Celebrate Connecticut Open House Day in New Haven County 2024

Free Tasting of Non Alcoholic Cocktails!!   Visitors will also receive a 10% coupon to use for in store purchases on 6/8!

The Madison Historical Society invites everyone to visit its Allis-Bushnell House Museum, at 853 Boston Post Road, on Saturday, June 8, from 11 am to 3 pm, as part of Connecticut Open House Day, an annual event held on the second Saturday of June. This statewide effort offers free admission on this special day, inspiring Connecticut residents to learn about the many museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions within easy reach of home.

The MHS will celebrate with the opening of its exhibit on MadisonΓÇÖs role in shipbuilding and shipping from 1740 to 1891. The exhibit, entitled ΓÇ£Wharves, Workers, and the Age of Sail,ΓÇ¥ is in the annex of the Allis-Bushnell House Museum. In addition to touring the exhibit, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the exhibits on the first floor of  the Allis-Bushnell House. Docent-led and self-guided tours are offered, or visitors may enjoy the homeΓÇÖs historic ambiance and discover its many artifacts at their leisure. Light refreshments will be served.  

No advance registration is required, and admission is free. For more information, visit madisonhistory.org or call 203-245-4567
 

From Vintage 1930s Mickey Mouse Toothpaste to a 1:1 Scale Replica of the Hulk, every toy youΓÇÖve ever played with (or dreamed of) is displayed amongst the 80,000+ antique toys and collectibles within the Barker Character, Comic, and Cartoon Museum. Official Museum for Celebriducks, California Raisins, and Gumby!  Free admission available on CTVISIT Open House Day!

Open house at the Darling Farmstead and History Museum. The volunteers of the Amity and Woodbridge Historical Society will be giving free tours of the property and grounds of this beautiful historic house museum. 1907 Litchfield Turnpike, Woodbridge CT. 2 to 4 PM

Fascia's Chocolates will have reduced price Make-Your-Own Chocolate Bars, Free Mini Chocolate Experiences (Tour), vendors and food trucks on site and raffles.  We will once again partner with the Naugatuck Railroad with trains scheduled so that participants can take a round trip train ride to their Thomaston Station.

Havenly is a nonprofit cafe in downtown New Haven building community power for refugee and immigrant women through our job training and educational programs. Our cafe serves middle eastern dishes and drinks inspired by the migration history of our head chef, Nieda. 100% of our profits go towards supporting refugee and immigrant women.

Free middle eastern sweet treat: Asabe
 

Free admission to Connecticut's oldest house! Just because it's old doesn't mean it's always looked the way it is today. In fact, the evolution of the Whitfield House is what makes it extraordinary. Explore almost 400 years of complex history through the life of one building.

Join us at the Mattatuck Museum for FREE admission and programming on June 8th between 11 AM and 5 PM. We will have bilingual gallery tours, a storytime and kids art workshop, an interactive drama workshop and performance with Grumbling Gryphons, and three brand new exhibitions.

Access For All support provided by the Art Bridges Foundation.

Free admission and tour of the museum.

Join us at our current exhibit "We've Come a Long Way...Maybe: The Changing Role of Women in Meriden Since 1900"  a journey through the evolving landscape of a woman's success. In a world where norms are constantly shifting, this exhibit invites you to explore the interplay of societal expectations, personal aspirations, and the empowering narratives that challenge traditional boundaries. As we navigate the landscape of achievements and fulfillment, we unveil the stories of resilience, ambition, and self-discovery that shape the multifaceted concept of success for women. Prepare to embark on a thought-provoking odyssey that transcends stereotypes and embraces the transformative nature of a woman's pursuit of her own version of triumph. This is not merely an exhibit; it is a contemplation on the essence of success as it blossoms, adapts, and unfolds within the narratives of women across time and culture.

The Nathan Bryan-William Andrew House is the oldest house in the Town of Orange, built in 1740.  It is fully restored to its original character with the kitchen hearth cooking fireplace an important feature.  A reduced admission fee of $2.00 for adults and children under 5 free. The home is typical of the 18th century homes built throughout Connecticut.

The New Haven Museum will be free and open to the public from 12-5 pm.

Open Barn Day - Free event - Visit Hidden Acres' therapy horses & walk our beautiful trails. The event will take place Saturday, June 8th from 10:00am-2:00pm. Hidden Acres is a non-profit 501c3 serving children & adults with physical, developmental and emotional needs and Veterans. Hidden Acres is located at 45 Gabriel Drive, Naugatuck, CT. Questions? Call 203-516-830.

The Osborne Homestead Museum is hosting the Sustainability Quest, an indoor seek-and-find adventure where participants learn the different types of energy use and sources, their historical impacts, and the ways the 4Rs-reduce, reuse, refuse, and recycleΓÇöwere practiced in the past and today.  This is a free, family friendly event. Registration is not required.

