Fairfield Museum and History Center facts for kids
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The museum in 2008
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| Established | 2007 |
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| Location | 370 Beach Road Fairfield, Connecticut, United States |
| Type | History museum |
The Fairfield Museum and History Center is a cool place to learn about history! It's a museum and a special library located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, Connecticut.
This museum was started in 2007 by the Fairfield Historical Society, which was already 103 years old! The museum's main goal is to help people get involved in their community. They do this by celebrating the many different stories and the rich history of the Fairfield area and its people.
The museum building is quite large, about 13,000 square feet. Inside, you'll find exciting exhibition rooms, a special library for research, and a quiet reading room. There's also a classroom for learning, a meeting hall with 80 seats that looks out over Fairfield's Town Green, and a gift shop.
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Discovering History at the Museum
The Fairfield Museum often has amazing art and history exhibits. These shows help visitors explore different parts of the past.
Past Exhibitions to Explore
Some of the cool exhibitions they have had include:
- The annual IMAGES photography show, where people share their best photos.
- "The Road to Busytown: Richard Scarry's Life in Fairfield County," about the famous children's book author.
- "Topping the Charts: The Rise of Bridgeport's Columbia Records," which looked at music history.
- "Culper Ring: The Spies of George Washington," about secret agents during the American Revolution.
- "Rising Tides – Fairfield's Coast: Past to Present," which explored Fairfield's coastline.
- "An American Story: Finding Home in Fairfield County," about people finding their place in the area.
- "The Promise of Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation," about a very important moment in history.
- "Creating Community: 400 Years of Fairfield Stories," a newly updated exhibit that tells the long history of the town.
Fun Programs and Events for Everyone
The museum also hosts many fun activities for kids, families, and the whole community. These include:
- The yearly Holiday Express Train Show, a favorite for many.
- A Memorial Day Open House.
- Open Play at the Victorian Cottage.
- Summer Saturdays on the Museum Commons.
- The Jazz Fridays Summer Concert Series.
- Halloween on the Green.
- "Legends & Hauntings Tours" in the Old Burying Ground.
- Historical walking tours around the Town Green.
- Exciting summer camps.
Learning and Research at the Museum
The Fairfield Museum is a great place for students and researchers to learn even more about history.
Helping Students Learn History
The museum works closely with schools in the area. They help with learning programs for students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. These programs support important learning goals for the state and country. Each year, over 4,000 students and teachers from 65 schools in southwestern Connecticut use these high-quality educational programs.
Meeting Hall for Talks and Discussions
The Jacky Durrell Meeting Hall is a special place overlooking the Town Green. Here, experts, university professors, and historians give talks and lead discussions. They help everyone understand history better through conversations and debates.
Research Library for Deep Dives
The Fairfield Museum's Research Library is a key place to study Connecticut's history. More than 1,000 researchers use it every year. This includes students looking for original sources for school projects. Adults also use it to research their family history or the history of their community. Academic researchers use the collections, books, and old papers for advanced studies.
The Research Library has many historical books, old handwritten documents, family histories, newspapers, and church and land records. It also holds the Collier Collection, a huge library put together by Dr. Christopher Collier, a former State Historian. This makes the Fairfield Museum's library one of the best places to find information about Connecticut history.
Museum Shop: Souvenirs and Local Crafts
The Museum Shop has a variety of items for both adults and children. Many of these items are made right in Connecticut. This helps support local artists and businesses in the area.
Historic Buildings to Explore
The town of Fairfield owns several old, important buildings that the Museum helps manage. You can visit these properties for different activities.
- The 1750 Ogden House (1520 Bronson Road): This is an 18th-century "saltbox" style house. It's furnished with items from that time period.
- Sun Tavern (Town Hall Green): This tavern from 1780 was once visited by President George Washington himself!
- Victorian Cottage (Town Hall Green): A charming cottage from the Victorian era.
- Victorian Barn (Town Hall Green): This barn, built in 1888, has an exhibit about Fairfield's farming past. It also encourages talks about today's food issues.
