Top Museums in Bristol, United States

Very interesting and great exhibits. Presentation from Kate Kelley was excellent

Friendly staff, in-depth and wide-ranging displays, and a beautiful old school building. Definitely worth the stop!

Probably the largest and most interesting historical society I've been to in New England, it's larger than some museums I've been to and has a really excellent catalog. Plus a very friendly staff.

Our favorite surprise of a road trip to Connecticut.
Museum had a wheelchair available for one 90+ year old guest in our party.
The carousel animal exhibits are nicely displayed, showing off the artisanship of the original carvers. The docent was very well informed about their history, regional/ US vs. European similarities and differences. A perfect docent for the high fact-finder, and the artistic type. The Lego carousel was cool, as were the small scale models.
There is/ are artisan(s) onsite who work to restore carousel animals and sculptures. It is great to see this tradition continue (especially with a craftsman under 60!).
Fire museum upstairs is small, but packed with interesting objects, including many from outside the U.S.
This is "the little museum that could." It might look little, but don't plan on zipping through in 30 minutes; one can easily spend 2 hours here.
If anything, I wish there were more opportunities to engage, such as a (paid) membership. Merch in the gift area was limited; I've seen carousel and animal ornaments many places - this would be a natural.

We had an amazing experience at this unique and interesting museum. My 2 grandchildren (ages 4 and 6) were entertained by an incredible volunteer staff who answered their questions about the antique horses (and others) on display, gave them rides on the carousel and played the band organ for them. They were given a scavenger card so that kept their attention as well. Some lovely volunteers, who were restoring horses, took time out to explain the process. A bonus feature is a small antique fire fighter museum which the kids loved. It was an overall great experience for all of us. Thank you especially to the amazing staff! We did go during the week (not on a school vacation) so it wasn’t crowded. The cost is super reasonable. Seniors 10.00, kids free!

Thank you for an amazing experience at The Carousel museum. Everything was well organized. We had a very professional tour guide. Museum is maintained very well and has so many objects to see.
Our students had a great time .
Thank you again and see you soon.

Very much a pleasant surprise in our own county.

We had a catered dinner at the Bristol Historical Society. Great space, really interesting venue. Looking forward to going back.

Our guide was very polite and helpful. Shared a lot of information and we were glad we visited

Absolutely top quality. Is the current show is beautiful. Rarely have I been to an art show where the quality is so consistently high. Don't miss this show!

Beautiful and unique little museum with more treasures hidden inside. Visitors at any time can enjoy the extensive collection of carousel animals, exhibits showing how the animals are made (both past techniques and modern) and a kids area including a small carousel that children can ride. We visited in time to see a carving workshop, and had a chance to speak to some of the very kind and knowledgeable docents. We also saw a kids birthday party in their smaller downstairs event space. There is a beautiful, large event space upstairs with a grand piano and more carousel animals on display. Included in admission are two smaller museums, a fire fighter museum and a hellenic museum. They are clear labors of love. I found the whole place very charming and would love to spend more time there on a return visit.

We love this place. Reading and listening to the history of carousels is really interesting. The displays are beautiful.
The fire museum that us upstairs is small but neat. My kids had fun riding and re riding the carousel, lol.

Great group of fiber artists in TENSIONS exhibit

This museum was full of carousel curiosities! The first floor is amazing. The second floor has a huge display of privately owned fire fighter memorabilia. I hope the Greek history display is under construction because it was a little disappointing, but the main attractions are definitely worth the stop!

Great source of fascinating CT history

Attended a school art show here for some of my colleagues, a nice quiet space for their work to be displayed, staff was very accommodating.

We celebrated our triplet daughters' second birthday at the Bristol Carousel Museum and it was above and beyond everything we expected. Elizabeth helped us book the venue and was very responsive and helpful with any questions we had. She even let us choose a little later of a time slot so we could come after our girls' nap time when they are in their best moods.

The day of the party Max and Cheryl were so wonderful in helping us set everything up for our "tea party" breaking out their finest tea cups and having hats for the kids to decorate. They guided us on a quick private tour of the museum and even with the kids being young, they captured their attention and answered every question with such patience.

By far the highlight of it all was the unlimited carousel rides for the adults and kids alike but I was also surprised to find they even had a little area with toys for the kids to play with which our girls loved! At the end of the party each child received a beautiful poster to take home and our girls were gifted light up magic wands as a birthday gift from the museum. Everyone had a blast and the adults and kids equally raved about how much fun they had.

I will definitely be back to explore the museum and maybe attend one of their future events!

Be aware there is a mask policy in effect that is not mentioned on their website. I will not go back as long as that policy is in effect.

Love it 100 💯💯💯💯 percent recommendation for there great help

Short hours (Wed, Thurs, Fri 1pm-5pm)

This is an amazing place to visit! So many interesting things to see!

Very nice museum with admission free (donation box available). This is an old school. The main floor has specific programs, the upstairs is jam packed with various artifacts and organized very well.

Wonderful Christmas Fair today. Lots of beautiful things to choose from and the prices can't be beat!!

This is an incredibly well-curated collection of historical artifacts representing not only the history of Bristol but also of our country as well. The permanent collection is deep and they are able to draw upon it to mount changing exhibits. The latest is the history of local businesses in town, specifically the Mom and Pop shops that have come and gone. Other enlightening exhibits have focused on the Portuguese history of our small town and the role of women. The society is also an invaluable resource for genealogists and historians.

Amazing place! With all honesty, it blew my expectations. I thought it was going to be a quick 30 minutes visit, but it turned out to be over an hour and half. Many things to look at, beautifully restored carousel items and a functional carousel. There was also a second and third smaller museums or showings of a Fire fighting dedicated museum and another to Greek culture. The kids also enjoyed the scavenger hunt throughout the museum and the arts and craft room. But, best of all were the people who work here. Very attentive and welcoming.

The 2019 house tour was outstanding! Fantastic homes, superbly organized with well informed and helpful volunteers at each. Great job!

Lovely spot. Proud to have this gem in our neighborhood!

Enjoyed the tour

Awesome. Brought back lots of memories from childhood.

This is an amazing place, not just for seeing great art but as a gathering place for lectures and community events. Bristol should be proud to have this museum in their turn.

What a wonderful place to have for the city! We are purchasing a home that was designed by E. Hill Turnock in 1913. We were able to come view the Turnock project and the various other homes he designed.
Everyone was very friendly and helpful! The ability to come in and research the local history is wonderful!
We were able to make copies of documents to take home, for only 10 cents a copy.

It was relatively small but the artwork was extraordinary.

Very large collection of artifacts. Special ways for kids to engage set up in each room at their eye level or near the floor. Impressed!

Cool stuff to check out