Museums

Located on Route 35 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is a family-friendly place featuring monthly children’s events and programs in all areas of visual and performing arts, from sculpture lessons to spoken-word poetry slams. The museum’s mission is to promote challenging and progressive artwork. The Aldrich features both established and emerging artists. Recent events have featured performances by Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson, and readings by David Sedaris and Billy Collins. 258 Main St, Ridgefield,CT. (203)438-4519.  Visit www.aldrichart.org.

This famous New York museum explores all aspects of nature from wildlife, to plant life, to life in outer space. The museum features hundreds of rooms with permanent installations, including the new Hayden Planetarium, and changing exhibits. The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:45pm daily. It is located at Central Park West on 79th St. Admission is $13.00 for adults, $7.50 for children ages 2-12, and $10.00 for seniors or students with student ID. For general information and current exhibition schedules call (212) 769-5100 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Visit www.amnh.org

The Bruce Museum was founded in 1908. The building dates back to 1853 and was originally the private home of Robert Moffat Bruce. Today, its mission is to encourage the appreciation of art and science to enrich peoples’ lives. In 1908, Robert Bruce bequeathed his home to the Town of Greenwich and stipulated that it be used “as a Natural History, Historical and Art Museum, for the use and benefit of the public.” The Bruce Museum is located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich. Also part of the Bruce Museum is the Seaside Center which is a beachside museum located on Greenwich Point. The Seaside Center aims to educate visitors about the ecology of Long Island Sound and environmental issues with a touch tank, coloring area, weekly activities, and weekly guided walks.  For information, call 203.869.0376 or visit www.brucemuseum.org.

Bush-Holley Historic Site, 39 Strickland Road in Cos Cob, features the circa 1730 National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House, home of Connecticut`s first art colony. Guided tours of Bush-Holley House feature an American Impressionist art collection and historic interiors. The William Hegarty Gallery presents historically and artistically significant exhibits that focus on the art and artists of the Cos Cob art colony, museum collections and aspects of Greenwich history. Open Tues. through Sun.; 12 to 4 p.m. Admission to gallery, visitor center and house museum: $6 seniors, $4 adults and students. Children under six are free. House tours included with admission. Free admission Tuesdays. Take I-95, exit 4. 203-869-6899, x 10, www.hstg.org

149 Girdle Ridge Rd, Katonah, NY 10536, (914) 232-5035
Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who established the estate and built a great house as its centerpiece, filling it with treasures collected on their travels. The Rosens furnished their mansion with their vast collection of European and Asian art and furnishings.  With its outstanding performances, engaging arts-in-education programming, the extraordinary Rosen House, and beautiful grounds, Caramoor is a cornerstone of the cultural life of Westchester County and beyond. Since 1945 visitors have delighted in the exceptional music – from classical to opera to jazz – and the enchanting garden setting that makes Caramoor such a unique and treasured resource.  Visit www.caramoor.org.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is a not-for-profit institution, founded in 1973, to engage children and families in a partnership of learning through interactive exhibits and educational programs. CMOM inspires children and families to learn about themselves and our culturally diverse world through the arts, literacy, media & communications, science & the environment and early childhood education. The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam, New York, NY 10024. For more information, call (212) 721-1234 or visit www.cmom.org

The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT functions as both a tourist attraction featuring science and space science exhibits and as an informal science education center. Through its exhibits, it enhances public understanding of science and technology by providing fun, instructive experiences that encourage participant interaction. As an informal science education center, it provides an extensive range of educational programs in science and technology.  The Discovery Museum’s 20,000 square foot facility includes changing and permanent interactive exhibit galleries, a 124 seat planetarium, Connecticut’s only Challenger Learning Center, an 80 seat auditorium, and five multi-purpose classrooms where hands-on science classes are conducted for schools, groups and the general public.  Permanent exhibits include Green Energy, Sound, Light and Space Galleries and a simulated Moon Base Discovery play area for very young visitors. The recently upgraded Henry B. duPont III Planetarium offers traditional star shows and fulldome digital planetarium shows daily for both very young children and for ages 8 and up. The Discovery Museum and Planetarium, 4450 Park Avenue, Bridgeport CT 06604, 203-372-3521, www.discoverymuseum.org.

What child does not thrill at the chug-chug sound of a steam train? At Essex Steam Train – they have tailored their steam train experience for children of all ages. They have two coal-fired locomotives available to pull their collection of lovingly restored railroad cars. You will be swept away by the hiss of steam, the blast of the whistle, and the clickety-clack of the tracks. From the exciting “All Aboard” to the engineer checking the locomotive before the run, they promise an experience of an authentic journey back to the days of steam. For more information call 800.377.3987 or visit www.essexsteamtrain.com.  One Railroad Avenue, P.O. Box 452, Essex, CT 06426

Liberty Science Center is an innovative learning resource for lifelong exploration of nature, humanity and technology, supporting the growth of our diverse region and promoting informed stewardship of the world. The museum features several programs and exhibits for children and many hands-on events. It is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm Tuesday through Sunday. Liberty Science Center is located at 251 Philip St in Liberty State Park in New Jersey. For additional information, please call 201.200.1000 or visit lsc.org.

