The Roseland Cottage is truly a beautiful historical gem in CT! I recently took a tour of the house…read moreand it was super interesting. Though the grounds are always open to visitors, guided tours of the house are only available June through mid-October, Thursday-Sunday from 11AM-3PM, every hour on the hour. Timed tickets can be purchased online in advance (and this is recommended). Adult admission is $20. Once I arrived, I was greeted by staff who were very friendly. The tour guide, MaryLou, took me through the house and explained the history of Henry Bowen (the original resident of the house) and his family. She was extremely knowledgeable and it was very interesting! The tour was supposed to last around an hour, but she went for about an hour and 15 minutes. After the tour you are free to roam the grounds and take photos, and there's also a small gift shop. Non-flash photography is allowed inside the house, but no video. Overall I found this to be a really beautiful historical spot in Woodstock, CT and would definitely recommend taking a tour!

My husband and I had our wedding here, the place was absolutely beautiful and that is the only…read morething that made the venue worth it. Laurie the women who handles Roseland cottage, on the other hand ended up being a bit difficult as our wedding got closer and closer. Sadly on the rehearsal day and wedding day she was rude and did things that we did not agree upon or said she wasn't going to do. She made herself seem understanding up until those days. She gave me sass remarks and honestly made the rehearsal day and wedding day more stressful. The only thing that made it worth it, like I said, was the beautiful venue. But Laurie in the end did make things feel way more stressful and difficult. Our catering was wonderful though, I could not have asked to better catering. They handled Laurie and everything else with class. Thank you renees Bistro.

This is another one of those places I've passed by probably a thousand times and never gave a…read moresecond thought to. But, on this nice holiday I finally stopped by. Tours end in October, which was nice as had the place to myself and could freely roam about. It's a nice place. Couple walking trails, nice waterfront view, and obviously the historical grounds. Would probably be nicer to visit in the summer, but then you have to deal with the crowds. Well worth a trip if for nothing else than the walking trails and the historical aspects.

Very educational. The guide was very knowledgeable. My child…read morehad a project and we were able to gather information

One of the best kept secrets in Central Massachusetts. Not the easiest place to find in Oxford but…read moreso worth the visit. The house isn't often visited we were told by the staff, so very likely you'll get a private tour. Very rich history, many, many, MANY items that belonged to Clara Barton or her family. Rooms set up to show the evolution of her history from child, to school teacher, to the angel of the battlefield during the Civil War, to activist, to her twilight years. What museum on earth would not only have Clara Barton's bell for when she was a school teacher, but will actually allow you to hold it and ring it? Seriously?!? This is how close you can get to 1800's history! The area it is located in is rural and beautiful, one of the nicest areas in Central Massachusetts. Suggest having breakfast at Carl's Diner and then visiting the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum to walk it off. You won't regret this amazing slice of history tucked away on the back roads.

Great collection. Totally worth the trip to New Britain. A little known gem in Connecticutread more

Great curation. However, I worked here as part of and installation/performance, and was treated…read moreless than(called out for having a bottle of water by security staff, while patrons were walking around looking at art in all the areas with bottles of water). When I confronted certain security staff in question-- after continuing to perform my duties as defined by my contract with the museum,he continued to double down and single me out while appearing to not address or correct other patrons who were making the same "mistakes" I did. The staff's behavior is especially a shame, as otherwise the our reception and performance her was the one of the best our band has ever had-- we've been around doing this type thing for over 10 years now. Curation staff seems to need a restraining of policy and diversity (me: 39F and obviously queer, undercut, masculine clothing, etc). Everyone else -cafe, front desk and other staff were very accommodating and friendly. Our band even had extra support from other willing staff with sourcing special items like music stands, tape, and ironically bottles of water.

Lovely museum with a variety of exhibits…read more I was very excited to view the new armor collection they have on exhibit. It's a vast collection with full suits of armor down to the smallest embelishment, cerfemonial or functional. Pieces include European and Asian examples. The exhibit is included with admission and has timed entry so be sure to book ahead to get your desired time slot. A small kids area in the exhibit has art supplies and books in case the adults are taking too long. Directly across from the armor exhibit we viewed the "Peaceable Kingdom" exhibit. Artists around the world have submitted works of their interpretation based on the original painting. Some artist included information explaining their thoughts working on the project. Many of the pieces are very insightful. A recreation of an Italian palazzo courtyard showcases a roman mosiac floor. Gorgeous. Also on this level is a 12th century Charter House moved from France. The museum has adorned this space with period stained glass from England and mimic candle light with electric candelabra to set the scene. A small cafe near the moasic floor offers sandwiches, coffee, tea, water, sweets, soft drinks, soup and salad. The gift shop is by the entrance on this side of the building and offers a large variety of gift items including note cards, ornaments, books, games, kitchen items, hand bags and more. On the next level up in the palazzo are a series of galleries flowing into each other displaying European art from the 11th century to the early 20th. Behind this area you will find egyptian art and more. One exhibit included a kiosk with more information about items in that collection and a comfortable sofa and seating. At the time of this review, the third level is being renovated. The fourth level is modern art (Andy Warhol and Christos for ex.) and collection preservation labs. Fifth level seems to be an event space. Free lockers are available in the coat rooms near the ticketing desk. Class rooms are located near the Lance St. entrance. See their website for available classes. A free parking lot for museum patrons is available across Lance St. There is a cross walk with wheelchair ramps on/off the sidewalks here. An elevator is available to the left of this entrance if you cannot navigate steps. Interior elevators move between levels as do staircases. Restrooms are on a couple of levels and have diaper stations. A water fountain (bubbla) is near the elevator and restrooms. A few wheelchairs are available on a 'first come' basis. Discounted entry is available, see website for details. Most definitely recommend. I very much enjoyed our visit. Plan to possibly spend a few hours. You can easily spend hours looking at all that armor. You can also make a quick run through if you are short on time. On a side note, the Salisbury Mansion is located behind the museum and well worth a look if you have time.

