Playing “I Spy” at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut

One of the oldest museums dedicated to American art, the New Britain Museum of American Art began in 1853 as the New Britain Institute, a cultural resource for the vibrant city of New Britain. Located in the Historic section of New Britain on the edge of Walnut Hill Park, known at one time as the Hardware City of the World, New Britain was booming as a manufacturing industry in the 20th century. 

With grants from promotion patrons, the Institute began purchasing artwork in the early 1900s and opened the Art Museum of the New Britain Institute in 1937. The organization changed its name to the New Britain Museum of American Art in 1959, and has since added two big expansions (in 2006 and 2015). Today, the 75,000 square foot museum is home to over 8,400 paintings, sculptures, videos and photographs in its permanent collection, and has over 15 galleries of exhibitions. 

Travel Tips:

Playing I Spy at the New Britain Museum of American Art:

1. The 1850 portrait of George Washington in the Early American Painting Exhibit in the Bentley Gallery.
2. The “Seal Rock” oil painting and the “Sleeping Children:” marble sculpture in the 19th Century Landscape and Hudson River School Exhibit in the Martin Gallery.
3. The 1700s school desks and dressers, chairs, and other pieces of furniture in the Shaker Gallery.
4. The parrot in the oil painting Pals in the realism art in the Hamm Gallery.
5. The Arts of Life in America murals that spans four walls in the Chase Gallery.
6. The massive Chihuly glass chandelier that hangs over the Education Wing stairwell.
7. Incredubility,  a mixed media piece of art in the Vault Exhibit– we dare you to count the push pins!
8. Perspective Box, an oil on canvas piece of art, in the Vance Atrium (go ahead- push back the curtain!)
9. Several 3D models built for the photographs in Walter Wick’s  “Can You See What I See?” book series on display in the Batchelor Gallery which showcases the work of Walter Wick, illustrator of the “Can You See What I See?” book series.
10. Optical illusions of Walter Wick’s artwork in the Space Station Impossible exhibit in the Batchelor Gallery.

Bonus: Check out the lower level Art & Book Nook (tons of books, art supplies, and activities), and art classroom spaces, and Lander’s House (home of the original art museum) with the Moser Library and Stanley Black & Decker Makerspace, where families can create their own art project (and take it home!)

Looking for other art museums in Connecticut? Check out our posts featuring the Yale Art Museums in New Haven, the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford,  the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford and reasons you should take kids to art museums. 

Disclosure: Our family was given a media pass to the museum; all opinions expressed are my mine