Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library

Address:	1 Elizabeth St, Hartford, CT 06105, USA
Phone:	+1 860-236-5621
Site:	chs.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	Closed 12–5PM 12–5PM 12–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM Closed

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 12

Chad Christian

The big sign said museum and looked interesting so we stopped to explore further. The first red flag we encountered was being charged $8.00 per person in a “not for profit” organization. Their bio says “Our mission is to inspire and foster a life-long interest in history through exhibitions, programs, and Connecticut-related collections, because improving knowledge of the past enhances understanding of the present and the ability to meet the challenges of the future.” As we started walking around we quickly realized we had been swindled out of our money. We thought the Katharine Hepburn exhibit upstairs would be interesting but as we walked through the windowless dark lit rooms all we saw were her old trousers and clothes, no pretty wax figures, no life-size posters of any of her movies, nothing. Thank goodness Katharine is not around to see her life’s work so poorly represented. The other two or three exhibits you could fit on a single shelf. Out of all the museums I have visited in the United States it’s the worst so please learn a history lesson from me and be sure to pick one of the other “real” museums if you want to see something interesting. I really should give it 1 star but I feel bad doing that.

Bethany Connecticut

An unexpected treasure! Weve lived in the area for years and just went for the first time. I went with my five year old son, and expected it might be kind of dreary for him, but we both had a wonderful time. They have tons of clever hands on exhibits. These start at the entrance (where you can put a real acorn into jars to say whether youre a history nut, are a hard nut to crack, arent sure, or your family is full of nuts--the last is most popular) and include colonial toys and clothes you can try, and places to time yourself as an assembly line worker putting together wwii mess kits. Plus the other exhibits, from a British soldiers red coat to an astronauts model spacesuit made in Connecticut, were interesting and educational as well. This was one of the best, and, at $4 each, certainly the highest value, museum experiences weve had in the area.

Zakiyya Sewprashad

I went there will my class as a trip with my teacher the collection of fashion was amazing in 1800 it was mind blow to see what people would where and there style of there houses which was amazing I would to go again for a another a great experiment all over again I want to thank all the staff at the museum for there good job for show everyone what it was like back then so Thank You Very Much.

Darren Lowe

This is so worth the trip that we returned again this year. There is so much history here and there are such helpful people at this place that you should take the time to visit and do some research. Just remember, not open on Mondays! We signed up for a behind the scenes tour and were blown away!! You cant imagine the items of historic value that we saw! Thank you for making this possible!

Cyndi Leigh

This place is a gem! The exhibits are beautiful and filled with amazing items from Connecticuts history. I have never seen such a diverse collection in such a beautiful setting. We spent about 4 hours in the museum. We are going back to check out the library next time. It was easy to get to and theres loads of safe, free parking.

Courtney Pixler

There is very little of interest in the museum. Sparse collections with little curatorial effort. If you are a professional historian/geneologist be forewarned, they make you pay admission to research. I have been to archives all around the nation and never once been charged. Disappointing.

A Private User

Friendly staff is willing to help with everything. Awesome collection of tavern signs. Kid friendly. Plenty of parking. Theyve really started changing up the exhibits, too. Great place to trace your family history.

Chris Perry

Very cool history museum with exhibits for young and old alike. Friendly staff and lots of information. Tiny soap souvenirs shaped like gravestones.

JDRoyalty

This is for the fans of Mark Twain and those who are fans of haunted houses. Nice for a family trip or education experience. Ya Boy @JDRoyalty

IWillTravelForYou

Great layout with lots of history! You can easily spend a couple hours here and learn a lot!

Heather Bressette

Wow what a place!! Im at a loss for words! Nice place.definitely will go back

Michael Maniscalco

Went with the kids and had a great time. Alot you can learn here.