The Worcester Art Museum is packed with memorable exhibits, and I had a great time exploring them…read morefor 2.5-3 hours. I was able to make it through the entire museum at a leisurely pace. The Asian art section, especially the Japanese prints exhibit "Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" was a standout. The Roman mosaics taken from a floor of a home were definitely memorable. They're incredibly well-preserved and shows stories about life, mythology, and religion. I was amazed by the amount of skill and detail it must've taken to puzzle it back together after transporting it across the world. The ancient Egyptian exhibit was super cool, packed with statues, sarcophagi, and other artifacts. They also have some restored European and American oil paintings that were truly stunning, some looked insanely realistic. I spent the most time admiring this exhibit. I wasn't a fan of the contemporary art but one can say that I lack whatever it takes to fully appreciate it. It's a small museum but worthy of a visit.

Samuel Slater Experience recently had a community day and my husband and I went to check it out…read more This was amazing! I can't believe what a beautiful job that they did with this. It was so professional and I was pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed it. I highly recommend visiting!

Fantastic exhibit explaining how Samuel Slater came from England and modernized the textile…read moreindustry. Very nice use of period props and modern video to tell the story in an inviting and interesting way. Worth the visit.

I've been visiting Old Sturbridge Village since I was a kid, and no matter what age I've been, it…read morealways makes for a great day trip from CT. We last visited for their Christmas by Candlelight, and it was such a cute holiday celebration. The actors are always knowledgeable and take their roles seriously. We love visiting the different buildings and seeing the authentic artifacts. Can't wait until our next visit!

Longtime visitor, former volunteer. The good- OSV is an…read moreinvaluable historical resource and wealth of information, research, and a breeding ground of historical interpretation methods. If you go to any history or museum conference, you'll find staff and former staff there. They're some of the best in the game, and their staff are unbeatable experts in very niche subjects. Their focus on rural social history was revolutionary when it started and still is revolutionary today. A lot of museums will teach you about political history. Not a lot will teach you about domestic life in OSV's level of detail. For visitors, OSV is sort of a "you get what you want out of it" experience. Some visitors come wanting to talk to interpreters and learn, others want to walk through quickly. Those people don't learn as much. The not so good- management seems more interested in running money laundering charter schools than retaining or paying their excellent staff. I've seen historians who have been interviewed in books and documentaries leave for much less prestigious jobs because it's just not worth it for them to stay. The price- day admission price is really high. I wish more people know there lower cost options. Many regional libraries lend day passes.

Really could (should?) be called war musuem. Here you will find a wealth of information and dozens…read moreof tanks and a handful of planes all wartime related. There's even a handful that are one of a kind and only displayed here. There's also a couple videos/presentations available to watch. So there's ample information in what is a relatively small space. There are staff milling around throught the musuem, so if you have questions you won't have to go far. I think during the summer they even offer rides in tanks for an added fee. The musuem takes about 1.5 hours to complete and you can save a couple bucks if you buy your ticket online, and its also good for any non-special event day, so you don't even have to use it that day. The driveway is also about 3/4 of a mile long, so its pretty far off the road. Overall it was as fun way to spend a couple hours inside on a raw rainy early spring day.

Do you like history?…read more Do you like tanks? Then this place is for you! Absolutely well worth the visit. You will learn so much! Lots to see, definitely leave yourself 2-3 hours to get through it all and read the facts. Some of the vehicles are the one ones on display in the US or the world!

Follow the instructions to science and technology. Let's explore !…read more Our nations majestic bird greets you as you walk down a path from the parking lot . The parking is plentiful and free! As you walk this beautiful place it's divided between different animal paths and eco systems! You will learn visual and physical features from each habitat. Make sure and enjoy the experience that has been created to show how these creatures interact and exist in their surroundings . They maintain well funded environment by individuals that care for the animals. Thank you for this opportunity. If you're a local to the area the yearly pass would benefit greatly . Make sure and visit the gift shop for a souvenir. Until the next time.

We recently visited the Ecotarium which is almost an hour away from where we live; and while it had…read moresome highlights, I left feeling the admission price didn't quite match the experience--especially with a toddler. For our family, it came out to around $55, and for a 2-year-old, there wasn't a lot to engage with at this age. Many of the exhibits are better suited for older children who can read, explore independently, and understand the science concepts. Both the planetarium and the train ride require an additional fee beyond admission. My toddler enjoyed the train and we thought the planetarium was nicely done, but it would've been nice if there was an option to just purchase tickets for those experiences instead of paying full admission. We were excited to see the mountain lions, but learned they're often resting high up and out of view. It was a little disappointing since that's one of the main animal exhibits. The bubble exhibit was also not functioning properly during our visit. Overall, the grounds are nice and I can see older kids having a great time exploring all the exhibits. For families with toddlers, though, the value just isn't quite there. I'd recommend this more for kids 4-5 and up who can really interact with and appreciate the exhibits.

Located on the side of a huge hill, the Fruitlands museum offers a variety of different activities…read morefor its guests. There are hiking trails along with a museum. It is larger than you think it is and the hill is fairly steep for visitors. The exhibits are changed every so often. Plenty of parking for people and bathrooms for customer use.

A 210 acre museum which has several galleries and a Shaker Museum. It was a rainy day so we were…read morelooking for things to do which would keep us indoors. The art works was really good and we really enjoyed the Native American gallery which had plenty of Native American artifacts. It was a pleasant time, we enjoyed ourselves. It would have been nice to get out for a hike on their trails but the weather did not cooperate.