Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center

08/29/2026

Become a Volunteer Today!

Join our team of dedicated volunteers and help make history! As a volunteer, you'll join a team of enthusiastic and friendly colleagues who share a passion for history and service. Our volunteers are teachers, retirees, college students, corporate professionals, parents, and more. Hours are flexible. We provide orientation, ongoing training, and enrichment opportunities to ensure that your experience is enjoyable and rewarding.

Apply today! Contact us at [email protected], subject line "Volunteer."

08/25/2026

Save The Dates! KTM&HC's annual (and incredibly popular!) ghost tours, are happening again this year! Friday, October 23rd through Sunday, October 25th only! Tours run 5 to 7 p.m. each day and are recommended for ages 7 and up.

Explore our historic site after dark as you follow your guide across our four-acre campus – and prepare yourself for this year's ghostly encounters - & storytelling with a historic twist!

Tickets will go on sale in September. Stay tuned for more information, including a reveal of some of the ghostly figures who will be haunting KTM&HC this October!

08/24/2026

**New Exhibition Upcoming** - 60 Objects for 60 Years!

September 19, 2026 – July 4, 2027 · Th-Su, 11am to 4pm
Visitor Center and Sitewide
Included in site admission

In honor of KTM&HC's 60th birthday, 60 Objects for 60 Years showcases the institution's history through a selection of archival documents, photographs, 3D objects, and buildings. The varied objects bring to life the evolution of KTM&HC's site, stories, programming, and audiences, turning the historical interpretive lens inward to reflect on how KTM&HC has grown, adapted, and changed over the years.

The exhibition will also recognize many of the people who were instrumental in the museum's successes over the years, highlighting volunteers, staff, and community stakeholders who helped shape KTM&HC's preservation and education initiatives.

Start the experience in the Visitor Center, where some of KTM&HC's most fragile and/or rarely viewed archival records will be on display. An exhibition brochure will detail all the objects featured and provide a map so that visitors can locate a variety of objects throughout the four-acre campus.

Be sure to stop back periodically, because we'll be rotating different objects throughout the exhibition's run!

Image: The New York Times announced the founding of Keeler Tavern Preservation Society, Inc. in an 1965 article.

08/13/2026

Are you searching for the perfect Connecticut wedding venue? Look no further than Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center. Named on "BEST OF WEDDINGS 2026" by The Knot, our Garden House is the perfect place to host your small celebration on your big day. Our historic Walled Garden holds the perfect background to put your special day on display. Head over to keelertavernmuseum.org/rentals/ for more information!

Keeler Tavern Museum in Ridgefield, CT provides educational and cultural programs on colonial life, exhibitions and public events in our carriage house, and a garden for hosting special events.

08/12/2026

Join us 11a-4p on Sept 6th for our next FIRST SUNDAY!

On the first Sunday of every month, come to KTM&HC for FREE site admission, which includes a tour of our historic museum and access to all current exhibits - as well as fun, FREE ACTIVITIES for visitors of all ages in the Garden House!

Just in time for the start of the school year - make your very own felt pencil case to keep your new supplies organized! Also learn about what school was like for kids in the past and try out some historic school supplies, like quill and ink or slate and chalk.

No advance registration is needed. Check in at the red brick Visitor Center!

Keeler Tavern Museum in Ridgefield, CT provides educational and cultural programs on colonial life, exhibitions and public events in our carriage house, and a garden for hosting special events.

08/11/2026

***NEW EXHIBITION ALERT***
Hands-On History: Living Off The Land

Aug 15 – Nov 1 · Th-Su, 11a to 4p

Get ready to get hands-on with KTM&HC's historic tool collection! Hands-On History, the annual interactive exhibit that encourages visitors to “please touch,” opens Saturday, August 15 and runs through Sunday, November 1. The exhibition is included in the price of site admission.

