Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) announced $339,612 in Museums for America grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The federal funding will be used to support projects and ongoing activities for museums and historical societies in Hartford, Old Lyme, Kent, Mystic, and New Haven.

  • Connecticut Landmarks in Hartford will receive $150,000 to engage with teens to create new exhibitions and related programs at the Nathan Hale Homestead, the Hempstead House, and the Butler-McCook House and Garden.
  • Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme will receive $49,530 to develop, produce, and evaluate a prototype online learning portal that will help Connecticut elementary school teachers and students learn about state history and culture through the museum's collections of American art.
  • Kent Historical Society in Kent will receive $17,394 to purchase new storage cabinets and a dehumidifier to relocate and rehouse a collection of artwork from their historic house museum, Seven Hearths.
  • Mystic Seaport in Mystic will receive $24,971 to extend the reach, impact, and diversity of its first-person interpretation program, “Witness to History.”
  • Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University in New Haven will receive $97,717 to significantly improve storage conditions and accessibility for their herpetology and ichthyology collections currently stored in substandard cabinetry.

“Connecticut is home to many magnificent museums and historical societies that play a vital role in enriching our communities. This well-deserved funding will help strengthen and support these valuable institutions so they can continue to highlight our history, attract tourists, and engage and educate our children for generations to come,” said Blumenthal, Murphy, DeLauro, Larson, Courtney, and Esty.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services-- an independent, federal agency-- is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.