Get in Free on Museum Day September 21

 Everyone likes a freebie and this fall courtesy of the Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day and a collection of Western Connecticut Museums in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County, visitors, no matter where they are from will get in free with a ticket from the Smithsonian Museum Day celebrates our boundless curiosity and our wonderful museums across the country, many of them in Connecticut. On September 21, Museum Day participating museums allow visitors with a special Smithsonian Pass in for FREE! The Museum Day pass is easy to get online and provides free admission for two people on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. To get your ticket click here https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/search/?q=

Participating Museums 

American Clock & Watch Museum

100 Maple Street, Bristol, CT 06010

860-583-6070

10 am - 5 pm

Get a ticket click here

Step back in time with a visit to the American Clock & Watch Museum in the world-renowned clockmaking city of Bristol, Connecticut. The Museum houses one of the largest collections of American clocks and watches in the world with approximately 6,000 timepieces in its collection. As visitors travel through the museum’s eight galleries, many timekeeping devices chime and strike upon the hour.  Located in the historic "Federal Hill" district of Bristol, the museum is housed in an 1801 Federal-style home with a sundial garden that is beautifully maintained by the members of the Bristol Garden Club.

Danbury Museum and Historical Society
43 Main Street, Danbury, CT 06819
203-743-5200.
10 am - 3 pm. 
Get a ticket click here 
Enjoy a free tour of our historic buildings during Smithsonian Museum Day Live! from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M  Visit the John & Mary Rider House (c.1785), the John Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), The Marian Anderson Studio and The Little Red Schoolhouse. The Danbury Museum and Historical Society Authority acquires, preserves, exhibits, interprets Danbury's past. Situated in downtown Danbury, the museum preserves the John and Mary Rider House (c. 1785), the Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), the Marian Anderson Studio, the Old Kingstreet Schoolhouse, the Little Red Schoolhouse, and the Charles Ives Birthplace. Huntington Hall, a modern exhibit building, contains the museum offices and a research library.

Danbury Railroad Museum
120 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
203-778-8337
Get a ticket click here
The Danbury Railroad Museum located in the historic station and rail yard in downtown Danbury, Connecticut, offers railroad history, tours, train rides, a collection of original and restored rolling stock, and opportunities for hands-on railroad work at "12 inches to the foot" scale.

EverWonder Children's Museum
31 Pecks Lane, Newtown, CT 06470
11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 
203-364-4009
Get a ticket click here.
Explore the beauty and wonder of science through hands-on experimentation.  Many of EverWonder's permanent exhibits were developed by the Sciencenter of Ithaca, New York, and the Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester, New York, with funding from the National Science Foundation.

Fairfield University Art Museum
1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT. 06824
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Get your ticket here
The Fairfield University Art Museum (FUAM) is a dynamic space for engagement with the visual arts on the campus of Fairfield University. In its Bellarmine Hall Galleries, FUAM presents its small but choice permanent collection of European and American paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs, as well as Asian, African and Pre-Columbian objects. Objects on long-term loan include antiquities and medieval pieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Penn Museum, the Worcester Art Museum, and the American Numismatic Society; Asian art on loan from the Columbia University Collection; and European paintings and objects borrowed from private collections. FUAM presents special exhibitions showcasing works of art in all media from a broad swathe of time periods and world cultures, ancient to contemporary, in both the Bellarmine Hall Galleries and the Walsh Gallery in the Quick Center for the Arts.

Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center 

One Pleasant Street, Bristol, 06010

Fall Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9:30am-5pm
Get a ticket click here

Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center is a hands-on, interactive children's museum designed for ages 2 to 8, and an innovative NAEYC accredited, Reggio-Emilia inspired Preschool Program. On a daily basis, 126 children attend our preschool, while children and families from across Connecticut and beyond visit to explore three levels that feature 12 interactive Museum Studios with a weekly schedule of STEAM-based initiatives and educational workshops. 

The Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden

49 Hollow Road

Woodbury, CT 06798
1 pm - 4 pm
Get a ticket click here 

Hours for September 21st: 12-4 pm

Glebe House will be open with free tours of the main floor of the museum. Costumed docents will be on hand to answer questions. The Glebe House is one of the earliest historic house museums in the nation.  Its architecture, outstanding regional furniture collection, and Gertrude Jekyll Garden combine to create one of the most authentic house museums in the region. Through tours, educational programs, and special events, The Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden continues to give visitors a sense of what life was like in the 18th century.