635 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591, (914) 631-4481
Lyndhurst is a Gothic Revival mansion whose 67-acre grounds offer fine views of the Hudson River. The house, clad in Sing Sing marble, was designed in two stages by Alexander Jackson Davis. In 1838, he created a Gothic villa for William Paulding, a former mayor of New York City; 26 years later, he doubled the house’s size, adding a four-story tower and porte cochere for New York businessman George Merritt. For both men, Davis also designed Gothic-style furniture, which the home’s third owner, railroad magnate and stock manipulator Jay Gould, retained and complemented with furnishings of his own. Gould’s daughter, Anna, gave the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961. The house contains stained glass, faux finishes, and murals. Particularly impressive are the dining room, created to resemble a medieval banquet hall, and the two-story-tall art gallery.  The grounds, combining sweeping lawns and groupings of magnificent specimen trees, also feature a rose garden with more than 500 varieties and a restored fern garden, as well as the estate’s carriage house, bowling alley, and conservatory. The carriage house contains an exhibit about the house’s various owners and a small café.  914-631-4481.

This child-centered museum emphasizes interactive education through exploration and discovery. It embraces scientific, historical, and artistic exhibits. It maintains programs and exhibits appropriate for children of all ages, including a special area for infants and toddlers. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Admission is $6.50 per adult and $6.50 per child. Free Admission for members and children under 1 year. The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is located on 75 North Water St., Poughkeepsie. For more information, call 845.471.0589 or visit  www.mhcm.org.

From boat building to barnacle scraping, this is the place for the young pirate. In the Discovery Barn kids aged 8 and up can discover through interactive displays and hands on learning. At the Children’s Museum, kids aged 7 and under can swab the decks, cook in the galley, dress in sailor garb, lie in the ships bunks, and more. A planetarium and lively sea show are available as well. Just FYI, some displays are not available during the winter. For more information, call 860.572.5331 or visit www.mysticseaport.org.

The Neuberger Museum of Art is a major visual arts center and vital cultural resource. The permanent collection features major works by American and European modern artists, an extensive collection of African Art including masks and sculpture, and presents more than a dozen changing exhibitions each year dedicated to new forms of artistic expression. The Neuberger Museum offers special events for children and families throughout the year. The Neuberger Museum at SUNY Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577-1400. Call 914-251-6100 or visit  www.neuberger.org

The New England Air Museum is situated in two large display buildings consisting of more than 75,000 square feet of exhibit space. Exhibits feature amazing planes, helicopters, and the like. As well as airplane and helicopter displays, the museum also has many fascinating exhibits on such diverse topics as the History of Sikorsky Aircraft, Early French Aviation, a History of Air Mail, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Mollisons, and many others. There is a small dining area with snack vending machines and aviation-related arcade games for the kids. A variety of restaurants can be found on nearby Route 75. For more information, call 860.623.3305 or visit www.neam.org. 36 Perimeter Road, Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096.

Pelham Art Center’s mission is to provide the public with a place, the resources and the opportunity to see, study and experience the arts in a community setting. Last year the Art Center provided the following programs and services to nearly 8,700 households from Pelham and east to the Sound, west to the Hudson, north to White Plains and south to the Bronx: presented 6 exhibits with work by 106 artists, 6,800 visited exhibitions and 1,370 were school children on free tours, 51 teaching artists were employed and art works by 33 artists were sold, 11 artist residency programs took place at 5 different schools and community centers, 240 disadvantaged youth were served in free outreach programs, 146 fee based art classes served 1,393 students, 98 students received need based financial aid, 25 free workshops, lectures, and performances were presented. Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803. 914-738-2525. Visit www.pelhamartcenter.org email info@pelhamartcenter.org

Established in 1963, the Southeast Museum offers exhibits on the history of the Town of Southeast, including the early American Circus, the Harlem Line Railroad, the Tilly Foster Mine, the Borden Milk Condensery, and the Croton Reservoir System.  In addition, the museum presents various changing exhibits, drawing on its extensive collection of antique farm and household implements, quilts, clothing and assorted Americana reflecting 19th century material culture. The museum is located on Main Street, Brewster in one of Putnam County’s largest landmarked buildings, the 1896 Old Town Hall, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Southeast Museum, 67 Main STreet, Brewster, NY, (845)279-7500, www.southeastmuseum.org.

The Stepping Stones Museum for Children invites children to explore, imagine, create and discover new experiences every time they visit! All of our exhibits, designed for children ages ten and under, encourage hands-on exploration and discovery, incorporating the themes of Science, The Arts, Culture and Heritage. The Museum offers a water room, where children can don smocks and play in the water, and a play area where even the smallest children can run, climb, and build with manipulatives. Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850. Phone: (203) 899-0606. www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

The Garbage Museum is an environmental education facility for all ages. Their mission is to empower children and adults with the knowledge that each individual can make a difference in the preservation of our natural resources. All activities are FREE to the public. Go greet Trash-o-saurus, the resident 1-ton dinosaur made entirely out of garbage. The museum also offers a unique variety of hands-on exhibits, a learning laboratory, and an amphitheater for videos and lectures. You’ll observe recycling in action with a “sky box” view of the dumping and sorting process. Family Fun Days are also scheduled on select Saturdays throughout the year. For more information, call 203.381.9571.