We received a new pass for the Shore Line Trolley Museum.
Our museum passes are funded by the Friends of the Hamden Library. The Shore Line Trolley Museum Pass offers a 50 percent discount for up to six people.
Regular rates apply for additional visitors. [Adults 10.00,
Seniors (62+) 8.00, Children (2-15) 6.00]
The Pass is valid on all scheduled public operation days (10:30am-4:30pm) and expanded special events programs during the 2012 season; except for October's Haunted Isle.

May ……………………………………. Saturdays and Sundays
Memorial Day to Labor Day ……. OPEN EVERY DAY
September…………………............ Saturday, Sundays and Labor Day
October……………………………….. Saturdays and Sundays
December…………………………….. First Four Weekends
Special Events: Easter, Mothers Day, Antique Car Show, Fire Apparatus Show, Art Show, Movie Weekend, Haunted Isle (pass is not valid for Haunted Isle), Pumpkin Patch, Star Gazing and Winter Wonderland

Two additional State Park passes available

We just added two more STATE PARK passes for circulation. Just in time for a beautiful weekend!

The passes can be checked out by Hamden residents with valid Hamden Public Library cards. One pass per family. The pass covers cost of parking, where there is a parking charge. Parking fees are charged at all four state park beaches on Long Island Sound as well as several inland parks. Also covers admission for two adults and four children at state historical sites and exhibit centers at Dinosaur, Fort Trumbull and Gillette Castle State Parks. Enjoy!

More info on State Parks in CT


Hamden Public Library Museum Pass List

New Pass to the Hill-Stead Museum

We received two new passes to the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT. Our museum passes are funded by the Friends of the Hamden Library. The pass offers free admission for 1 adult and two children (under 18). The pass is not valid for special programs and events. The Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. 
Check availability of pass here. 

Hill-Stead (a National Historic Landmark) is a Colonial Revival-style house, set on 152 hilltop acres. It was designed by Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946), who was one of the first American women architects. She was a graduate of Miss Porter's School in Farmington, CT. Hill-Stead showcases Impressionist masterpieces, as well as numerous works on paper and Japanese woodblock prints, all displayed among original furnishings in an intimate family setting.The sunken garden was designed by Beatrix Farrand.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children - Pass

The Friends of the Hamden Library provide the funding for our museum passes. We received
a pass to the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk. The pass offers one free
admission with one paid admission. The museum is open daily, Monday through Sunday from 10 to 5. It offers free admission on First Thursdays, from 5 to 8 pm. It is closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Adult admission $15, Child Admission $15 (children under 1 free), Seniors (over 62) $10.

The museum is located on five acres in Mathews Park in Norwalk. It offers an Energy Lab, Tot Town, a hands-on building/construction area, and Healthyville. There is also a traveling exhibit gallery, a multimedia gallery, a celebration courtyard, community garden with garden follies, a family and teacher resource center, an art studio and science lab. 

Pass Status for the Stepping Stones Museum for Children 
List of Museum Passes 


 

New Pass to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

The Friends of the Hamden Library are funding our museum passes. We received four passes to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford. Each pass admits two guests for free. The pass may be used for a free Stowe House tour or a Child's Tour. The Child's Tour is available Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm.

Since the Mark Twain House is located right across from the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, a family can check out both passes at the same time, if available.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Ave., Hartford, CT. Open Wed.-Sat.: 9:30 – 4:30, Sun.: 12 – 4:30. Closed Jan. 1, Easter Sunday, July 4, Thanksgiving Day; December 24 and 25. 

Catalog Link

Catalog Link

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Life

Harriet Beecher Stowe House

Uncle Tom's Cabin

List of Hamden Library's Museum Passes

Pass to the American Museum of Natural History will expire May 31, 2012

Our pass to the American Museum of Natural History will expire on May 31, 2012. The library is unable to renew the pass, since the museum has changed the pass policy. Use it before we loose it! 

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in New York City, Central Park West at 79th Street. Tel. 212-769-5100

The pass offers FREE general admission for 2 adults and up to four children. The museum is open daily from 10 am until 5:45 pm. Note: This pass can be checked out for two days.

All other museum passes can be checked out for one day only (overnight). If you check out a pass on a Saturday when the library is open, it will be due on Monday, before 9 pm.

The library's Museum Pass Program is funded by the Friends of the Hamden Library. Passes may be borrowed by Hamden residents only with a valid Hamden library card. The passes cannot be reserved or renewed. One pass per family. Overdue fines are $10 per day. You can check out the passes at the information desk at Miller Library in Hamden. Please call our information desk (203)287-2680 for more information.

Fall-O-Ween Festival at Mystic Aquarium

The Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT offers a Fall-O-Ween Festival October 27 - 30. It includes sea lion shows, a haunted maze, underwater pumpkin carvers, magic shows, scavenger hunts, ice carvings and entertainment. Admission price differs from day to day. For more information, click here.
If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden Library card, you can check out our museum pass to Mystic Aquarium and receive a discounted admission price. Each pass enables patrons to save $6 off Adult admission and $4 off Children admission (limit of 2 Adult and 2 Children admission per pass). For pass status check here. Pass cannot be reserved or renewed. First come, first serve. One pass per family. The pass can be checked out overnight during the week. It is due the next day before the library closes. If you check it out on a Saturday, it is due Monday, before 9 pm, since the library is closed on Sundays.