Site Projects, the New Haven's Public Art People offers self guided walking tours of 3 of their commissioned public art Sites around New Haven.

Visit Southbury and see all three historic buildings owned by Southbury will be opened to visitors on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 10am to 3pm. Take a step back in history by walking inside the Old Town Hall, the South Britain Library, and Bullet Hill School. Where the buildings are located: Bullet Hill School: 215 Main Street North, Old Town Hall: 624 South Britain Road, and South Britain Library: 576 South Britain Road.
 

Free Spring Migration Bird Walk to the first 6 people who call the shop by Friday, June 7th to reserve.Hammonasset State Park in Madison, is widely regarded as the premier birding area in Connecticut. +- 240 bird species occur in the park annually due its diverse habitat.  Meet at the shop at 7:50am for a 8am departure.

Dress for the weather Carpool to the park Bring binoculars and a scope if you have one, binocular rentals available.
 

This 1830 homestead, built by Dennis Stone is an example of the Greek Revival period in Connecticut.  Fully restored to the two families that lived there, the house offers a look into both halves of the 19th century.  The home was occupied by the Otis family until the town purchased it leasing it to the Orange Historical Society for restoration.  Reduced admission of $2.00 for adults and children under 5 free. Open 10:00-3:00.

This 1878 building was originally built for several purposes, one being a meeting place for town business and secondly a school.  In order to maintain a portion of that educational history, the Academy presents a re-creation of a 19th century schoolroom, complete with original desks which are available for children to experience.  Reduced adult admission $2.00, children under 5 free. The Academy also houses an antique shop and museum with displays of old cameras, radios and a unique and complete display of Southern New England Telephones.   Open 10-3.

Sheep baa, chickens cluck, the rooster crows. Farm exhibits are open,  and our 1844 farmhouse. The Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum tells the story of those who lived here more than 12,000 years ago. The New England Lace Group demonstrates lace making. Have a Cinnamon Jumble made from an 1890 recipe. And visit our Farmers' Market from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, offering live music, fresh produce, and crafts from our vendors.

The Hyland House Museum or Hyland Wildman House is a historic house museum at 84 Boston Road in Guilford, Connecticut. Built in 1713, it is one of the town's best-preserved houses of that period. It has been open to the public as a museum since 1918, under the auspices of a local historic preservation group. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The house features Colonial-era furnishings and artifacts.

The Hyland House is located a short way east of Guilford's central town green, on the north side of Boston Street just east of Graves Avenue. It is a 2+1Γüä2-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, stone central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, with small-pane diamond-lighted windows arranged symmetrically around the center entrance. The entrance is simply framed, with a four-light transom window above. The rear roof face extends to the first floor, giving the house a classic New England saltbox profile. Its interior is noted for its decoratively chamfered girts, believed to be one an early example of this type of decoration.

The house has long been ascribed a construction date of about 1660, when builder George Hyland is thought to have built a house on this property. However, tree-ring dating conducted on its major timbers dates its construction to about 1713 or soon afterward, likely by the then-landowner, Isaac Parmelee. The house underwent an extensive restoration in 1917 by the architectural historian Norman Isham. The restoration was funded by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now Historic New England.

Mark your calendars and make the Shore Line Trolley Museum one of your CT Open House Day stops on June 8 from 11am-2pm.  Discover this historic landmark, ride an antique trolley car and indulge in complimentary popcorn. Don't miss this opportunity to explore, engage, and enjoy!

The Third Place is GAC's second annual exhibition, spearheaded by Guilford's student-led teen Art Club. The show embraces the concept that a space which is not work/school or home - but a third place - is instrumental in fostering innovation of thinking, creativity, and establishing a sense of belonging. The exhibition will explore how the significance of the arts, and the communities we build around them, provide young people with the ability to grow and to thrive. The exhibition will be on view June 8 - 23 from 10AM - 4PM daily, with opening reception June 8, from 5PM - 7PM.

Enjoy free trolley rides and freshly popped popcorn at the Shoreline Trolley Museum to celebrate Open House Day!

Free admission and tour of museum, blacksmith shop and woodworking shop.

Are you a writer interested in publishing your work? Join five local women authors as they discuss their books and enlighten us about the publication process. 
We’ll be joined by:
Meet the Authors!A.C.E Bauer 
Barb Nangle 
Martha Seif Simpson 
Monica Ong 
Chandra Prasad

This event is generously sponsored by the Marie Boroff Grant from the Elizabethan Club of Yale University.

In addition to free admission, we are delighted to provide a special 20% discount on in-store purchases of the publications "Munch and Kirchner: Anxiety and Expression," "The Naseby Cup," and "Mickalene Thomas: Portrait of an Unlikely Space."  We look forward to welcoming you!

Free tour of the Katharine Matthies House and Museum from 12pm-2pm