Summer Concert Series:  

Grounds are open for seating and picnicking starting at 5pm, and concerts are 6pm – 7pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and food; a food truck will also be available on-site. In response to the pandemic, concerts will also be available on the Museum’s social media. This concert series is made possible with generous funding from the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. More information here: chs.org/concerts. 

Exhibit Tours:  

Exhibit tours of Freedom Journey 1965: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March by Stephen Somerstein (on exhibition Jan 28, 2021 – Aug 28, 2021) and Connecticut Freedom Workers: Remembering the Civil Rights Movement (on exhibition Jan 28, 2021 – Oct 16, 2021) will begin June 1 and run through the end of August. Three tours will be offered per week: Tuesdays and Fridays at 2pm, and Saturdays at 11am. Tours are free with admission to the Museum. 

Monthly family exhibit tour of Making Connecticut, the Museum’s permanent exhibition will be on the third Saturday of every month at 10am beginning June 19. Tours will last 30 minutes and will be followed by an optional hands-on activity. Family tours of Making Connecticut are free with museum admission.  

At this time, all tours will be limited to 15 people. Advanced registration for tours is recommended, but open spaces will be offered to walk-ins. More information here: chs.org/guidedtours. 

Picnic and Play: 

Picnic and Play is a new program and will be held every Thursday June 17 – August 26 from 12pm – 5:00pm. Lawn games will be set up on the CHS grounds. Families will be invited to bring a picnic lunch, play with the lawn games, complete a self-directed craft, and explore the galleries. Lawn games and craft will both be free. Children under 18 will receive free admission to the galleries during this time. The CHS’s partnership with Hartford Food System’s Mobile Market will also continue, with Mobile Market’s presence onsite during Picnic and Play from 12:00 – 2:00 pm. Families will be able to purchase nutritious food and support access to affordable and high-quality produce.
 

Free First Saturday: 

Admission to the Museum galleries (not the Library & Waterman Research Center) will continue to be free on the first Saturday of each month. The CHS will also continue to offer free family Grab and Go Bags, history-inspired activity bags with all necessary materials for a related craft. There will also be a designated areas in the Museum for families to complete the activity on-site if they choose. Grab and Go Bags are made possible through generous support from Berkshire Bank.  

Coffee Hour: 

Coffee Hour with the CHS will continue to be offered in a virtual format.  

Coffee hours are presented monthly, on the first Friday of the month from 2pm – 3pm, feature a variety of topics, and are free for CHS members; $5 for non-members. Coffee hour will not be presented on July 2, the holiday weekend.  

Open House Day:  

In conjunction with Connecticut Open House Day, the CSH will offer free admission on Saturday, June 12. The Museum will be open regular hours, from 9am – 5pm.
 

Blue Star Museums:  

The CHS is once again participating in the Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the U.S. Department of Defense to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel, including the National Guard and Reserves, and their families. The CHS will also offer free admission to veterans during this time. Saturday, May 15 – Monday, September 6. 

All onsite activities will comply with state health and safety regulations.