Hands-On History is one of KTM&HC’s signature programs: a series of rotating, interactive exhibits that showcase objects from the museum’s extensive tool collection and explore intersections of history, science, and technology. This year, Hands-On History’s theme is "Living Off the Land," exploring the agricultural heritage of Ridgefield through the tools farmers used in the 18th and 19th centuries to produce food for their families and community. The exhibit follows the farming cycle, from preparing soil to planting seeds to harvesting and processing crops, and considers the impact that dramatic climate and weather fluctuations had locally.

Hands-On History: "Living Off the Land" is not your usual museum exhibit! Farm tools are built to be used, so the exhibit encourages visitors of all ages to do just that: tools labeled with “TRY ME” signs have movable parts and functions that anyone can test out, from corn shellers to oat cleaners. It also features self-directed activities stationed throughout the exhibit – more great opportunities for hands-on exploration of how science and history overlap.

School and youth groups can book educator-led tours of the exhibit free of charge. Email [email protected] for more information.

08/10/2026

Join us Tues, Aug 18 from 12p-3p for a FREE drop-in quilt workshop in our Garden House, in partnership with Cotton Candy Fabrics

We're celebrating KTM&HC's 60th anniversary by making an Anniversary Celebration Quilt! This fun initiative is in collaboration with our friends at Cotton Candy Fabrics & Quilts in Brookfield, CT. The Celebration Quilt will be made of sixty blocks, each bringing to life an object from the museum's upcoming exhibit, 60 Objects for 60 Years: Reflecting on the People, Places, and Stories of KTM&HC.

Need help coming up with an idea for your quilt block? Have an idea, but not sure how to make it come to life? Staff from Cotton Candy Fabric & Quilts will be available in the Garden House to help quiltors design and assemble their blocks for the Celebration Quilt. Supplies - including sewing machines - will be available for use, and staff can assist with multiple techniques.

The workshop is FREE! Advance registration is requested (to ensure well-stocked supplies) but not required.

08/04/2026

KTM&HC will make our debut appearance at at the Ridgefield Farmers Market on Saturday, August 15th from 10a-1p!

Stop by the KTM&HC craft tent for historically inspired kids' activities - FREE! Each fun take-home craft has connections to elements from our museum collections.

Ridgefield's Farmers Market features organic farm fresh produce, baked goods, and specialty items alongside family activities and live music, every Saturday through October 3. Learn more at ridgefieldfarmersmarket.org.

07/29/2026

Our Annual Carriage Barn Tag Sale is Back!
Head over to our Carriage Barn's Lower Level from July 31 – August 2 · 9a-3p!

Find hidden treasures and great deals this summer at this popular, volunteer-run event that directly supports KTM&HC. All profits benefit the upkeep and preservation of the museum’s various historic buildings.

Items are priced to move, so shop early for the best selection! Be sure to note the new location - the lower level of KTM&HC's Carriage Barn, which is accessible through the building's back doors, adjacent to the Barn parking lot. The Tag Sale will take place rain or shine, and parking and admission are free.

Keeler Tavern Museum in Ridgefield, CT provides educational and cultural programs on colonial life, exhibitions and public events in our carriage house, and a garden for hosting special events.

07/24/2026

Thank you, CT Humanities !!

In addition to yesterday's announcement of Major Grants, CT Humanities’ Board of Directors also approved 18 Quick Grants totaling $77,701. This round of grants supports organizations across Connecticut that offer initiatives and projects focused on Latino and Hispanic cultures and the commemoration of America 250.

To learn more about these organizations' work and future plans, please visit: https://cthumanities.org/news/

Capitol Region Council of Governments - CRCOG Central Connecticut State University Cultural Alliance FC Florence Griswold Museum Hai An Pagoda Hartford's Proud Drill, Drum & Dance Corp Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center Layavinyasa The Mark Twain House & Museum Mystic Film Institute Mystic Museum of Art Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart University Community Theatre The Salisbury Forum Shakesperience Productions, Inc. SPEF - Stamford Public Education Foundation Town of Vernon, Connecticut Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art