The Connecticut Historical Society is a non-profit museum, library, and education center. Our mission is to inspire and foster a life-long interest in history through exhibitions, programs and Connecticut-related collections because examining and understanding the past, and connecting the past with the present, provides a guide for the future.

Established in Hartford in 1825, The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) is one of the oldest historical societies in the nation and houses one of the most distinguished museum and library collections in New England. The museum’s collections include more than 242,000 prints and photographs and 38,000 objects, with strengths in 17th and 18th century furniture; costume and textiles; portraits and landscapes; tavern and trade signs; decorative arts; and toys and tools. The library holds more than 125,000 volumes, 1,300 maps, 3,700 broadsides, and three million manuscripts, including one of the nation’s finest genealogical collections.

Our library and museum holdings are available through our research center. CHS is dedicated to improving online access to our research collections over next few years. Currently Connecticut History Online, a collaborative website, has over 15,000 historic images of our state - and objects too!

You can also visit our galleries, which are designed for both adults and families, and include permanent as well as changing exhibitions.

Public programs and events for adults and families offer a fun way for individuals to think about history and learn from our collections.

CHS also offers a wide range of educational programs for students in grades K through 12 and we are the State’s host of National History Day.

The CHS has been managing the Old State House (OSH) since 2003. There you can enjoy an audio tour of the building and the multi-media exhibition History Is All Around Us, participate in activities and programs, and even have an opportunity to rent some of the spaces. For more information visit the website www.ctosh.org.

For more information about The Connecticut Historical Society, you may download our 2003-2006 Annual Report (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) or email CHS at ask_us@chs.org.

If you are interested in receiving postings of our programs and/or our quarterly email newsletter featuring our collections and information about coming events, please register for our mailing list.