Institute for American Indian Studies

38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT 06793

860-868-0518

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

To get your ticket click here

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs.  We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village and Wigwam Escape and a Museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

Kids Play Children's Museum

61 Main St., Torrington, CT 06790

860-618-7700

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Click for tickets here

KidsPlay Museum is a place where children learn through hands-on and multi-sensory activities and is geared toward children ages one to ten.  We offer exciting programs in areas including science, arts, and literacy with the goal to spark curiosity and encourage learning.

Litchfield Historical Society

7 South Street, Litchfield, CT 06759

860-567-4501

11am – 5 pm

For tickets click here https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day-2019/litchfield-historical-society/tickets/

The Litchfield History Museum exhibits the evolution of the town of Litchfield, CT from its settlement in 1719 to today. Through changing exhibits, artifacts and archives, as well as hands-on areas, visitors can explore the diverse history of the town. Litchfield was a bustling commercial, political, and educational center and is a case study for the evolution of New England towns following the Revolutionary War. The town’s history includes that of the center village, Bantam, East Litchfield, Milton, Northfield, and pre-1850s Morris.

Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum

295 West Ave., Norwalk, CT 06850

203-838-9799

12 noon to 4 p.m.

Click to get your ticket here

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as the earliest and most significant second Empire Style country houses in the United States. Built during the Civil War era as a summer residence for renowned financier LeGrand Lockwood and his wife Ann Louisa, the Mansion, with its unparalleled architecture and interiors, illustrates magnificently the splendor of the Victorian Era. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is both a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

New Canaan Museum and Historical Society

13 Oenoke Ridge Rd., New Canaan, CT 06840

203-966-1776

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For tickets click here

The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society has 5 museums on its campus at 13 Oenoke Ridge: The Cody Pharmacy, an early drug store; the Rogers Studio, the former studio of the sculptor John Rogers, which is a National Landmark; the 1764 Hanford-Silliman House, which includes a period Tavern; the 1799 Rock School; and the Tool Museum of building and agricultural tools. On exhibit is Shoes, an exhibition of more than 200 pairs of shoes from 1750-1930, all curated from the Society's permanent collection, along with information on the shoe industry in New Canaan. There is also a permanent exhibition of the paintings of New Canaan resident Augusta Simon.

The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art

258 Main St., Ridgefield, CT 06877

203-438-4519

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Click to get your tickets here  

Photo: Jason Mandella.

Founded by Larry Aldrich in 1964, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is dedicated to fostering the work of innovative artists whose interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. The Aldrich is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art, and engages its diverse audiences with thought-provoking, interdisciplinary exhibitions, and programs.

The New England Carousel Museum
95 Riverside Ave., Bristol, CT 06010
860-585-5411
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Click to get your tickets here
This amazing one of a kind museum collection includes carousel ephemera plus vintage firefighting gear, Greek art & indoor working carousel. The New England Carousel Museum is dedicated to the acquisition, restoration, and preservation of operating carousels and carousel memorabilia and the creation of new carousel material, for the education and pleasure of the general public.

This is an excellent way to explore the cultural heritage and history of Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County this fall courtesy of the participating museums and institutions and the Smithsonian. 

Go on a Treasure Hunt on Sept. 15 @ Lockwood Mathews Mansion

On Sunday, September 15, 2019, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will hold its 12^th annual Old-fashioned Flea Market.  The event will offer flea market enthusiasts some of the best deals in Connecticut and an opportunity to hunt, bargain, and buy at more than 70 booths selling antiques, repurposed furniture, collectibles, jewelry, crafts, household items, clothing, toys, and specialty farm-to-table items. The Mansion will manage a White Elephant table, highlighting items generously donated by supporters and offered to the public for as little as $1.

Trendy food trucks will include Cousins Maine Lobster, recently featured on Shark Tank; The Chamo, serving outstanding Venezuelan beach cuisine; and Lucky Dog Food Truck featuring specialty hot dogs, while a classic and antique car show featuring the Connecticut Seaport Car Club will entertain shoppers of all ages.

The event will be chaired by LMMM Volunteer and antiques dealer Steve Balser who has been a Flea Market vendor for the past 20 years. Mr. Balzer said, "The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum annual Flea Market continues to attract visitors from all over Connecticut and beyond.  A wide variety of dealers from New England and New York display their antiques, crafts, special edibles and other treasures.  Everyone is bound to find something that makes their day!" The Museum will be open for $5 mini-tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Museum Shop will be open for business and feature new merchandise and a broad selection of gift ideas including fabric totes, monogrammed dishtowels, designer jewelry, elegant scarves, books, and other museum-centered accessories.

