Celebrate Connecticut Open House Day in Hartford County 2026

Creative Jam Art Co. is bringing the fun of our popular Splatter Room to Connecticut's Open House, a quick-fire group session!
This is your chance to get a literal taste of the excitement! Enter our designated Splatter Zone, grab a brush, and throw, drip, smear, and fling paint to create your own unique, abstract masterpiece.
Price: $10 per person
When: Saturday, June 13th, from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

What's Included:
   - 10 minutes of energetic splatter time.
   - A 6" x 6" canvas to paint and a box to take it home.
   - Protective Gear (poncho, gloves, and shoe coverings).
 

$10 Slingshot Play! 20 Minutes of Unlimited Shots!

An unprecedented opportunity to try this exciting new concept in most-ages entertainment born in CT! Fun, active, safe, different!

12:30-6:30PM

Waivers and safety protocol required. Sign up each player in your group because nobody will want to sit this one out (no equipment sharing). Space is limited --book online to guarantee your spot; walk-in wait times may vary.

We welcome you to stop in and visit Burlington's Elton Tavern and the one-room Center Schoolhouse on CT Open House Day.  Free admission to both, located a short distance away on the same street.  Donations always accepted.

Located in the Collinsville section of Canton.  Collins Axe Company history; Civil War and Victorian items; 1854 Fire Pumper; Bridal Parlor; General Store; and a Train Diorama.

Free Admission All Day! 

Explore America's first chartered copper mine (1707) and first state prison (1773)! 

• Self-explore through the prison ruins.  
• Check out our new interactive exhibit "What Little is Known" focusing on New-Gate's incarcerated individuals. 
• Take a 30-minute tour of the abandoned copper mine (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) 
• End the day with a free concert at 5:00pm with Richard Donohue, "What a CRASH They Made" Music of Connecticut's Revolution. Generously sponsored by the Friends of Old New-Gate.
   

Open between 1 & 4 pm. Visitors will receive a guided tour of the 1761 Makens Bemont House. They can also visit the 1850 Burnham Blacksmith Shop and 1821 Goodwin Schoolhouse. Complimentary brochures are available and post cards and stationary will be half price.

The East Windsor Historical Society will open all museums to the public from 9 AM to Noon. The Scantic Academy, Osborn House, Barber Hill School House, Probate Court, Barber shop, and more will be open to view with artifacts on display. Family friend and full of history.

Learn more about the people, places, and events that took place through the fascinating gravestones of hundreds of individuals in this historic site in downtown Hartford. The Ancient Burying Ground is Hartford's oldest surviving historic site, established in 1640. Over 400 gravestones remain today that tell the stories of Hartford's colonial past.

Come learn about historical and contemporary Caribbean culture, with the Caribbean Heritage museum! Learn about one of the most popular tropical regions in the world! All are welcome.

Enjoy free admission to the Museum for all ages, all day long! Explore interactive exhibitions accessible for all ages, including "Rebellious," which features stories from Connecticut history when its people came together, pushed back, and sparked changed in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness in America.

The Governor's Residence will be open for self-guided tours from 10:00-2:00.  

Come see the beautiful art from local museums and the Governor's personal collection, floral arrangements from local garden clubs and free ice cream on our patio!

Join us in celebrating a remarkable literary moment! This year marks Harriet Beecher Stowe's 215th birthday, Josiah Henson's 237th, and the 150th anniversary of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Gather with us at the annual Nook Farm Party, honoring the historic intellectual enclave that once brought together writers and thinkers like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain. In collaboration with the Mark Twain House & Museum, the Stowe Center for Literary Activism, and the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, this free community celebration welcomes all ages.

Enjoy express house tours, open exhibits, community tables, hot dogs, cake, and activities for kids and adults. Learn, explore, and celebrate the enduring power of literature and community in the place where these stories began. ??
 

The Mark Twain House, Stowe Center, AHNA and Town & County present a day of Family Fun!

• Free tours of Mark Twain's House from 11-3 

• Craft activities 

• Face painting 

• Visit with Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and other characters 

• Scavenger Hunt 

• Lawn games

Free drop in. No Tickets needed.

