Summer fun at Windsor Historical Society museum!

Kids are free, new hands-on activities and tour times this summer

Thanks to a generous CT Humanities grant, Windsor Historical Society is launching the summer season with new hands-on fun and special tours during July and August.  The CT Summer at the Museum program, now in its third year, invites Connecticut children ages 18 and under plus one accompanying adult to visit participating museums free of charge from July 1 through September 5, 2023. Funding for the initiative is provided by the CT General Assembly with the support of CT Humanities and the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the federal ARPA.

The historical society’s popular CT Summer at the Museum program offers a new scavenger hunt to guide children through the museum and two historic houses, asking questions and suggesting hands-on activities that will encourage them to learn about Windsor’s fascinating history. Adult caregivers will hold the answer key and be able to help children with the activities, making an intergenerational experience that is engaging for everyone.  

Also new this year are tour times at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM for families who wish to tour the museum’s two historic houses and learn about lives of Black and white residents of early Windsor. House tours are free to Connecticut children and their one adult caregiver. Out-of-state residents and additional adults will pay the regular ticket price for the historic house tours and library visits.

The CT Summer at the Museum program was extremely successful in the summers of 2021 and 2022, with museums throughout the state hosting hundreds of thousands of children, many of whom would not otherwise be able to afford admission. This program is even more important in 2023 given that inflation and gasoline prices may affect family travel, making visits to local museums a convenient and affordable alternative.  For information about the CT Summer at the Museum program and other participating sites, visit: ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-summer-museum-2023-free-admission-kids.

CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Windsor Historical Society, founded in 1921, invites visitors to explore the people, places, and events that have shaped Windsor for over four centuries. The Society’s museum and research library is located at 96 Palisado Avenue (Route 159) and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM, with house tours at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. General admission to the library and historic houses is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and free to children under 12 and WHS members. Visitors are free to browse the museum store and exhibit galleries at no charge, thanks to generous support of the Town of Windsor.

Visit us on the web at windsorhistoricalsociety.org for directions and more information about programs or volunteer opportunities. Want to know more about Windsor history? Just enter your email in the box at the bottom of our home page, and make sure to “like” the Society’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (@windsorct1633) for regular updates and insights.

96 Palisado Avenue, Windsor, Connecticut 06095

Phone: (860- 688-3813)   Fax: (860) 687-1633  E-mail: [email protected]