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.

Really interesting and fun tour of a beautiful historic house. Well worth the $26 per person senior…read moreprice.

Madison was the best tour guide! Very knowledgeable and answered all kinds of questions. Such a…read morebeautiful place to visit!

For free, you can visit this one-room museum and historical society and learn a lot about…read moreGlastonbury as well as Connecticut River Valley. They have an amazing array of artifacts, including outfits, arrow heads, and old maps. They also sell some of the only Glastonbury "swag" I've seen in town at a reasonable price. The people who work here are enthusiastic and super knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit!

It is an amazing experience! The train travels to a house on a hill. At Easter they have the Easter…read moreBunny where children of all ages get to meet him. At Christmas, Santa Clause is there to greet the train as it pulls in.

We had such a wonderful time at this farm!…read more Cavanna's Farm is a beautiful, rolling landscape nestled within rural Glastonbury (just minutes away from their upscale shopping and eating area). Located on the property is Gray Granite Railroad, a phenomenal museum experience that highlights rail travel in its antiquity. There are several restored rail cars and engines that transport you back in time as you enjoy the grounds. The owner hosts wonderfully planned holiday events for adults and children to enjoy. We had a blast at their Fall themed event, which included a ride on the train and pumpkin picking. The property also has a gorgeous stone dam that was built in the 19th century during the Civil War. This is a great attraction for engineers and other enthusiasts. Right now they're accepting cash, allowing BYOB for certain events, and maintaining precautions appropriate for outside gatherings. I highly recommend a trip to visit with the family!

The Fire Museum is a fire department museum and historical preservation society that opened in…read moreManchester, Connecticut in October 1983. It was founded by members of the Connecticut Firemen's Historical Society. The society was first formed by a select group of Connecticut firemen in 1970 and they were granted tax exemption status by 1979. When the society found out that the Town of Manchester was going to demolish a historic firehouse in the Cheney Brothers Historic District, they entered into negotiations to take over the building to house their collections. The firehouse had been built in 1901 and was occupied until it shut down in the mid-1960s. Today the museum contains a large collection of historic fire apparatus and various equipment. My family and I recently visited the Fire Museum in Manchester for the first time. I had previously passed by the museum when I was cycling and made note to come back with my family. We are all very interested in fire apparatus, especially historic engines. The museum is staffed by volunteers made up of retired and off-duty firefighters. There were some beautifully restored engines and ladder trucks. Many of them were also horse-drawn or hand-drawn. There were also several pieces of firefighting equipment, tools, and fire alarm systems. Most of the collection is originally from Connecticut too. Our two sons loved exploring the collections and the staff were very friendly. They even gave our sons a couple of souvenir fire helmets. The museum has a nice gift shop too and my wife and I bought some matchbox fire vehicles for our sons to play with. Overall, we had a nice visit to the Manchester Fire Museum and we highly recommend it to families that are interested in firefighting.

The Cheney Homestead is part of the Manchester Historical Society. I'm not from the area, but I had…read moreno idea Connecticut was once big in silk production, or that there was this family who got insanely wealthy to where the house is (was) surrounded by mansions owned by different sons and their branches of the family. The family matriarch stayed in the home though, as then did one artist son and two cousins into the 1970s. It was then donated to the historical society. The furnishings in the house are not original to the Cheney family, but are era appropriate so you get a good idea what the house would have looked like. The docents are knowledgeable and obviously invested in their subject - one was in era clothing on a hot, hot July day. The house is also pretty accessible for those with mobility issues - you can get to the second floor by walking outside, and chairs are available if needed. There is no AC and the gentle breeze through the windows cannot always be relied on. For visiting schedules, per their website, "The Homestead is open on the second Sunday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m., when the knowledgeable tenant conducts tours for visitors. The Historical Society conducts Open House at the Homestead on Heritage Day in June and again in early December, the school tours, a special October walk, and other events throughout the year."

Outstanding opening with live artillery (Brown's Company) and flint-lock firings. This was all I…read moreaddition to some great docent work within the museum itself!! Please do not miss this gem of history moments from Route 395!

A MOST excellent tour today, Filled with fun facts, entertaining banter and our family…read morehistory--This Family of America was born here-- where our government developed, was fought for and ever evolving from--straight up from the floor boards....I enjoyed walking where Washington walked, -wondering whose DNA might still be on me right now---I remain amazed !!! Thank you--Cam and Greg for saving this treasure trove of American History!