City: New Haven, CT

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (203) 562-4183

Address: 114 Whitney Ave.

Description: This museum tells the history of the New Haven Colony, and here you get the impression that although the city became part of a larger colony and then America, it remains an autonomous entity. The building was actually built by the New Haven Historical Society to house its collections, and the professional and engaging way it has been curated inside tells the story well. Permanent exhibits focus on the inventions and industry of the city and its suburbs, with Charles Goodyear’s rubber inkwell, Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, and A.C. Gilbert’s original Erector Set. There are numerous paintings amid the rotunda and marble staircases, and changing exhibits on the second floor. The museum also houses the Eli Whitney Library, where you can research your Puritan ancestors or find ancient photos of the town. In addition, the museum hosts frequent lectures by eminent historians and other speakers, so check their schedule. If you’ll be here for the day, pick up their walking tour of New Haven and take a stroll past the mansions of Hill House Avenue and through Grove Street Cemetery.