Exhibits to See for America’s 250th

Visit the New Haven Museum to see the exhibit which “takes a new angle on the familiar story of the Amistad, centering on the people who led the revolt and their collective actions to determine their own lives.” Amistad: Retold highlights the significance of New Haven in the Amistad story, as it was not only the site of their incarceration, but the location of abolitionist organizing. 

On view at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Wethersfield through Sunday, March 15, 2026, this exhibition explores the stories of Abner Andrews, Caesar Freeman, Elizabeth Deane, and other forgotten patriots. While women, Black, and Native People played a vital role in securing American independence, their contributions have been too long ignored when telling the story of our nation. 

During the American Revolution, colonial taverns were vital community hubs, news outlets, recruiting stations, and battle headquarters. Eat, Drink, and Start a Revolution at Fairfield Museum and History Center explores the rise of revolution in Fairfield with historic artifacts and hands-on interactives, highlighting the crucial role taverns played in the creation of an independent democratic nation.

Examine more than 70 depictions of the American flag from WW1 through modern day at the Fairfield University Art Museum. For Which It Stands… “includes work in a variety of media by artists including Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Julie Mehretu, and challenges viewers to consider who the American flag truly represents and whether justice is available to all.”

The William Benton Museum of Art in Storrs present key works from their collection that promote dialogue about American art, culture, and identity. Encounters with the Collection: Exploring America at 250 not only encourages visitors to examine the ideas that shaped the founding of America but explore how those themes are relevant in America today. Exhibit highlights include landscapes and cityscapes by Ansel Adams, Martin Johnson Heade, and George Bellows; representations of President Abraham Lincoln across different media; and a salon-style wall of portraits from the 18th century to the present.

American Mural Project (AMP) in Winsted brings together personal storytelling workshops, live performances, exhibits, film screenings, and lectures to explores how work has shaped national consciousness and Connecticut communities across history. “Together, these programs engage participants in remembering pivotal events, amplifying personal stories, and sparking dialogue about how labor continues to shape American culture and civic life today.”

Windsor Historical Society’s exhibition celebrates the bold, creative, and determined ways residents have shaped civic life in Windsor over the last 250 years. Visitors will discover how generations of Windsorites have worked, protested, volunteered, and celebrated together to build a stronger, more inclusive community and be inspired to be more civically engaged themselves.

Join the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History in an exploration of Hartford’s North End migration history and culture. Drawn Here: Stories from Hartford’s North End highlights a series of graphic novels developed by local students and professional artists to share the “experiences of the Irish, Italians, Eastern Europeans, Black Southerners, West Indians, Puerto Ricans, and others who have made the neighborhood their home, whether briefly or for generations, [adding] nuance and depth to our understanding of what it means to be American.”