Industrial Museum Permanent Location

The New Britain Industrial Museum was conceived in the early-1990s by Horace B. Van Dorn III, retired Vice President of Engineering at Fafnir Bearing, who felt there needed to be a local museum dedicated to New Britain’s history and accomplishments that could “generate civic pride and inspiration for education in our youth. It would serve as an economic beacon for future industrial development… and a meaningful attraction for tourism.” In April 1995, the New Britain Industrial Museum opened its doors in the CCSU/ITBD building with Mayor Linda Blogoslawski releasing a Stanley Tape Rule across the doorway; in the Fall of 2017, Mayor Erin Stewart released a Stanley Tape Rule across the doorway of the Museum’s current location, 59 W. Main Street.

New Britain has an important legacy, one that lives on in the items manufactured here, the patents granted to the people who worked here and the ingenuity of the people who lived here.  The New Britain Industrial Museum works to keep that legacy alive but due to space limitations, only a small fraction of its collection is currently being exhibited. We are in constant search for permanent location where the museum can display all items in the collection, increase pride in the community, and inspire the next generation. To do this, we need your help. Please consider making a donation to support the museum, its mission and its programs. Donations are recognized in the museum’s newsletter, are tax-deductible and can be made in honor of or memory of someone.