The World War II Museum has many displays featuring the Pacific and European battles, Women in WWII, Corpsmen, Navajo Code Talkers, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, the Home Front, movies and much more.  There is a room dedicated to the Battle of Iwo Jima and many Veterans portraits to view.  Visitors will receive a free wristband or Veterans pin.

Hungerford Nature Center offers hands-on nature experiences including live animal encounters and interactive exhibits.   Visitors can explore wooded trails, gardens, and a pond, enjoy storytimes and educational activities, and attend seasonal events—all designed to spark curiosity through outdoor exploration and learning.

Family Day at the Cheney Homestead & Keeney Schoolhouse

106 Hartford Rd., Manchester, CT

Saturday, June 13, 2026         11AM-3PM

Special FREE activities for all ages include:

-Tours of the 1785 Cheney Homestead and 1751 replica  Keeney Schoolhouse

- Performance of interactive Colonial Era songs by Manchester Town Troubadour, Christian Loftus

- Children's History Scavenger Hunt with prizes

- Colonial Era Children's Games and Crafts

- Complimentary Shady Glen ice cream. 

The Woodbridge Farmstead is a living link to Connecticut's agricultural history. Set on what was the main thoroughfare between New York and Boston (earning us our own George Washington story), the farm was a successful agricultural and dairy enterprise for six generations of Woodbridges. Enjoy live musicians as you tour the pre-revolutionary barn, 1830 farmhouse and grounds. Visit our new Pollinator Pathway garden, the next step in the Farmstead's evolution.

Two centuries of Hardware (and lots more) manufacturing in Greater New Britain.  

Stanley poster to first Thirty groups of visitors on Open House day.
 

Join Us at the Newington Historical Society and Trust's Kellogg-Eddy House Museum for a taste of Newington History! June 13, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Free parking at the museum: 679 Willard Avenue, Newington, CT                                                                                                                                     

Featuring: 

- Art exhibit by the Newington Art League 

- Young storytellers from the Newington Children’s Theatre Company (NCTC)

- Weaving Demonstration and Sale

           No reservation or fee! Donations appreciated.

Welcome to the oldest museum of American Art in the nation! We invite you to enjoy 10% off in our Museum Store on June 13th, a free cup of coffee or tea in our Museum Cafe, and free drop-in tour at 1 p.m.!

Our museum displays Rocky Hill history; archaeological finds of the indigenous people, the historic Ferry, farms and more.

Located in Southington’s first public library, built in 1902, the Southington Historical Museum celebrates local history with thousands of items on display, from artifacts of indigenous people to the very beginning of the industrial revolution. Take a free photo in the world’s first photo booth, invented in Southington in 1907. Learn the 200 year old secrets of a Southington author and teacher that improved schools across the country. And enter a free drawing for one of his actual antique books. 239 Main St., Southington, CT Free Admission 12 Noon – 4pm.

Come explore Southington’s circa 1810 one-room schoolhouse. Experience a bit of how children learned way back when with amazing history and interactive activities for today’s school children. Learn about a Southington author and teacher who changed the way students across the country were taught. And enter a free drawing for one of his actual antique books. South End Rd, Southington, CT (across from 577 South End Rd) Free Admission 10am – 12noon. Parking at the adjacent Recreation Park.

Join us for Connecticut Open House Day at the Barnes Museum, a beautifully preserved historic house showcasing Southington’s Gilded Age history. Visitors are invited to enjoy free first-floor tours and explore period rooms, decorative arts, and rotating exhibits. Learn about the Barnes family, the home’s architecture, and the stories that shaped the community.

Open from 10am-2pm.

The Webb Deane Stevens Museum will offer a 50% discount on regular museum admission all day, and free self-guided tours of the first floor of the Deane house from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  

Free open house and tours 11 am - 3 pm to the public, featuring the beautifully restored House and museum of Oliver Ellsworth, drafter of the US Constitution.  Art, artifacts, history and America250!

Step into a world where communication comes alive!

Our exhibits span decades of innovation, including classic home computers, early telephones, and fascinating communication tools that shaped everyday life. Guests will leave with a deeper appreciation for science, technology, and the people who made modern communication possible.

25% off for CT Residents