All proceeds will benefit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. The Museum has donated several booths to area nonprofits who will share their message and mission with attendees.

Vendor spaces are 10x16 ft. and cost $75 per space. Food vendor booths are $150. Deadline is September 1. Vendors wishing to reserve a space or purchase an ad in the program booklet distributed to all visitors should email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call 203-838-9799 ext. 4. 

The Museum’s 2019 Season is made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown and the Museum’s Distinguished Benefactors: City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark.  For more information on schedules and programs please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Evening Tour of Palace Theatre Waterbury - Sept. 18

The Palace Theater in Waterbury held its first-ever evening tour in July and as a result of the enthusiastic response (more than 115 people attended) is offering another opportunity to tour the theatre on Wednesday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m. 

The ninety-minute tour includes exploring areas of the venue not seen by the public and detailed information about the history and architecture provided by well-versed tour guides. Admission to the tour is $5.00 per person and can be purchased online at www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St. in Waterbury.  Anyone with mobility challenges is asked to reserve their tickets in advance so that the tour guides can make accommodations in advance to ensure a pleasurable experience for all.  Groups of ten or more are also asked to contact the Box Office in advance to register their group. 

During the tour, attendees are led through nine decades of the theater’s entertaining history including facts and some lore, while viewing and learning about the stunning architecture and backstage magic related to the Palace story. In addition to exploring the public spaces, tour takers will have the opportunity to visit hidden areas that are off-limits to patrons attending shows or events, such as the green room, wig room, and star dressing rooms.  

Guests on this tour can even stop to take a selfie at the stage door. Tour takers will also be able to experience the thrill of walking across the stage and viewing the venue’s hidden backstage murals featuring show motifs painted and signed by past performers and Broadway touring company cast members. Guests will also browse a collection of the theater’s pre-restoration photos, in addition to viewing elements from the Palace’s Tenth Anniversary History Exhibit, which include a visual timeline of historic milestones dating back to 1922, as well as original theater seats from the 1920s.

The walking tour covers five floors of history and architecture, including grand staircases from the 1920s. Elevator access is available for guests with challenges walking or climbing stairs or other health concerns.

 For general information about the venue visit www.palacetheaterct.org. 

For the Love of Oysters @ the Norwalk Oyster Festival Sept. 6,7,8

The event is held at Veteran’s Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Admission for adults is $10 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Senior tickets are $10 all days. Children 5-12 year’s old are $5. Children under 5 and U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.seaport.org.

The Eastern Oyster was designated as the state shellfish in 1989.  It is a bivalve mollusk that grows naturally in Connecticut’s tidal rivers and coastal bays and is cultivated in seeded beds in Long Island Sound by oyster farmers. Norwalk has had a long history with oysters so it is no surprise the members of the Norwalk Seaport Association has organized an annual festival to fete this delicious shellfish.  September 6,7, and 8 marks the 42nd annual Norwalk Oyster Festival that is held in Veterans Park on Seaview Ave. in Norwalk.

The Norwalk Oyster Festival is the perfect place to slurp fresh Norwalk oysters. Norwalk's oysters are known for their freshness, sweet briny flavor, and buttery plump meats. If you are new to oyster slurping you might want to start small.  Although there is no incorrect way to slurp an oyster, we recommend that you slurp the meat with its "liquor" and give it two or three good chews.  Salt and brine hit first and is followed by a sweet buttery flavor that tastes of the sea.  Oysters come with a variety of accouterments such as lemon, cocktail sauce or red wine vinegar, it's up to you how you want to garnish your oyster.

The Norwalk Oyster Festival offers a wide array of attractions the whole family will enjoy, including continuous entertainment by local musicians and national acts such as Brian Howe, former lead singer for Bad Company and Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot, a vast array of food at the International Food Court, a $25 unlimited ride wristband on Sat. & Sun.,  100 plus art and craft vendors, and several special entertainment venues that round out three days of fun. Best of all, entertainment is included in the cost of admission.

Tickets, Parking & Metro-North
The event is held at Veteran’s Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Admission for adults is $10 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Senior tickets are $10 all days. Children 5-12 year’s old are $5. Children under 5 and U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.seaport.org.

