You can learn a lot about a city by looking at what it chooses to preserve. In New Haven, that can mean the objects that document nearly four centuries of history, the everyday things that capture how people lived here, or the legacy of someone whose work began here and reached far beyond it.
These three stops offer a closer look at the people, ideas and experiences that have shaped New Haven.
New Haven Museum (114 Whitney Ave.)
The New Haven Museum tells nearly 400 years of New Haven history through art, artifacts, photographs and documents. Its collections explore the city’s maritime and industrial past, its neighborhoods and communities, and the people and events that helped shape The Elm City.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students ages 12 and older. Children 12 and under are free.
Lost in New Haven (80 Hamilton St.)
Lost in New Haven offers a completely different take on the city. More than 20,000 objects, photographs, signs, maps and pieces of memorabilia tell New Haven’s story through the things people made, used, bought and left behind.
The collection is filled with familiar names, long-gone businesses and unexpected pieces of local history. Self-guided visits are available Mondays from 12–5 p.m. and Thursdays from 12–7 p.m. Admission is $10 per person during the current phase of opening. Children under 5 are free.
Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center (1 State St.)
The Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center explores the life and legacy of the New Haven priest who founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882. Exhibitions follow McGivney’s life and ministry in New Haven and the organization that grew from his work into an international Catholic fraternal organization.
The center also presents changing exhibitions focused on religious art, history and culture. Admission is free.
Photo Credit: Lost in New Haven
