Category: Connecticut Travel

There is always something fun, interesting and educational going on at the historical Barnum Museum in Bridgeport. On Sunday, July 23rd at 2:00 PM in the Museum, guests can enjoy Lanterns of Magic! Dick Moore, noted Historian and Collector of Magic Lanterns, will present an exciting, rare and unique show featuring magic lantern images that will showcase vivid and breathtaking views of early circus spectaculars! Magic Lanterns are descended from the ancient camera obscura, and are the equivalent to today’s Power Point presentations, but offer a wondrous, magical opportunity to step back in time and experience the thrill of acrobats and performers of bygone entertainment times.

Moore’s presentation, “Day at a Circus” will provide a brief glimpse of the working life of the circus as seen through the lens of the masterful photographer Frederick. W. Glasier. Glasier is renowned for his extensive work as a publicist and documentarian of circuses, Wild West shows and fairs from 1890-1925, the heyday of American circus entertainments.

Immediately following “Day at a Circus”, there will be the scintillating, stupendous, stimulating, stunning Magic Lantern show, Cirque d’Magique. Popular in the 19th century, Magic Lantern shows were a combination of projected images, live narration and live music that preceded film projection movies. By 1895 there were more than 60,000 ‘lantern showmen’ traveling the United States giving tens-of-thousands of performances every year educating, entertaining and mystifying audiences in small communities and large cities. Cirque d’Magique is unique to the glorious epoch of the American circus and the lantern projections will feature daring high and low wire acts, trapeze artists, leapers, lions and tigers, clowns, bareback riders, jumping dogs, snake charmers, juggling frogs and of course, no circus should be without them: the Performing Ponderous Pachyderms!

There is no registration required. A $5.00 donation is suggested. The event is free to members and children under 12. The Barnum Museum is located on 820 Main Street in Bridgeport.

The fragrant Colonial Herb garden at the Wilton Historical Society is a fitting location for a gardening talk. Local herb expert and gardening guru Sal Gilbertie will give a talk there titled “Micro Greens and Super Greens” followed by a book signing, conversation, wine and cheese.

Sal Gilbertie has appeared on numerous national radio and television programs, including “Martha Stewart Living,” “Home Matters” on the Discovery Channel, the “Home Show” on the Lifetime Channel and “Sara’s Secrets” on the Food Network. In 2011, NOFA named him Connecticut Organic Farmer of the year. He is a frequent lecturer on herb gardening and hosts year-round workshops held at Gilbertie’s retail shop in Westport.

All are welcome, suggested donation $10.

Did you know?
Microgreens are young plants that are harvested a few weeks after germination. We’ve all heard of the nutritional virtues of kale, for example, but did you know that the microgreen versions of many plants hold anywhere from 4 to 50 times the nutrients per volume as the same plants in mature form? Microgreens truly are the new superfood. Chefs and gardeners around the country are discovering that these easy-to-grow plants can be raised in the convenience of your own kitchen in a few weeks’ time. And the range of flavor profiles is amazing-from spicy radishes or daikon to fresh-from-the-farm corn flavor in miniature corn microgreens.

The Naugatuck Historical Society has organized a summer house tour on Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. of some of the grand homes in this charming Connecticut Valley community that borders the Naugatuck River. Many of the architectural buildings in the center of the town were designed by the famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White making it a pleasant center to visit.

The house tour will feature a number of homes on Terrace, Hillside, Millville and Rockwell Avenues. The highlight of this house tour is a visit to the famous Tuttle House that will be the future home of the Naugatuck Historical Society. The Bronson B. Tuttle House is a brick brownstone house built by John Howard Whittemore in the Queen Anne style in 1881. The gable ends and tower dormers are decorated with a quarter sunburst design. There is quatre-foil-pierced terra cotta cresting along the roof line. The house remained in the Tuttle family until 1935 when it was given to the Borough of Naugatuck.