Museum Pass List Hamden Public Library

Halloween Fun at the Shore Line Trolley Museum

The Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven, CT offers a "Pumpkin Patch" with all kinds of Halloween fun for children. It runs every Saturday and Sunday in October from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Pumpkin Patch includes pumpkin decorating, toy trains, refreshments and other fun, with one free pumpkin per child admission while supplies last.

If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden library card, you can check out our museum pass to the Shore Line Trolley Museum and save 50% of the admission price for up to six visitors. Check the pass out at the info desk at Miller Library. If you borrow the pass on a Saturday the library is open, it will be due on Monday, before 9 p.m. If you borrow the pass on a Friday, it is due on Saturday, before 5:30 p.m. Check for pass status here. Passes cannot be reserved or renewed.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum also offers "THE HAUNTED ISLE" which features "ghoulish frights for mature audiences" every Friday and Saturday night in October, beginning at 7 p.m.
The last trolley leaves at 10 p.m.

Connecticut Science Center Coupons

We received coupons to the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Each coupon is good for 20% off general admission for up to four people. Coupons expire December 31, 2011. Request a coupon at the info desk with your Hamden library card. One coupon per family.

The Connecticut Science Center in Hartford opened in June 2009. It offers 150 interactive exhibits, 3D movies, live science, a gift shop, a cafe and more. Daily activities include Story Time and Talks and Tours. For more information on the Connecticut Science Center click here or call 860-724-3623.


Spooktacular Science Weekend October 29 & 30:
"The Connecticut Science Center gets kooky and spooky at the Spooktacular Science Halloween celebration. Make your own slime, have a hair raising experience with electricity and enjoy tricks, treats and plenty of surprises. Seasonal family fun at every turn." For more info click here
For a listing of Hamden Library's new Science and Nature books click here.

Mark Twain House - Haunted Tours

The Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT offers Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours: Friday, October 14, 15, 21, 22, 27 and 28; tours step off at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

"Reported ghostly apparitions, mysterious bangs, and other unexplained phenomena, along with visits from Syfy’s Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters Academy, have led us to reprise our popular Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours this year. Hear spooky tales – and learn about Mark Twain’s own interest in the supernatural. The one-hour tour takes guests through all three floors of the house, plus the Servants’ Wing and the spooky basement. Reservations are required, as these tours sell out well in advance."

Check out our pass to the Mark Twain House. Mark Twain House and Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105, 860-247-0998. Pass Status. This elaborate Victorian mansion with rare interiors by Louis Comfort Tiffany was the author's home for 17 years (1874-1891). 19 furnished rooms including many of Twain's possessions. Pass entitles the visitor to either one complimentary adult admission OR two complimentary child admissions with purchase of one adult admission.

You might also be interested in the book: American Writers at Home which discusses how living spaces reflected personalities and influenced writings. The book contains a chapter on Mark Twain's House in Hartford, CT.

Last Chance - Historic Deerfield Pass

Our two passes to HISTORIC DEERFIELD will expire at the end of October. We will not renew this pass.
Each pass offers free admission for up to 4 visitors. Historic Deerfield is a 330 year old village with more than 11 museum houses which can be explored with guides, two are available for self guided tours. Experience early American life from the 1704 Deerfield Raid and the French and Indian War, to the American Revolution and the first decades of the new Republic. View world-class collections of antiques, special exhibitions, or enjoy an outdoor garden and meadow walk (seasonal). In addition there are family programs, hands-on activities in the Apprentice's Workshop at Dwight House, special events, distinctive shopping, and a tavern lunch.
Historic Deerfield is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from April 16 to November 27, 2011 with the exception of Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. Driving time from Hamden is about one hour and forty minutes. More information about events and exhibits is available online at http://www.historic-deerfield.org/ or from the Hamden Library at 203/287-2680.

Check out our other museum passes

2011 CT State Parks and Forests Day Pass

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Hamden Public Library, we have now three copies of the popular 2011 CT State Parks and Forests Day Pass in circulation.

Check availablity here. The passes cannot be reserved. Passes are checked out on a first come, first serve basis. Hamden residents with a valid Hamden library card can check out the pass overnight at the info desk at Miller library. One pass per family. Passes are due the next day before the library closes. During the summer, when the library is closed on Saturdays, if the pass is checked out an a Friday, it is due on Monday before the library closes at 9 pm. Passes need to be returned to the info desk at Miller library.

The passes are valid until December 31, 2011 and cover the cost of parking at state parks and forests where there is a charge. This includes beach state parks as well as inland state parks. The passes also cover admission for two adults and four children at state historical sites and exhibit centers at Dinosaur, Fort Trumbull and Gillette Castle State Parks. The passes are not valid for groups or vehicles carrying more than 12 passengers. They are offered as part of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE initiative.

