The Roseland Cottage is truly a beautiful historical gem in CT! I recently took a tour of the house…read moreand it was super interesting. Though the grounds are always open to visitors, guided tours of the house are only available June through mid-October, Thursday-Sunday from 11AM-3PM, every hour on the hour. Timed tickets can be purchased online in advance (and this is recommended). Adult admission is $20. Once I arrived, I was greeted by staff who were very friendly. The tour guide, MaryLou, took me through the house and explained the history of Henry Bowen (the original resident of the house) and his family. She was extremely knowledgeable and it was very interesting! The tour was supposed to last around an hour, but she went for about an hour and 15 minutes. After the tour you are free to roam the grounds and take photos, and there's also a small gift shop. Non-flash photography is allowed inside the house, but no video. Overall I found this to be a really beautiful historical spot in Woodstock, CT and would definitely recommend taking a tour!

My husband and I had our wedding here, the place was absolutely beautiful and that is the only…read morething that made the venue worth it. Laurie the women who handles Roseland cottage, on the other hand ended up being a bit difficult as our wedding got closer and closer. Sadly on the rehearsal day and wedding day she was rude and did things that we did not agree upon or said she wasn't going to do. She made herself seem understanding up until those days. She gave me sass remarks and honestly made the rehearsal day and wedding day more stressful. The only thing that made it worth it, like I said, was the beautiful venue. But Laurie in the end did make things feel way more stressful and difficult. Our catering was wonderful though, I could not have asked to better catering. They handled Laurie and everything else with class. Thank you renees Bistro.

This is another one of those places I've passed by probably a thousand times and never gave a…read moresecond thought to. But, on this nice holiday I finally stopped by. Tours end in October, which was nice as had the place to myself and could freely roam about. It's a nice place. Couple walking trails, nice waterfront view, and obviously the historical grounds. Would probably be nicer to visit in the summer, but then you have to deal with the crowds. Well worth a trip if for nothing else than the walking trails and the historical aspects.

Very educational. The guide was very knowledgeable. My child…read morehad a project and we were able to gather information

One of the best kept secrets in Central Massachusetts. Not the easiest place to find in Oxford but…read moreso worth the visit. The house isn't often visited we were told by the staff, so very likely you'll get a private tour. Very rich history, many, many, MANY items that belonged to Clara Barton or her family. Rooms set up to show the evolution of her history from child, to school teacher, to the angel of the battlefield during the Civil War, to activist, to her twilight years. What museum on earth would not only have Clara Barton's bell for when she was a school teacher, but will actually allow you to hold it and ring it? Seriously?!? This is how close you can get to 1800's history! The area it is located in is rural and beautiful, one of the nicest areas in Central Massachusetts. Suggest having breakfast at Carl's Diner and then visiting the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum to walk it off. You won't regret this amazing slice of history tucked away on the back roads.

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!

Lovely museum with a variety of exhibits…read more I was very excited to view the new armor collection they have on exhibit. It's a vast collection with full suits of armor down to the smallest embelishment, cerfemonial or functional. Pieces include European and Asian examples. The exhibit is included with admission and has timed entry so be sure to book ahead to get your desired time slot. A small kids area in the exhibit has art supplies and books in case the adults are taking too long. Directly across from the armor exhibit we viewed the "Peaceable Kingdom" exhibit. Artists around the world have submitted works of their interpretation based on the original painting. Some artist included information explaining their thoughts working on the project. Many of the pieces are very insightful. A recreation of an Italian palazzo courtyard showcases a roman mosiac floor. Gorgeous. Also on this level is a 12th century Charter House moved from France. The museum has adorned this space with period stained glass from England and mimic candle light with electric candelabra to set the scene. A small cafe near the moasic floor offers sandwiches, coffee, tea, water, sweets, soft drinks, soup and salad. The gift shop is by the entrance on this side of the building and offers a large variety of gift items including note cards, ornaments, books, games, kitchen items, hand bags and more. On the next level up in the palazzo are a series of galleries flowing into each other displaying European art from the 11th century to the early 20th. Behind this area you will find egyptian art and more. One exhibit included a kiosk with more information about items in that collection and a comfortable sofa and seating. At the time of this review, the third level is being renovated. The fourth level is modern art (Andy Warhol and Christos for ex.) and collection preservation labs. Fifth level seems to be an event space. Free lockers are available in the coat rooms near the ticketing desk. Class rooms are located near the Lance St. entrance. See their website for available classes. A free parking lot for museum patrons is available across Lance St. There is a cross walk with wheelchair ramps on/off the sidewalks here. An elevator is available to the left of this entrance if you cannot navigate steps. Interior elevators move between levels as do staircases. Restrooms are on a couple of levels and have diaper stations. A water fountain (bubbla) is near the elevator and restrooms. A few wheelchairs are available on a 'first come' basis. Discounted entry is available, see website for details. Most definitely recommend. I very much enjoyed our visit. Plan to possibly spend a few hours. You can easily spend hours looking at all that armor. You can also make a quick run through if you are short on time. On a side note, the Salisbury Mansion is located behind the museum and well worth a look if you have time.