The house tour is self guided and with a rain date of August 6. Advance tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members of the historical society. Tickets on the day of the tour will be available at the historical society, starting at 9:30 a.m. located on 171 Church Street in Naugatuck and will be $30.

This year the Danbury Museum has organized a new exhibit called The Great War: Danbury Answers the Call. This is an exhibition of WWI and focuses on the contributions of Danbury citizens at home and abroad during the War.

All branches of service will be recognized and some of the topics covered include: Sacrifices on the Homefront, The Mallory War Garden, the role of Danbury Hat Factories, and the Old 8th Company.

Historic imagery of all kinds will be on display such as parades, war bond rallies, soldiers and other period images of Danbury. In addition to letters, artifacts such as uniforms, helmets, and ephemera items including posters, and memorabilia from the archives of the Old 8th Company donated by Mr. Frank Stone.

The Danbury Museum will be open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November 11, 2017. Check their website for additional programs offered through the summer and fall.

The Danbury Museum & Historical Society is a BLUE STAR MUSEUM offering free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Do you know what the common ingredient in peanut butter, laundry detergent, aspirin, ice cream, and fireworks is… it’s Corn! This life nurturing natural grain is called maize in most countries and was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago. Since that time humans have deliberately altered and adapted this edible grain to meet their needs making maize the largest production crop in the world.

This summer, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center located on 39 Strickland Road has assembled a new special exhibition celebrating this precious grain. The exhibit, “MAIZE: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain” invites visitors to explore the science and history of maize and find out why it continues to surprise us. Learn about fascinating advances in the science of plant genetics, the process of evolution and how “useful mutations” can address world health and hunger issues. See how maize was adopted by Native Americans through historic and rare, corn-related objects from the Permanent Collections of the Stamford Museum, including archaeological material from the Stamford area that is more than 500 years old.

The Gallery Hours are: Mon.- Sat., 9 am – 5 pm; Sun., 11 am – 5 pm. This exhibition was developed and managed by the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, N.Y., and produced with funding from the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program, this interactive exhibition promises fun and engaging enrichment for the whole family.

During the dog days of summer, kids and parents can head over to Stepping Stones Museum for Children for some cool fun. Whether a child’s interests are prehistoric or futuristic, there’s an exciting new theme to explore each week during Mega Summer from now through Labor Day.

From Dr. Seuss to dinosaurs, fairies to astronomy, kids can enjoy related indoor AND outdoor activities to keep them engaged all summer long! Rain or shine, there’s plenty to discover with daily crafts, stories and creative play. Summer is actually the perfect time for kids to delve deeper into a new subject area outside of a classroom. Self-directed learning is crucial to encourage curiosity and develop a life-long love of education.

The full calendar with detailed information is available online. Some highlights of Mega Summer include:

Fairies, Dragons and Wizards July 24-30
July 30 Show Me a Tale: Biblioburro – A true story from Colombia. After the story, children will create a mini pop-up book. For children ages 5 and older. Limited space – tickets available at the Welcome Desk 30 minutes prior to program.

Under the Sea July 31- August 6
August 1 Touch Tank from noon– 3pm – drop-in activity in partnership with Maritime Aquarium. There will be live marine animals in display tanks where visitors can come up, touch, and ask questions.

Music August 7-13

Astronomy August 14-20
August 21 Great American Eclipse 1pm – 5pm Celebrating the solar eclipse! A daytime event to view the partial eclipse that we will be able to witness at Stepping Stones (weather permitting). The celebration will happen regardless of the weather, affecting only the viewing of the solar eclipse.

Renaissance August 21-27

Heroes August 28-Labor Day

Stepping Stones is helping families explore more attractions In Norwalk as a participant in the Sound of Summer program. Simply pay full price at one of the ten participating attractions and receive a special discount at all of the other attractions. As a special perk for Stepping Stones members, simply show your membership card to enjoy all the Sound of Summer benefits – no purchase necessary! For a full list of discounts visit http://www.norwalkct.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1418

ABOUT STEPPING STONES MUSUEM FOR CHILDREN

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday-Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free