The East Windsor Historical Society Museum is a local-history museum at Scantic Academy in East Windsor, Connecticut. Its exhibits trace the town’s history from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods to the present, and its historic grounds give you more to see than the museum building alone.
- Location: 115 Scantic Road, East Windsor, Connecticut 06088.
- Typical opening pattern: Saturday hours are published as 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. from April through November; the society’s homepage specifies May through October. Visits can also be arranged by appointment.
- Admission: Connecticut’s tourism listing says admission is free.
- Setting: The main museum occupies the historic East Windsor Academy, also called Scantic Academy.
The Museum and Its Local Setting
The East Windsor Historical Society Museum is housed in the East Windsor Academy building, known as Scantic Academy. The academy is on the National Register of Historic Places under the name East Windsor Academy, with Scantic Academy-East Windsor Historical Society Museum as an alternate name.
The society was founded in 1965 in anticipation of the 1968 bicentennial of East Windsor’s incorporation. Its work focuses on collecting and preserving material about the town’s civil, ecclesiastical and natural history, as well as Connecticut history. The society also covers the histories of East Windsor’s five villages: Broad Brook, Melrose, Scantic, Warehouse Point and Windsorville.
The museum is at 115 Scantic Road. For a broader sense of the area around the town, the Windsor Locks area guide covers the neighboring community.
Collections and East Windsor History
The museum’s exhibits and artifacts cover East Windsor history from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods to the present. The society’s collecting mission gives that story a wider frame, connecting local material with the town’s religious, civic and natural history and with the history of Connecticut.
The site extends beyond the academy. Its historic buildings and features include the Osborn House, Broad Brook Barber Shop, East Windsor Probate Court, Barber Hill School, seven barns and an outhouse across more than 42 acres. These named structures and features reflect the breadth of the society’s work across East Windsor’s past.
Opening Information and Visits
Saturday hours are published as 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. from April through November, though the society’s homepage gives a May-through-October schedule. Visits are also available by appointment. Because the published seasonal schedules differ, check the official site before you go.
Connecticut’s official tourism listing says admission is free. If you plan to visit outside the regular Saturday pattern, contact the society at eastwindsorhistory@gmail.com to ask about arranging an appointment.
How do you get from Windsor Locks to the museum?
The museum is in East Windsor, at 115 Scantic Road. Use the address to plan your route. Bradley Inn offers rooms in Windsor Locks.
The Connecticut Trolley Museum is another museum in the same town, at 58 North Road, with a different focus from the historical society’s local-history collections.
You can plan a visit to the Connecticut Trolley Museum as a separate stop.
Pairing the Museum with Nearby Stops
The Connecticut Trolley Museum gives you another East Windsor museum to consider alongside a visit to the historical society. The two institutions cover different subjects: the historical society focuses on East Windsor and Connecticut history, while the trolley museum offers a separate museum visit. Check each institution’s official information for its own visiting arrangements before setting out.
FAQs
Where is the East Windsor Historical Society Museum?
It is at 115 Scantic Road, East Windsor, Connecticut 06088, in the East Windsor Academy building, also known as Scantic Academy.
When is the museum open?
Published Saturday hours run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. between April and November, while the society’s homepage specifies May through October. Visits can also be arranged by appointment.
Is admission free?
Connecticut’s official tourism listing states that admission is free.
What historic buildings are on the grounds?
The grounds include the Osborn House, Broad Brook Barber Shop, East Windsor Probate Court, Barber Hill School, seven barns and an outhouse.