Located on Main Street in the Willimantic Arts and Eats District, the Windham Textile and History…read moreMuseum is a hub of activity, culture, and has a rich and diverse history that is an important part of the town of Willimantic, CT. The gift store features original art of all kinds from area artists and beyond. You can find unique gifts including those that focus on the frog culture of our city. You'll see lots of frogs in town including four 2-ton ones on top of spools of thread at the Thread City Crossing Bridge nearby. You can tour the museum, the factory next door, and even see the library where people who worked at the museum were tutored in English and life skills. You can come with children, too, as the museum is very doable in a couple of hours or more should you wish to stay longer. In nicer weather, you can have a picnic across the street at the part and even take a walk on the Garden on the Bridge which is very nearby. There is a Farmer's Market nearby during the May through October growing season as well as other fine eateries that reflect the uniqueness of the Town of Willimantic. Exhibits at the museum are ever-changing. A dedicated troop of volunteers keep the place up and running. Look to the museum for cultural events, interesting exhibits, and memorabilia from days and cultures through the years.

Also known as 'The Mill Museum'…read more www.millmuseum.org This museum is a gem. Excellent! Connecticut is so fortunate to have a museum such as this one still in existence. For those who wonder "how did we get here" in terms of our technological age and current lifestyle, or how the industrial revolution affected thread and textiles in CT, this museum is a must see...excellent. The only other museum that I am aware of in this category is the Genius Museum in Montville, CT. It is so illuminating and interesting to see the extent and development of industry (mills) in CT and to see how something as simple, yet as important, as thread and textiles were such an intrinsic part of our economic development of our state and lives in general. Not only is the process of making thread a fascinating story, the evolution of the repetitive manufacturing process is extremely educational. Willamantic is known as "The Thread City" as it was a dominant player in that industry, and had many innovations in processing cotton into thread as well as such things as being the first business to illuminate its factory with Edison incandescent light bulbs. It is easy to dismiss such inventions without understanding the overall impact on business and society...as electrification and the light bulb changed factory architecture, the ability to utilize multiple work shifts, etc. There are so many dimensions on which to appreciate the museum including learning of the lifestyles of the times and the hardships people endured. This museum should be on every public schools agenda for student trips.

Sometimes you end up at a little historical site in a small town, and it's just nice to see a…read moretown's history and people who care about their community. I didn't plan to come here, but I really appreciated their town historical display for the last 150 years through high school photos. An employee walked us through the display, and I just love the passion. And Gene Pitney went to high school here! I love Gene Pitney. I can't say come out of your way to come see the town's history, but certainly if you live in the area, it's charming and quaint. There is a memorial bell out front that they have on their souvenirs, which I got.

That institution is one of my favorite places to visit in town…read more What I like about the historical society is that it is home of events like annual book sale and craft fair. The book sale is held every spring (usually held from late April to early May). The craft fair is always held during Thanksgiving weekend. On the other hand, you'll find historic books and pamphlets, newspapers, maps and many more covering the good ol' Rockville (as once called the Loom City because manufacturing was popular in Rockville back in the 19th / 20th century) and the entire town of Vernon. Nice staff running this place to make sure that everything valuable about local history is preserved for future generations. Expansion occured 10+ years ago to add wheelchair-accessible entrance. Overall, what a fantastic place worth visiting to find interesting stuff about Vernon-Rockville's past.

The oldest structure in Hartford has no reviews? That's a shame because it's a great historical…read moregem. Although open seasonally, the tours are very thorough. There is an exhibit on old Hartford. The house stayed in the Butler-McCook family for many generations, so most of the items were preserved, and it's great to see old Hartford next to new, modern buildings. Plus there is a great history where a car rammed through the front about 20 years ago. Luckily restorers were able to put together the couch, so the preservation is just as important to the story as the restoration. The guides were able to explain a lot about the art and furniture in the house, and they had a big binder to fill in information as needed. They were thorough discussing the family history. Most of the rooms were displayed accurately as they were designed over 100 years older. It was cool to learn about life in earlier Hartford. No gift shop, but there is a nice little garden in the back, a small parking lot in the back, and plenty of street parking. It's a nice 1-2 hour afternoon by some passionate guides who love history.

A small but very nice museum in the heart of Simsbury. Built in 1771, five generations of the…read morePhelps family lived here before donating the property to the Simsbury Historical Society. The museum looks at the various Phelps generations and major personalities, and has quite a few exhibits highlighting the property's years as a tavern from 1786 to 1849. One of the very cool exhibits included a blackboard describing the food served at the taven back in the day. On the breakfast menu were broiled shad and smelts with pickled watermelon rind and horseradish vinegar. The lunch menu included turtle soup and a choice of rice, maize, or buckwheat puddings. Dinner items included hash, meat patties and stuffed eel. Bon appetit!

"Well, we all say that we'll quit someday When our ship…read morecomes in, we'll just sail away But we're just blowin' smoke" (Kacey Musgraves) When you think of Connecticut, I bet Mystic Pizza, Yale University, and the Stepford Wives may cross your mind before tobacco does. But cigar tobacco has been a big player in Connecticut's economy since colonial times. Not the kind of tobacco you find inside the cigars, but the kind of tobacco you find as a wrapper on the outside of cigars. You can learn about Connecticut's history of cigar-tobacco agriculture by visiting this free museum. It's housed in two separate buildings smack in the center of Northwest Park in Windsor, CT. You'll see scores of exhibits in an old tobacco curing barn (mostly tobacco farming equipment). The second building is newer with photographs, and wall panels describing the history and harvesting of the crop. The crown jewel of this building is an enormous display case filled with hundreds of very cool cigar boxes. One of the volunteers from the Connecticut Valley Tobacco Historical Society walked us from one building to the next and pretty much acted as a personal and very personable tour guide. If you're in the area, and think you can find a better off-beat museum that's both interesting, and free, you're just blowin' smoke.

The worker I met was pretty cool. The museum is a nice place to visit for some local history. Just…read morebe sure to come when they are open, as the museum has different hours/days of operation than the park that it is in has.

I am a little surprised this place has so few reviews, as I was looking forward to coming and even…read morebought tickets in advance. It is down a long quiet street on some farmland, but it's worth seeing this house for this Revolutionary War spy. So yeah, it was empty, and we got a private tour, which was great as our tour guide Rachel was very knowledgeable. Technically the Hale house was completed after his death, but it still has some of Nathan's belongings and some good history about the war and his family. He may have only had one life to give his country, but he left his mark on American history, and it's a well-preserved house that's worth visiting.

There is a lot to see and the people there are very nice and I learned a lot while I was there.read more

Well, this is a small museum and not something on the scale as the one on Harrisburg or Appomattox,…read morebut it's a great display of the local community's history. There are a lot of artifacts from GAR of the Northeast. It's very thorough in its exhibit, but it is free and should take about an hour. They also had reenactor, so you feel the passion for preserving history. He was constantly surrounded by some older ladies, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I appreciate the spirit. There is also a small gift shop, and the employees were very friendly and helpful.

This historic house is a good example of New England Colonial. It has a staircase that is narrow,…read moreand having short balusters.