Festival Hours: Friday, Sept. 6, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, September 7 from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., and Sunday, September 8 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For those that want to take the train, Metro-North is offering a discount package with free shuttle service from the train station to the Oyster Festival.
Free parking and shuttle service available from Calf Pasture Beach and Norwalk City Hall. Ample parking right over the bridge in the Maritime Parking Garage and other lots.

About the Norwalk Seaport Association
The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk’s maritime environment and heritage.  The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival.  In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse and its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. For more information, visit www.seaport.org. or call (203) 838-9444.

Oyster History

Oysters were an important source of food for Native Americans and became a staple in the diet of early European settlers who learned how to harvest them from Long Island Sound.  By the 18th century, many natural oyster beds were depleted so laws were enacted relating to the designation of individually parceled oyster grounds.

The 1800s is when oystering boomed in Norwalk and by the mid.-19th century, Connecticut led oyster seed production north of New Jersey. By 1911 Connecticut's oyster production peaked at nearly 25 million pounds of oyster meat, that was much higher than nearby states of New York, Mass. and Rhode Island. Demand for Norwalk oysters increased and with the expansion of the railroad's new markets were opened up.  Norwalk was the largest producer of oysters in Connecticut and had the biggest fleet of oyster boats with steam power in the world, and Norwalk became known as "Oyster Town".

Economic depressions, coastal human population, industrialization, and marine traffic lead to a decline in oyster production.  In 1997 and 1998 80% of the state's oysters were destroyed because of a spike in the water temperatures that resulted in a naturally occurring parasite.

Today, marine biologists have teamed up with local oystermen to develop hardier parasite resistant oysters and ways to improve water quality in order to create a sustainable breeding and farming environment for oysters.  Because of the success of these programs, there is a resurgence in renewed oyster growing operations like Copps Island Oysters based in Norwalk.

Behind the Scenes @ Institute for American Indian Studies Sept. 7

Each September the Institute for American Indian Studies hosts a clambake, this years is on Sept. 7th. A new highlight of this year’s clambake is a very special behind the scenes tour at the museum. On this exclusive occasion, guests will join collection staff members for a memorable visit into the depths of the Institute’s vault for an intimate view and discussion of some of the rarely seen objects in the museum’s extensive collection. This special experience gives participants a sneak peek not only at lesser-seen objects but also an idea of how these objects are carefully stored and cataloged. Visitors will enter the world of archeology and learn how objects tell the story of different indigenous cultures and how they lived. 

Another highlight of this special tour is the chance to meet the members of the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers that will be performing at the clambake. This is a special opportunity to discuss the importance of dancing, regalia, and music to indigenous peoples with members of this highly esteemed dance troupe. The Thunderbirds were founded in 1963 to keep alive the traditions, songs, and dances that would have otherwise been lost. This one of a kind backstory tour experience is an additional $50 per person. The proceeds from this one of a kind tour will go toward the reconstruction of the Algonkian Village at the museum.

This year, the Institute for American Indian Studies clambake will be held on September 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the River Walk Pavilion, on 11a School Street in Washington Depot, Connecticut. 

A highlight of this clambake is a performance by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York formed in 1963.  The Thunderbirds have toured across the United States, and in Japan, Canada, and Israel bringing a greater understanding of American Indian people through dance.

The cost of this traditional clambake is $50 per person; please call the museum, 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org by September 6 to reserve your spot.  On line click here​.

This annual event is held every September to honor the Founders of the Institute for American Indian Studies and to celebrate Connecticut’s indigenous people and the bounty harvested from Connecticut’s waterways.

The Wonders of Bird Migration @ Flanders Nature Center

Have you ever wondered about the best way to observe autumn bird migration?  Wonder no more because on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. Flanders Nature Center located in Woodbury, Connecticut is hosting a fascinating program on the wonders of bird migration with Fran Zygmont.

This program will uncover the ancient myths of bird migration and explain the newest technologies used today to track bird migration.  Examples of how the latest research helps us understand the whys and how’s of migration as well as the threats and challenges birds encounter during migration will be discussed.

A highlight of the program are the tips that will be shared with participants that will enhance their own journeys of enjoying, observing and tracking birds this fall in Connecticut. 

                                           About Flanders

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust acquires, preserves and manages land; and uses the land to promote understanding and appreciation of nature, art and the environment. Founded by artist, farmer and environmentalist Natalie Van Vleck, Flanders provides a variety of environmental education programs year-round, designed to bring a deeper understanding of art, nature and farming to children, youth and adults in the Woodbury region and throughout Connecticut