Danbury Museum & Historical Society

09/04/2026

We have a first Saturday double-header this week! At 12:30 p.m. we’re so pleased to welcome Walter W Woodward, Connecticut State Historian Emeritus to the Danbury Museum to present a program on the art of Colonel John Trumbull. At 2:00 p.m. local favorite Billy Michael performs. Both events are in the museum’s Huntington Hall and are free and open to all!

And if you're looking to keep up with all of our events and programs, you can sign up for our free newsletter on our website (https://danburymuseum.org/ , scroll to the bottom of the home page.)

08/29/2026

This afternoon the Danbury Musuem was thrilled to support Festival Gaucho Norte-Americano 2026 (CONFEDERAÇÃO NORTE-AMERICANA DO TRADICIONALISMO GAÚCHO) in celebration of the culture of Gaucho traditionalism with peoples accross the United States and Canada. The program helped us all understand the culture, song, and dance of the Gaucho international community. Thank you Mayor Roberto Alves - Chairman CT State Democratic Party and Farley For Danbury for joining in the fun this Saturday afternoon. We had a great time!

08/28/2026

August 28, 2026 marks the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On this day Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr delivered one of the most revered oratories in American history, with a working title of "Normalcy, Never Again" which is better known to us as the "I Have A Dream" speech.

Marian Anderson (and so many other incredibly talented women) performed that day. Memorably, for Anderson, it was a return to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, site of her historic Easter Sunday 1939 concert.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has a recording of all the day's performers (linked below) and of course we must include a clip of Ms. Anderson's singular rendition of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."

https://youtu.be/zfPm4ldiU5E?si=yZVuJJ7yOeT18rly

https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/women-musicians-shined-1963-march-washington-jobs-and-freedom

By Meredith Holmgren, Research Associate at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

08/26/2026

This Saturday, August 29, at 2 p.m., we are pleased to welcome the opening ceremony of the North American Gaucho Festival! The ceremony highlights the historical and symbolic foundations of Rio Grande do Sul’s traditions while strengthening the presence of the gaucho diaspora in North America. The program will include a formal reception of authorities and community leaders, the ex*****on of the official anthems of the United States, Brazil, and Rio Grande do Sul, a historical presentation on the Farroupilha tradition, and the symbolic lighting of the torch “Chama Crioula Paixão Cortes,” representing cultural continuity and identity among gauchos abroad.

We hope you will join us for the very special (and FREE and open to all!) afternoon with CONFEDERAÇÃO NORTE-AMERICANA DO TRADICIONALISMO GAÚCHO!

08/19/2026

We are so excited to welcome the North American Gaucho Festival’s Opening Ceremony to the museum campus on Saturday, August 29, at 2 p.m.! It’s going to be an exciting afternoon of culture and heritage that kicks off a month-long celebration dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the rich heritage of the Gaúcho people throughout the United States and Canada. Confederação Norte-Americana do Tradicionalismo Gaúcho Brasileiro.

Plan to come to the museum (43 Main Street) and take part in this special and memorable celebration!

08/14/2026

UPDATE: The orb has been FOUND!! Thank you to all who enjoyed the hunt and CONGRATS to the lucky finder!

The day has arrived!!! What’s red, white, blue and hidden on the Danbury Museum campus? The final, beautiful orb for the 2026 Merwinsville Hotel Restoration ! We’ve had a wonderful summer of being orbivores who love a scavenger hunt. Good luck and happy hunting for this end of summer trophy!

Thanks again to our friends Merwinsville Hotel Restoration and New Milford Comm On The Arts for this most excellent summer adventure!!

08/13/2026

Happy 127th Birthday, Alfred Hitchcock!

His profile is a classic, many of his films are classics, but our (local) favorite is the excellent 1951 thriller, Strangers on a Train, as some scenes were filmed right here in Danbury at Danbury Railway Museum! If you look at the third image, you’ll even see an Omaha Beef Company sign.

08/06/2026

Calling all ! Our final clear orb of the 2026 Merwinsville Hotel Restoration Orb Hunting season will be hidden tomorrow (by 10 am) on our 43 Main Street campus. We do still have passports, too, if you are looking to get one for your orb hunting adventures.

Next week, the much sought after red, white, and blue orb will be hidden as the grand finale for our summer orb hunting. We’ll let you know the timing for that next week!

Thanks to Merwinsville Hotel Restoration and New Milford Comm On The Arts for this summer fun!!

07/31/2026

We have a double-header coming up tomorrow, Saturday, August 1!

From 12-1 p.m. Connecticut State Archaeologist Dr. Sarah P. Sportman will be at the Danbury Museum speaking and sharing stories about Connecticut’s Indigenous peoples. We’re excited to welcome Dr. Sportman!

And at 2 p.m. we are so pleased to welcome back local favorite Billy Michael to the museum to sing and entertain with his singular mix of nostalgia and humor.Both of these programs are FREE and open to the public—all are welcome.

These events are both part of the Danbury Museum’s yearlong initiative to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

07/28/2026

We hope you’ll join us for a special Swampfield Social Summer Huzzah The Amber Room Colonnade on Saturday, August 15 at 11:30 a.m.! In addition to a superb Amber Room luncheon and a great raffle, we are *very* excited to welcome Walt Woodward (Connecticut State Historian, Emeritus) and the Band of Steady Habits for a program on New England musical tradition! Danbury’s wonderful musical heritage—Charles E. Ives, his father George Ives, and the glorious Marian Anderson, Tracy Chapman and more—makes this the ideal end of summer event.

In their own words, from The Band of Steady Habits: “Not too long ago, the only way to experience music was by being physically present at a live performance. While modern audiences typically consider folk ballads a form of musical entertainment, in the days before audio recordings they often contained significant messages and were layered with cultural meaning.

Helen Hartness Flanders, daughter of a Vermont senator, was a remarkable woman who spent years of her life chronicling folk songs with help from her rural neighbors so that their unique New England culture could be preserved for future generations. Her eponymous collection of folk song notes and recordings (The Helen Hartness Flanders Folk Song Collection) now resides at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Walt Woodward and the Band of Steady Habits take a fresh new look at this collection, tracing the histories of these folk songs back in time with insight on their meaning and significance to earlier generations of New England. These venerable tunes are brought back to life in what is sure to be an immersive experience for all in attendance. In the continuing tradition of New England folk music gatherings, audience participation is strongly encouraged!”

Tickets and all the details for this rousing late summer event are at DanburyMuseum.org! Questions? Call us at 203-743-5200