vintage radio and communications museum of connecticut

Ok... first I'll admit that I'm an electrical engineer, so I'm a confirmed geek. That said, I really enjoyed this museum. We visited midday on a Saturday. There were at least 3 tour guides/docents leading tours. The museum's founder signed us in, and described the museum as a hobby gone wild. That is the perfect description! Our tour guide was also an electrical engineer, but none of his descriptions were too techie for a layman to understand. He started our tour with a working telegraph apparatus, then showed us several ancestors of the phonograph. We moved on to movie equipment, including a description of Edison's failed attempts to create "talking movies." And then we covered the beginnings of telephone and radio. We got to watch a very exciting Tesla coil demonstration, and learned about FM radio and the earliest automated telephone switches. There was far too much to see in the hour and 50 minutes we spent there. We had to rush through the television section because we had to catch a flight at nearby Hartford Bradley airport. If we had the time, the docent could have easily taught us for at least another hour--especially more about the development of television, computer, and computer networking.

We were visiting our son and family in Connecticut and they took us to this museum. For a small fee we received the most extraordinary 2 hour tour from a very knowledgable docent. And in addition we were also able to witness some Tesla coil experiments. Definitely a place you should visit when in Connecticut. Learned so much and it was all so interesting.

Lucky me, I was the only visitor in this museum and wound up getting a private tour from the two experts who were there. Thanks so much guys; I really enjoyed your museum.The aisles are jam-packed full of radios, televisions, phonographs, typewriters, computers, camera equipment and more. Shelves have extensive displays of vacuum tubes, military communication devices, transistor radios and broadcast microphones. Just start at the far end (early 1900s) and wind your way down each aisle. In the 30s and 40s, radios were like furniture: the devices were hidden in cabinets, tables and even fake books. Check out the first TVs that had a magnifying glass in front to enlarge the tiny image. If you’re a baby boomer, you might recognize old radios and early record players that your parents had in the home when you were a kid. I would recommend a visit here to anyone who likes "gadget nostalgia."Many things in the museum are still in working order. I got demonstrations of crank-up phonographs, a teletype machine, and radio and TV transmissions. Great fun!

Off the beaten path, but worth the trip. This is a friendly place run by folks that really care. It will help to have an interest in radio, telegraph, and telephones - all pre-SmartPhones. But really, who doesn't these days.As a museum, it's on the small side. Probably 1,000 sq ft of floor space, but it is filled with incredible stuff. Edison cylinder records, telegraph and teletype machines, a history of vacuum tubes and transistors and more. $7 to get in, but the staff will offer a free tour and full description of the history of the devices. I was amazed by the working demonstrator of 60's era phone switch equipment - very cool! There is even a working ham radio station available to broadcast from for those with an FCC license.Plan on 30-45 min to get thru it all - more if you really get involved, which is likely. Plan on enjoying every minute. Plan on trip into the past!

This is a 6star museum for sure. It is an incredible collection of what some might call junk, that has been classified, loved, repaired and tended to create a historic timeline of electronics, communication, theatre, radio and more. The guided tour is the best, and the guide is so excited, it is almost too much information. These guys know their stuff and are so very excited to share all they have to offer. This place needs to be on the map for all museum goers and history buffs. there is so much that it boggles the mind to start to list things in the review. So I will list a few and there are so many more.Imagine getting to play music on an original Edison Phonograph. with wax recordings.Then step up to the second model Edison created in the thirties and listen to the improvement.Then step up the the next level with thick records and learn how they were created and listen again. If I only got that part of the tour I would have been ecstatic and happily overwhelmed. But the history and stories continued about theatre and projection.the first projectors and the meaning of lime light.How traveling movies were the rage in the twenties and what got peoples attention.and on and on and onAny way I describe it, this is a wow wow wow museum and I loved it.

This place is full of surprises and pleasant ones at that. We got to know so many new and interesting facts about radio and telecommunications. A must visit place if you have young kids or are history enthusiast.

I took my son for a scout trip. It was unexpectedly enjoyable. My son built an am radio. We also took a tour in which we heard old phonographs. We were taught how each different kind o player worked.

Always had an interest in radio, Dad was an early ham radio operator, so went to this museum expecting a static display of antique radios. They have that plus well planed and presented hands on displays covering every aspect of human communications including typewriter, telegraph, phonograph, movies, TV, telephone, ham radio (including a functional ham radio station), commercial broadcasting (including a working replica of a broadcast control room and sound effects studio) and working Tesla coil demonstrations for dramatic electrical displays. Their gift shop carries beautifully restored antique radios and telephones at very reasonable prices plus a variety of souvenir items. We planned to spend an hour and stayed three.

This museum tells the history of radio, TV, and other communications technology. It's full of wonderful old machines that people of all ages will be nostalgic about. You will see old grammophones, teletype machines, telegraphs, refrigerators with radios in them, radios with bars in them, telephone relays, early computers...you name it. There are displays that show what the earliest television images looked like and a chance to hear a crystal radio. It's not glossy or fancy, but it is a labor of love for the volunteers. It will really make you think about technology and its effect on our culture.

We are a family of 5, with 3 kids ages 5-12. We stopped here on our way from Boston to Pennsylvania. We found the listing in the AAA Tourbook, as we were looking for something to stop an see for a about an hour. We ended up staying much longer.They have much more inside than you would guess from the outside. It is well organized, and our tour guide (Ed Sax) was great. He encouraged the kids to try out the displays. He took time to answer the kids' questions, and adapted his presentation for what they already knew. (My husband and I are both engineers, we homeschool, have kids who are interested in technology, and also have a collection of antiquated computers in our garage!) We especially enjoyed the demonstrations of a Victrola, a Tesla coil, and some of the old phones.

We thought this was a very interesting display. It's a small operation. The owner was our "tour guide". The two of us were "the group". We spent an hour or a bit more and throughly enjoyed our "trip through time". It's always weird to go to museums and see items you remember using in past years. There have been a lot of changes in communication technology during our lifetimes and it was fun to see old familiar items from our youth or early marriage. The guide was very personable and well informed. This museum is only open on Thursday and Friday from 10 AM to 3 PM. We took ex 36 off of I-91, turn right on 178 (Park Ave), .6 miles to Windsor Ave, turn left on Windsor. Stay right at the Y in the road. It's 1.6 miles to Pierson Lane. It would hard to find with out a GPS with only the address. Their phone number is [--]. We paid $6 - the Senior 60+ rate and thought it was well worth it.

My wife and I visited the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut yesterday and we were shocked... this is a really good museum. It's a hidden gem. We though we'd spend an hour there but after a couple of hours, we need to go back to see the rest. The name of this museum really does not do it justice. Although radio is the central theme, this museum traces the history of mass communications and entertainment from pre-electricity days (typewriters, crank phonographs), through telegraphy, crystal radios, battery sets, consoles, hi-fi, television and even computers. There is a nice display of home and professional theater movie projectors and related memorabilia. Everything is nicely explained with signs and we were led by a very knowledgeable guide. Unlike most museums, there are quite a few things that guests are encouraged to try... ever play a theremin? And there are some strategically placed items to keep the younger ones busy too.A great way to spent an afternoon!

The museum is a treasure-trove of communications historical elements from early telegraph and telephone devices through vintage audio and video recording equipment. They even have an operational ham radio studio and reel-to-reel recording studio! A must for kids and hours of fun and an educational experience for all! Highly recommended!