Connecticut River Museum

Members: $30, Non-Members: $35 Join author and historian Jerry Roberts aboard Onrust for a trip back in time to 1814! On this special cruise, passengers will trace the path of the British Raid on Essex during the War of 1812, which saw 27 ships set aflame in the single greatest loss of American shipping of the entire war. Explore the real-world locations of this dramatic chapter in Connecticut history alongside the author of The British Raid on Essex: The Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812. Jerry Roberts has been in the history business for over 30 years. He has served as Vice President in charge of Exhibits at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum in New York City, and as Executive Director of the National Lighthouse Museum project in NYC, the Connecticut River Museum in Essex CT, and the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. He has designed and built over fifty exhibits, designed and project managed several major museum expansion and infrastructure projects. He has written several books and other historic publications and has co-written and appeared in a number of documentaries. The Connecticut River Museum may record this event, including all questions, comments, etc. by the audience. […]

Shanties & Sails are back! Enjoy an evening of Sea Shanties. Hear talented shanty and sea-song musicians for a FREE one-hour live performance. Add to your evening to continue the fun. Book a trip on the Onrust! Shanties: FREE, Onrust: $25 This music series is generously supported by Privé Swiss Wellness. Littlefield and Morneault Joseph Morneault, performing with David Littlefield as Littlefield and Morneault: A duo of folk music presenting ballads, the sea, and songs of local historical interest. David Littlefield is a lifetime resident of Old Lyme and has worked many years at Mystic Seaport. He is known for his scholarship on whaling and the history of the whaling ship the Morgan, as well as his songs about local businesses that supported or were supported by the shipping trades. Joseph Morneault is the president of the Maritime Music & Tradition Society, which features as its primary event the annual CT Sea Music Festival held in Essex, CT. Joseph is a social historian and author with a focus on the late 18th century, and can be regularly heard performing every Monday night at the Griswold Inn in Essex. ONRUST Onrust is a re-creation of the vessel Adriaen Block built in 1614. […]

Join us aboard RiverQuest and Onrust for a magical evening on the Connecticut River to witness the incredible Tree Swallow phenomenon. Each night at sunset, hundreds of thousands of Tree Swallows gather and perform stunning aerial ballets before settling into the reeds for the night. Enjoy over two hours on the water, taking in the breathtaking scenery and the unique show the swallows create. This small group experience offers a special, ever-changing glimpse into the river’s natural wonders.

Join us aboard RiverQuest and Onrust for a magical evening on the Connecticut River to witness the incredible Tree Swallow phenomenon. Each night at sunset, hundreds of thousands of Tree Swallows gather and perform stunning aerial ballets before settling into the reeds for the night. Enjoy over two hours on the water, taking in the breathtaking scenery and the unique show the swallows create. This small group experience offers a special, ever-changing glimpse into the river’s natural wonders.

Sea Lamprey have a bad reputation: they invaded the Great Lakes in the mid-1800s, they suck the blood of other fish, and many consider their appearance to be off-putting. But these parasitic creatures are not all that they seem. Sea Lamprey play an important and under-recognized role in the Connecticut River ecosystem, providing food for other river species and bringing in vital nutrients from the ocean. Join Steve Gephard for a talk that dissects these misunderstood fish and challenges our ideas of which species are “good” and worthy of our appreciation. As a Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection fisheries biologist, Steve Gephard worked tirelessly for 42years to restore a viable population of Atlantic salmon and other migratory fishes in the Connecticut River. Now, he educates the public about the role fish play in the ecosystem and works with governments in North America and Europe to conserve salmon populations in the North Atlantic.

Join us aboard RiverQuest and Onrust for a magical evening on the Connecticut River to witness the incredible Tree Swallow phenomenon. Each night at sunset, hundreds of thousands of Tree Swallows gather and perform stunning aerial ballets before settling into the reeds for the night. Enjoy over two hours on the water, taking in the breathtaking scenery and the unique show the swallows create. This small group experience offers a special, ever-changing glimpse into the river’s natural wonders.

With generous support from The Petit Family Foundation, the Connecticut River Museum is pleased to provide sensory friendly items including bean bag chairs, noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys available for this special one-hour program. Exhibits with loud noises and/or bright lights are modified to allow people with a range of abilities to experience all the Museum has to offer. A designated quiet room is set up for the duration of the event to allow visitors to decompress, take a break, and experience the Museum at their own pace.

