To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
Connecticut's Old State House
800 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103
860-522-6766
https://www.cga.ct.gov/osh/
[Details/Reserve]
The Old State House at Hartford, a National Historic Landmark, was designed Charles Bullfinch and completed in 1796. Once the state capitol, then Hartford's city hall, the building now is host to numerous exhibits, programs, and a curiosity museum, providing hands-on activities for children and self-guided tours for visitors focused on democracy, citizenship, and history. Visitors have access to the courtroom where the famous Amistad trial took place, the Senate and House Chambers, and the “Curiosity Room,” which includes a two-headed calf. A museum shop is on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Family, Governance, History
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Free admission for up to 4 visitors. Not valid for special or after hour events.
Danbury Museum & Historical Society
43 Main Street, Danbury, CT 06810
203-743-5200
https://danburymuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Efforts to preserve the historical buildings and heritage of Danbury, Connecticut have been underway since the 1940s, and since 2008 have fallen under the purview of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. Comprised of several historical buildings in downtown Danbury and a main museum which covers over 300 years of town history, the museum sheds light on many of the town's famous citizens and historical sites. The site includes early buildings like the Rider House from around 1785 and the 1790 Dodd Hat Shop. The museum also features the Marian Anderson Studio, dedicated to the trailblazing Black contralto who made Danbury her home for 50 years, and the Charles Ives Birthplace, which sheds light on the early days of one of America's most important composers. Guided tours for visitors or researchers are available but kept small, so advance registration online is requested. Check the website for hours and special events. There are also gardens open year-round on the museum's campus. The first floor of the Rider House and the Marian Anderson Studio, as well as some of the archives, are wheelchair accessible.
Categories: Art, Family, Governance, History
Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Admission granted with Danbury Library card. See website for hours and schedules.
Danbury Railway Museum
120 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810
203-778-8337
https://www.danburyrail.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Danbury Railway Museum, dedicated to the history of railroading in the northeast United States is home to a fully restored 1903 train station and an extensive rail yard. On display in Union Station are railroad lanterns, china and silverware, timetables, tools, historic photographs, uniforms, telegrams, and model trains. The 15-track, 10-acre historic yard is home to over 75 pieces of railroad rolling stock and locomotives. (For a full list, visit the website.) Every weekend between April and December, rides are offered aboard some of the historic trains which provide a tour of the railyard, including a pumphouse moved from the Danbury Fairgrounds. Both the railroad station and railyard are wheelchair accessible, but, due to their age, the trains are not.
Categories: Children, Family, History, Technology, Recreation
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Free general admission for up to 6 people. Additional charges apply for train rides and special events.
Mattatuck Museum
144 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT 06702
203-753-0381
https://www.mattmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
What began as a historical society in 1877 has since become an art and regional history museum. The museum collects and exhibits American art and cultural history, with a focus on the history of the Naugatuck Valley and the artists of Connecticut. In addition to exhibitions focused on history, the museum presents more than 12 changing exhibitions every year which feature the work of contemporary artists and significant artists of the past. Included in the museum's holdings are works by Frederick Church, Yves Tanguy, Anni and Josef Albers, Alexander Calder, William Glackens, Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, Kiki Smith, and Doug and Mike Starn. The museum is also home to a button gallery, displaying 10,000 miniature works of art collected from around the globe and donated to the Museum in 1999 by the Waterbury Companies. Free parking is available. There is a museum shop on the premises.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Free admission for 2 adults and their children.
New Britain Museum of American Art
56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT 06052
860-229-0257
https://www.nbmaa.org/
[Details/Reserve]
True to its name, the museum is dedicated to American Art, which it delivers through a permanent collection and special exhibitions. Its holdings include works by John Singleton Copley, Thomas Cole, Gilbert Stuart, Frederick Church, Albert Bierstadt, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, and others. Somewhat more contemporary artists in the collection include N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, Rockwell Kent, Georgia O'Keefe, Sol LeWitt, Thomas Hart Benton, Chuck Closer, Eva Hesse, and Dan Flavin. The Museum is handicapped accessible. There is a gift shop and café (with limited hours) on the premises.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Free regular price admission for 4 people. Excludes special programs/exhibits.
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT 06903
203-977-6521
https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Begun in the 1930s as a small collection focusing on natural history and sciences, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center has evolved into an important cultural destination. The grounds cover over 80 acres of trails, farms, and galleries, anchored by a neo-Tudor style mansion built by department store owner Henri Bendel. The mansion houses the art galleries, which are home to rotating traveling exhibits and selections from the museum's permanent collection. In addition, visitors can visit Heckscher Farm, a working farm, with opportunities to interact with animals. The Overbrook Nature Center is your gateway to the trails, as well as education about the outside world. There is also an otter pond on the premises, with daily feedings that are open to the public. Visit the museum's website for more information about special events, hours, and available trails. Some of the buildings are ADA compliant, and there is the Wheels in the Woods Universally Accessible Trail. Concessions and gifts are available at the nature center's Overbrook Gift Shop.
Categories: Architecture, Children, Family, History, Nature, Science
Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
Free admission for 1 family, 2 adults and children of the house. 50% discount on admission to all Family Festival Days. Planetarium show tickets are available at the Member discount rate of $8 on the day of the visit. They can be purchased at the Lunar Lobby inside the Astronomy Building by presenting the library pass/plastic card to the visitor services rep at the desk.