The Worcester Art Museum is packed with memorable exhibits, and I had a great time exploring them…read morefor 2.5-3 hours. I was able to make it through the entire museum at a leisurely pace. The Asian art section, especially the Japanese prints exhibit "Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" was a standout. The Roman mosaics taken from a floor of a home were definitely memorable. They're incredibly well-preserved and shows stories about life, mythology, and religion. I was amazed by the amount of skill and detail it must've taken to puzzle it back together after transporting it across the world. The ancient Egyptian exhibit was super cool, packed with statues, sarcophagi, and other artifacts. They also have some restored European and American oil paintings that were truly stunning, some looked insanely realistic. I spent the most time admiring this exhibit. I wasn't a fan of the contemporary art but one can say that I lack whatever it takes to fully appreciate it. It's a small museum but worthy of a visit.

Samuel Slater Experience recently had a community day and my husband and I went to check it out…read more This was amazing! I can't believe what a beautiful job that they did with this. It was so professional and I was pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed it. I highly recommend visiting!

Fantastic exhibit explaining how Samuel Slater came from England and modernized the textile…read moreindustry. Very nice use of period props and modern video to tell the story in an inviting and interesting way. Worth the visit.

Longtime visitor, former volunteer. The good- OSV is an…read moreinvaluable historical resource and wealth of information, research, and a breeding ground of historical interpretation methods. If you go to any history or museum conference, you'll find staff and former staff there. They're some of the best in the game, and their staff are unbeatable experts in very niche subjects. Their focus on rural social history was revolutionary when it started and still is revolutionary today. A lot of museums will teach you about political history. Not a lot will teach you about domestic life in OSV's level of detail. For visitors, OSV is sort of a "you get what you want out of it" experience. Some visitors come wanting to talk to interpreters and learn, others want to walk through quickly. Those people don't learn as much. The not so good- management seems more interested in running money laundering charter schools than retaining or paying their excellent staff. I've seen historians who have been interviewed in books and documentaries leave for much less prestigious jobs because it's just not worth it for them to stay. The price- day admission price is really high. I wish more people know there lower cost options. Many regional libraries lend day passes.

I hadn't been to sturbridge village since I was a kid. First as a field trip in elementary school,…read moreand then my parents had a membership for a year (while still in elementary school). That was probably 1977 or so. We happened to go on seniors day, (2 for 1 entry) after the sting of being a senior wore off (hahaha) we went in and checked it out. It's a big place, as a child I thought it was VAST!! I think we spent 4 to 4.5 hours walking through the buildings and talking to the enactors. I've read biographies of the US presidents of the period so was able to have some very good conversations talking to folks about life, education, etc. during that time. I thought it was a great day. It would be nice to visit during the different seasons to see how they impact people's lives during the periods represented. I highly recommend a visit.

Absolutely fantastic museum, I wish I could have brought my grandpa with me, he would have loved…read morethis (he served on a mine planter in the Atlantic in WWII). I went on Memorial Day, and was surprised it wasn't busier. You can ride in a tank! And I'm sad I missed that for sure. I ran in an hour before they closed, or I'd have spent more time inside. Very moving exhibits throughout, it makes you think.

Really could (should?) be called war musuem. Here you will find a wealth of information and dozens…read moreof tanks and a handful of planes all wartime related. There's even a handful that are one of a kind and only displayed here. There's also a couple videos/presentations available to watch. So there's ample information in what is a relatively small space. There are staff milling around throught the musuem, so if you have questions you won't have to go far. I think during the summer they even offer rides in tanks for an added fee. The musuem takes about 1.5 hours to complete and you can save a couple bucks if you buy your ticket online, and its also good for any non-special event day, so you don't even have to use it that day. The driveway is also about 3/4 of a mile long, so its pretty far off the road. Overall it was as fun way to spend a couple hours inside on a raw rainy early spring day.

Follow the instructions to science and technology. Let's explore !…read more Our nations majestic bird greets you as you walk down a path from the parking lot . The parking is plentiful and free! As you walk this beautiful place it's divided between different animal paths and eco systems! You will learn visual and physical features from each habitat. Make sure and enjoy the experience that has been created to show how these creatures interact and exist in their surroundings . They maintain well funded environment by individuals that care for the animals. Thank you for this opportunity. If you're a local to the area the yearly pass would benefit greatly . Make sure and visit the gift shop for a souvenir. Until the next time.

The place was clean and the staff were welcoming. I enjoyed a few of the exhibits, though I…read morepersonally expected a little more to see indoors. Still a nice place for families and kids.

Located on the side of a huge hill, the Fruitlands museum offers a variety of different activities…read morefor its guests. There are hiking trails along with a museum. It is larger than you think it is and the hill is fairly steep for visitors. The exhibits are changed every so often. Plenty of parking for people and bathrooms for customer use.

A 210 acre museum which has several galleries and a Shaker Museum. It was a rainy day so we were…read morelooking for things to do which would keep us indoors. The art works was really good and we really enjoyed the Native American gallery which had plenty of Native American artifacts. It was a pleasant time, we enjoyed ourselves. It would have been nice to get out for a hike on their trails but the weather did not cooperate.