Join exhibiting artist Evie Lovett for a hands-on experience making photographs using objects, the light of the sun, and water. With cyanotype photography, photographs are made by placing objects on specially coated non-toxic light-sensitive paper, exposing it to the light of the sun, and developing the image in water. The result is a captivating image in shades of dark blue to white. Create a work of art and discover the process behind Lovett’s artwork, on view in Watermark: Capturing the Connecticut exhibit. Although supplies will be provided, attendees are welcome to bring their own flowers, leaves, or plants, which can be used to make cyanotypes. RSVP is required. Members $10; Non-Members $15

Swing by the Connecticut River Museum for take-home craft activities that engage kids with the Connecticut River’s stunning wildlife and rich history. Crafts will take place in the Museum’s Boathouse. A program just for kids 4+ and their caregivers, River Tales includes a story and craft activity themed around nature. Join us for an extra-spooky River Tales as we read Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies, a beautifully detailed exploration of bat behavior and navigational skills as they hunt for food. Questions? Email astromberger@ctrivermuseum.org.

Join us for a special talk featuring one of the artists behind our Watermark: Capturing the Connecticut exhibit. During this program, Evie Lovett will touch on the historical origins of cyanotype photography and its contemporary usages in education and fine art. Lovett walked the watershed where she lives in Vermont, from its headwaters in a damp spot in a forested nature preserve, down past her home, alongside dirt roads, backyards, an auto repair shop’s junked cars, fields of corn, beaver dams, wetlands, a bird “hot spot”, the village of Putney, Vermont, the shuttered Putney Paper Mill (once powered by the brook), under I-91 and the railroad tracks, until it reached the Connecticut River. Along the way, she made photographs, gathered plants, shapes, and patterns. Back in her studio, she incorporated this material, along with text, research, and maps, into her art. This lecture will be available in person and over Zoom. To access the live stream, please purchase a Virtual Ticket. Members Free; Non-Members $5 RSVP is required.

Join Tumble Science Podcast for Kids for a live event at the Connecticut River Museum. Expect a delightful morning with games and stories inspired by their popular episode “What’s That Bird Song?” Together, families will explore the vibrant world of Northeast birds—how they sound, where they live, and their special ties to our surroundings. Special guest Emmy Brockman, an award-winning singer-songwriter and early childhood education specialist, will be performing as well. This interactive event promises curiosity, joy, and discovery—Tumble style! Tumble is a science podcast to be enjoyed by the entire family. It is hosted and produced by Lindsay Patterson (science journalist) and Marshall Escamilla (teacher). Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, uncover mysteries, and share what science is all about. Members $10; Non-Members $12

Known best today for his literary masterpieces and frank observations on society, Mark Twain was an active participant in the spiritualism craze that swept the United States during the 19th century. Throughout his life, including the time he spent living in Hartford, he took an interest in the spirit world by attending seances, palm readings, and meeting mediums. Join historian Jason Scappaticci for a lecture that explores the supernatural through the lens of one of America’s greatest literary minds. This lecture will be available in person and over Zoom. To access the live stream, please purchase a Virtual Ticket.

The Connecticut River Museum welcomes you to a very special housewarming event! The Lay Home, located just up the street from the Museum building, is a deeply historic property with centuries of stories to tell. In celebration of recent renovations to the Lay Home, the Museum is hosting a full day to enjoy and explore this cornerstone of Essex. At 10 a.m., local yoga instructor Hayley Cann will lead a guided yoga session in the Lay Home’s multipurpose room. Beginners are encouraged to attend. Please bring your own yoga mat. Following yoga, there will be a 30-minute guided house tour at 11 a.m. led by the Museum’s Executive Director Elizabeth Kaeser. Then, there will be additional 30-minute open house tours between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. This program will act as a preview for future Lay Home tours and will explore the process behind telling the story of a building with rich, layered history. At 5 p.m., the multipurpose room will host a musical performance by Ben Cosgrove, a traveling composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. As the Museum’s new Artist-in-Residence supported by grant funds from the Wolf Kahn Foundation, Ben will create music inspired by the Connecticut […]