection is overwhelming but unique. I will be back.

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.

The American Clock & Watch Museum is a very cool, unique museum located in Bristol. Before visiting…read morethis museum, I thought to myself, "How much is there to really know about clocks and watches?" But boy was a I wrong! This museum opened back in 1954 and at that time was called the "Bristol Clock Museum." It was actually the first museum in America to be totally devoted to horology, or the study of time and timekeeping. At that time there were about 300 clocks on display. A few years later, the museum grew and its was changed to the American Clock & Watch Museum, and there are now over 1,500 clocks and watches on display including advertising clocks, punch clocks, grandfather clocks, blinking-eye clocks, railroad watches, and even Hickory Dickory Dock clocks! The museum was so much bigger than I expected it to be, with multiple rooms all filled with clocks and watches from various periods in history. One of the rooms was actually a recreation of a historical clock and watch store, which was really cool. They also have another room filled with dozens of grandfather clocks, which was so peaceful to just sit down and listen to the ticking of all the clocks. The museum is open Wed-Sun, 10AM-5PM and adult admission is only $12. The tours are self-guided, but staff members are available to answer any questions you may have. Make sure to check out this cool museum!

A great place to visit and learn the history of clocks and clock history! A bonus was we met Bruce…read morewho was there to wind some of the clocks, and he gave our group an impromptu history lesson on clock making. Go visit and support!!!

I did not come to tour the museum, but did get to see part of it as part of a hearth cooking class…read more The Stanley-Whitman is part original house arranged how it may have been with the original owners, and part new structure with a gift shop and modern restrooms. There is also an herb garden outside, and an apple tree grown based on the teachings of Benjamin Franklin. Apparently having fruit took more than a grocery store way back when. The house is very interesting to experience. Everything was smaller back then, and cooking was a task and a half. The employees/docents are obviously learned about their subjects, and you'll learn a lot. Definitely check out their special programs - parking may be a challenge (so carpool!) but if they're food related they'll be delicious.

Stopped in for a short tour during the day. The docent was very knowledgeable. It's a small place…read morebut tons of information. Great way to spend an hour.

We took the Leprechaun Express to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend from the station in Thomaston…read morewith a destination of Bad Dog Brewing in Torrington. Tasting two different Irish style ales on the train ride, we enjoyed a corned beef and cabbage meal at the brewery. On the way back to Thomaston, we were served fudge from the Nutmeg Fudge Co. The Naugatuck Railroad always provides a fun experience!

We rode on the 90-minute Fall Foliage trip out of Thomaston, the first time we've ridden on the…read moreNaugatuck Railroad in five years. Our experience was good, mostly. We paid extra to ride in the Governor's Coach which was comfortable enough but not as pleasant as the slightly less expensive Naugatuck Lounge Car. We had chair seating but no tables and small windows; the Naugatuck had large windows that opened, chairs with convenient tables and the same comfy chairs. A much better deal. Wish the museum folks had made that clearer. We got free snacks: chips and water. The views were nice but not spectacular; most of the fall colors had faded. We did stop for close to 30 minutes at Fascia Chocolates in Waterbury, which offers tasty if rather expensive chocolates for the large crowds that swarm in when the train stops. Overall we enjoyed ourselves, but we kept feeling just a tad annoyed by our rail coach decisions. We like these trains, and we support the museum, and we're happy to urge others to do the same. But be careful in your planning, like we apparently weren't.