Located on Main Street in the Willimantic Arts and Eats District, the Windham Textile and History…read moreMuseum is a hub of activity, culture, and has a rich and diverse history that is an important part of the town of Willimantic, CT. The gift store features original art of all kinds from area artists and beyond. You can find unique gifts including those that focus on the frog culture of our city. You'll see lots of frogs in town including four 2-ton ones on top of spools of thread at the Thread City Crossing Bridge nearby. You can tour the museum, the factory next door, and even see the library where people who worked at the museum were tutored in English and life skills. You can come with children, too, as the museum is very doable in a couple of hours or more should you wish to stay longer. In nicer weather, you can have a picnic across the street at the part and even take a walk on the Garden on the Bridge which is very nearby. There is a Farmer's Market nearby during the May through October growing season as well as other fine eateries that reflect the uniqueness of the Town of Willimantic. Exhibits at the museum are ever-changing. A dedicated troop of volunteers keep the place up and running. Look to the museum for cultural events, interesting exhibits, and memorabilia from days and cultures through the years.

You should travel from far and wide to experience the visual fiesta of fair-trade arts & crafts at…read morethe Mansfield Art Center!! This is a truly local, small, family run business and the owners/shopkeepers have quite the tales to tell... The goods and crafts sold at the Arts Center are collected by the owners who have traveled to all these destinations around the world making connections with the artisans . The items here are more unique and vibrant than I see at a lot of boutique craft/jewelry shops and there is usually an interesting story the shopkeepers can tell about where the items come from/who made them. Just perusing the store feels like a trip around the world (or at least Epcot ) and is genuinely fun. Most locals know to come here for their Holiday gifts though I live in Boston and make a point to come every year! The store is typically open only seasonally as owners are traveling much of the rest of the year- so make it happen this Christmas season. Some good restaurants in nearby Willimantic, UConn on the other side, and the subtle beauty of the Quiet Corner of CT makes a stop here a lovely day trip. Check it out!

The perfect place to find a gift for almost anyone. I did much of my Christmas shopping here and…read moreeveryone loved their gifts. This is the place to find unique gifts and jewlery from all over the world. The owners go all over the world and come back with beautiful items to sell at a very fair price. I love the set up of this store also- differant sections for differant countries from India to Mexico to China. Also, the owners are so friendly. You will most definetly be offered free tea and maybe even cookies too when shopping.

Also known as 'The Mill Museum'…read more www.millmuseum.org This museum is a gem. Excellent! Connecticut is so fortunate to have a museum such as this one still in existence. For those who wonder "how did we get here" in terms of our technological age and current lifestyle, or how the industrial revolution affected thread and textiles in CT, this museum is a must see...excellent. The only other museum that I am aware of in this category is the Genius Museum in Montville, CT. It is so illuminating and interesting to see the extent and development of industry (mills) in CT and to see how something as simple, yet as important, as thread and textiles were such an intrinsic part of our economic development of our state and lives in general. Not only is the process of making thread a fascinating story, the evolution of the repetitive manufacturing process is extremely educational. Willamantic is known as "The Thread City" as it was a dominant player in that industry, and had many innovations in processing cotton into thread as well as such things as being the first business to illuminate its factory with Edison incandescent light bulbs. It is easy to dismiss such inventions without understanding the overall impact on business and society...as electrification and the light bulb changed factory architecture, the ability to utilize multiple work shifts, etc. There are so many dimensions on which to appreciate the museum including learning of the lifestyles of the times and the hardships people endured. This museum should be on every public schools agenda for student trips.

A very nice, peaceful library. Lately has become the dwelling place for homeless, or bums who need…read moresomewhere to be during the day. They'll kill time in there, not even picking up a book. Other than that, its a nice library when it isnt infested by them.

A library with a…read morefrog Willimantic, Connecticut is known as the thread city because of the high quality textile mills that were present at one time but these days it is more frequently referred to as the frog city. This moniker comes from the iconic bridge with the four large frogs sitting on the corners. The whole city seems to have taken up the froggy theme and you will see pictures and models of frogs all throughout the town. Restaurants, bars and stores have the word frog in their names and the town has an undeniable predilection for these amphibious critters. The public library in Willimantic is no exception. As you walk in the door of this rather small library you will see a large and rather colorful frog. If you look closely you will notice that some of the shelves holding the books are painted in a sort of odd frog green. Definitely something froggy going on here. The library itself is pleasant and efficient enough and has all the usually library items but doesn't have the historic charm that many of the other libraries in the area have. Built to be a functional environment and not an aesthetic one, everyone was friendly and the library does have a exceptional large selection of books in Spanish and a nice bulletin board with local information one it. The Willimantic Public Library is a modern and useful place to find a book, get a movie, does some research or find out what's happening in the community. Or perhaps just to look at a large and very colorful frog.

Town of Windham was incorporated in 1692 with a population of approximately 24,000. The communities…read morewithin the town are Willimantic, North Windham, South Windham, and Windham Center. It has a nickname of Thread City because in earlier times, there were an abundance of mills. The Willimantic river played a vital roll in powering the mills. A well-known mill was called the Willamantic Thread Company. Just like most New England towns, it's a town rich in history and culture. There are many historic Victorian homes. Eastern Connecticut State University is located there. There are many shops and restaurants. My family and I enjoyed walking around and exploring. We loved the artwork on the buildings. There are museums, parks, and it's close to other attractions nearby.

We traveled from Windsor to check into some family history with the historical society while we…read morewere in town from Florida. We made sure that we scheduled our travels around being able to come here during the 3 hours this place is supposed to be open. As we parked we saw someone walk in to the building. However, when we walked up the doors were closed and locked. We attempted multiple times to call and nobody answered. This was such a disappointment and really soured our visit to this area where history is a rampant part of their identity.