For more information call the information desk at 203/287-2680. See a listing of our other museum passes here.

Check out a museum pass

If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden library card, you can check out our museum passes.

Passes are available at Miller Library, at the info desk. If you check out a pass this Friday, July 1, you can keep it until Wednesday, July 6, due to the 4th of July Holiday Weekend. The library is open today Friday until 5:30 pm. We are closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday and will open again Tuesday, July 5, at 10 am. During the week passes can be checked out overnight. Passes cannot be reserved. We have passes which offer either free admission or a discount.

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Pass

We received two new passes to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Each pass admits the pass-holder and accompanying family members for free. The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays and New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The museum is open on the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. The passes can be checked out by Hamden residents only with valid Hamden Library cards (first come, first served).

Pass Status

List of Museum Passes

New Art and Photography Books

Institute for American Indian Studies Pass

Last chance to check out the pass to the Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road in Washington Depot, CT 06793 (Map). The pass will expire at the end of June and will not be renewed. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am to 5 pm; Sun 12 to 5.
The pass admits a family
for free.

“Located just off Route 199, this museum and educational center focuses on the indigenous peoples of northwestern Connecticut, the Woodland Indians of New England. Changing exhibits highlight Native American culture from across America, while permanent exhibits focus on American Indian living traditions of the northeast. Outdoor exhibits include a replicated Algonkian Village and simulated archaeological site. Spend the afternoon and enjoy our four hiking trails, healing plants garden and picnic areas. The Museum Gift Shop offers the best in Native American jewelry, crafts, pottery, books and more. “

The library's Museum Pass Program is funded by the Friends of the Hamden Library. Passes may be borrowed only by Hamden residents with a valid Hamden library card. They are checked out for one day (overnight) with no renewals and no reserves. Overdue fines are $10 per day. Please call our reference desk (203) 287-2680 for more information.

May 18 - International Museum Day

International Museum Day is May 18 - today!

This day is celebrated every year since 1977 to raise awareness of the importance of museums in the development of society. The Advisory Council for the International Council of Museums chose "Museum and Memory" as this year's theme.

Our library has lots of books on museums for children and adults and offers Hamden residents free museum passes which are funded by the Friends of the Hamden Library.

Connecticut Landmarks
Connecticut Open House Day Saturday, June 11, 2011


Check out this listing of the most visited art museums in the world! Can you guess number one?

And what were the
highest attended exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

Lots to explore!

Celebrate National Preservation Month

Celebrate National Preservation Month and visit Historic Deerfield this May.
Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Hamden Public Library, Hamden residents with valid Hamden Library cards may borrow a Museum Pass to Historic Deerfield in Deerfield, MA. Each pass offers free admission for up to 4 visitors. Historic Deerfield is a 330 year old village with more than 11 museum houses which can be explored with guides, two are available for self guided tours. Experience early American life from the 1704 Deerfield Raid and the French and Indian War, to the American Revolution and the first decades of the new Republic. View world-class collections of antiques, special exhibitions, or enjoy an outdoor garden and meadow walk (seasonal). In addition there are family programs, hands-on activities in the Apprentice's Workshop at Dwight House, special events, distinctive shopping, and a tavern lunch.
Historic Deerfield is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from April 16 to November 27, 2011 with the exception of Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. Driving time from Hamden is about one hour and forty minutes. More information about events and exhibits is available online at http://www.historic-deerfield.org/ or from the Hamden Library at 203/287-2680.

Check out our other museum passes

Monet Exhibit in Hartford

The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford has a new exhibit:

Monet's Water Lilies: An Artist's Obsession
It will be on display from February 17 to June 12, 2011.

Hamden residents with valid Hamden library cards can check out a free museum pass to the Wadsworth Atheneum. The pass offers free admission for up to two adults and two children. Please note: Museum Passes cannot be reserved. They are available on a first come, first serve basis. Here are some of our newer books on Monet:

Women Artists at the New Britain Museum

There is a new exhibit at the New Britain Museum of Art, featuring Women Artists. 80 works chosen from over 600 will be on display through March 20, 2011. If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden library card, you can borrow a free museum pass to the New Britain Museum of Art which admits four people free.

Among the influential artists featured are Sarah Miriam Peale, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Dorothea Lange, Louise Nevelson, Lee Krasner, and Helen Frankenthaler. Among the contemporary artists are Nina Bentley, Ellen Carey, Lisa Hoke, and Lalla Essaydi.

American Moderns On Paper

"American Moderns on Paper" is the title of an exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT. It will run from Oct. 2, 2010 to Jan. 17, 2011. It presents a "selection of approximately 100 of the finest watercolors, pastels, and drawings by leading American modernists from the Wadsworth Atheneum's renowned collection of American art."

If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden Library card, you can check out our free museum pass to the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Exhibition Catalog
Exhibition Website