Such a deep dive into the history of the making & development of the weapons that shaped the world…read moreof today by preserving the first Armory in America. Well done & maintained displays of different weapons from an early era. A great stop for weapon & history enthusiasts. The Ranger at information desk provided not just info about the Armory, but Springfield in general. We did not know about Dr. Seuss museum if not for him.

My first review somehow went under a different reviewer with same name…read more Trying again, a great NHS that covers the beginning of the weapons industry in Anerica. The displays cover eras and the conflicts during those times through the history of the weapons that were manufactured to be used by those involved. The displays are nicely done, informative and eye catching, especially the damaged weapons case (one was struck by lightning). The Rangers were helpful and willing to share thier knowledge of not just the Armory, but of the local events (fireworks) and the Dr. Seuss museum downtown. We are very appreciative.

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.

"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.

The museum for New Britain's industrial history in basically one large room on the second floor of…read moreCentral Connecticut State University's Institute of Technology and Business Development Training Center. (That building's name is way too long.) And there were a few elderly volunteers who gave us about an hour long talk on the history of industry in New Britain. I learned that more hardware has been produced and distributed from New Britain than any other city in the United States. So it's interesting that all the other places (e.g., Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Philadelphia) are more well-known that New Britain.

We had some time before we needed to catch a flight out of Hartford. My husband found this place…read moreand it happened to be open on Saturdays. It is on the first floor of a building that houses a college. You have to ring the bell on the outer door to be let in. Then it is down the first hall on the right. We walked in the room and it is filled all sort of displays. After a few minutes Karen came out of her office and asked if we wanted a tour. She gave us about a 45 minute tour of all the displays. She has so much information. She also answered all of our questions. The experience wouldn't have been the same without her tour. I am glad we got her time. There is no fee but a place to give a donation. Karen gave us her card to send her an email and pictures of things we may own that has been made in New Britain. If in the area, I would stop buy and learn how much New Britain has done for America. An enjoyable place to visit.

This museum is across the street from Springfield museum, it is the biggest and baddest among the 5…read moreof them. The museum highlights so much about Springfield and Massachusetts' history, achievements, technological and industrial contributions. First floor of the museum has lot of movies and TV series posters and frames that were based of from Springfield. There was a giant statue of Black Panther in honor of costume designer of the movie who's from Springfield. There's also giant section of Hasbro games, highlighting the themes of some of their most popular games. Fun area for kids. Then there are section for automotive innovations, industrial age, Rolls Royce cars and many of Springfield's great success stories. Second floor has a huge area dedicated to contributions in aviation, motorcycles (Indian and Harley Davidson), the civil war, Abraham Lincoln and John Brown's contribution to saving the Union. I learned so much about Springfield and MA just by exploring the museum. To me it was the best one, as also suggested by one of the museum employees. Don't miss this one if you are visiting Springfield Museums.

This Springfield History museum is part of the Springfield Museums complex and was our last stop of…read moreour 3 museum visit. It's small but enjoyable. My daughter would have lived in the Hasbro exhibit if I let her. Lots of antique cars and planes and the top floor gets into the Springfield related history of it all. Worth a visit while you're in the area. Also, I visited when we're still in COVID-19 pandemic and masks are optional at this museum but required at the museums with more kid attendees: Dr. Seuss and parts of the Science Museum

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

ORIGIN: After nearly two decades of fundraising, the vision…read moreof a local resident and nationally-known author, lawyer, and political activist, Ralph Nader, became realized with the opening of the American Museum of Tort Law in 2015. LOCATION: The museum is located in the stately former Winsted Savings Bank, which had been constructed in 1925. The museum is open 10-5 Monday through Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays (11-4). CONCEPT: The mission of the unique museum is to "educate, inform and inspire about two things: trial by jury; and the benefits of tort law" (@american.museum.of.tort.law, 2024). EXPERIENCE: The American Museum of Tort Law looks to educate and inspire citizens about "law of wrongful injuries, including motor vehicle crashes, defective products, medical malpractice, and environmental disasters" (website). The museum has several rooms with attractive and engaging displays to support this mission, including an installation of a Corvair -- the dangerously designed car that is the subject of one of the museum founder's popular books (Unsafe at Any Speed, 1965). Complementing displays is a small shop with a curated collection of books dedicated to the history of tort law. TIP: Consider coordinating a visit with a dinner at the well-regarded Lebanese restaurant just down the road -- Noujaims -- open 5-9 Thursday through Saturday. The museum's founder is of Lebanese decent, and even authored a family cookbook in 2020 (his family ran a restaurant in town), so it's a destination that will complement a museum visit.

I was recently looking up unique places in CT, and stumbled upon the American Museum of Tort Law in…read moreWinsted! Now I am not a lawyer, but I am interested in law, and so decided to check it out. The museum was founded by CT attorney and four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader (who was born in Winsted) and is located in the former Winsted Savings Bank building on Main St. It is actually the first and only law museum in the country, which I found pretty cool! Admission is $10 for adults, and there's free parking in lots on either side of the building. I went this past Saturday around 3PM, and was the only person in the place. You walk in the front door to a small gift shop, and there was a nice lady working behind the desk who was very friendly. The museum is not very big, but it really explains (in the most basic terms that non-lawyers will understand) what tort law is and its history, as well as the importance of jury trials. You will learn about precedent-setting civil cases, some of the most dangerous toys ever made, and famous cases like the McDonald's hot coffee case, Ford Pinto exploding gas tanks, lawsuits against the tobacco and asbestos companies, etc. There's a also a short video that you can sit and watch related to these same topics. Another room had interactive touch screens where you can explore other famous civil cases from around the country. The main centerpiece is a 1963 red Chevy Corvair, and an accompanying display of how Ralph Nader himself investigated safety issues with the vehicle. Overall, I found the museum very interesting, and learned a lot about tort and civil law! I was able to walk through the whole place in about an hour, and I stopped to read pretty much every display they had. Keep in mind that they do close for the winter, but their current hours are Tues-Sat 10AM-5PM, and Sun 11AM-4PM. Make sure to stop by!

5 stars i'm here right now amazing work the bear is funny and my grandpa has donated war beadsread more

Ethnography museum that provides insight to Polish cultural heritage. Their tours are great and…read morethey can customize the tour to your interests. Give yourself at least 1-2 hours.