About Connecticut Landmarks

Founded in 1936 as the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, Connecticut Landmarks (CTL) has become one of the leading historical organizations in the state. CTL owns and operates a state-wide network of 12 historic properties that span four centuries of New England history, from the colonial period to the mid-20th century. Our museums are starting points for deeper exploration and greater appreciation of the Connecticut experience. Our real-life stories, as told through our houses, collections, and programs, make our state’s rich and complex history relevant to modern visitors.

Nine of our historic properties operate as museums, including: the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden in Bethlehem; the Butler-McCook House & Garden and the Isham-Terry House in Hartford; the Buttolph-Williams House in Wethersfield; the Amasa Day House in Moodus; the Hempsted Houses in New London; the Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry; the Palmer-Warner House in East Haddam; and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in Suffield.

Connecticut Landmarks’ Mission

Through a commitment to preservation, storytelling, and education, we connect people to the state’s revolutionary contributions and complex past at our historic house museums.

Connecticut Landmarks’ Vision

We inspire our communities to understand the ripples of the past so they are empowered to move Connecticut forward.

Strategic Goals

In early 2025, the Board of Trustees adopted a new Strategic Roadmap to advance Connecticut Landmarks’ mission. This plan is organized around three goals:

1. To make investments in Connecticut Landmarks’ properties, programs, and visibility to maximize the opportunities to attract and engage visitors.
2. To build Connecticut Landmarks’ revenues so that the organization is financially sustainable.
3. To adapt the governance and staff structures so that Connecticut Landmarks can achieve its programmatic and financial goals.

Inclusion

Connecticut Landmarks is a proud member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a global network of historic sites, museums and memory initiatives connecting past struggles to today’s movements for human rights and social justice. The Coalition includes more than 250 members in more than 65 countries.

Most of Connecticut Landmarks’ properties came into our care when donated by their final residents. The houses were preserved to protect them from future development and changes, to honor families’ legacies, and because of their architectural importance or their significance in early American life.

However, as an organization, we acknowledge the shortcomings of this collection. Most of these houses focused only on the histories of the white people who lived there, many with wealth, status, and privileges not shared by all Americans. As a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, CTL believes we must face all aspects of our history. We are working hard to broaden the stories we tell at our sites to be more inclusive, and to engage the public with dialogue on these issues and how we can best face them together.

Visitors to our sites will be asked to consider their place in history. They will be asked to consider how choices that were made in the past impact our present and our future. Plus, visitors will be asked to consider how they can make their mark on the future knowing the stories of the past. Expect to see history, but also expect to be challenged by it.

Connecticut Landmarks is working hard to be a more inclusive and equitable organization. We seek to bring in new visitors, new viewpoints, and new experiences that will impact a wide range of people. This inclusivity extends to our staff, our board, and our consultants. This is an ongoing process and one that requires all of us to work toward the same goals.

Connecticut Landmarks’ Policy on Generative AI

Connecticut Landmarks carefully considers the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Our commitment is to human-centered approaches that further sustainability, invest in our field, maintain privacy, mitigate bias, and ensure accuracy of information. The use of Generative AI is strictly limited in all areas of Connecticut Landmarks’ work.

We believe in the power of the lived experiences of individual Connecticut residents, and the histories they generated. According to research conducted by the American Alliance of Museums, museums are some of the most trusted institutions in the United States, with 90% of survey respondents finding them to be trustworthy. We believe it is our responsibility to honor that trust by providing accurate information and visuals generated by humans based on our documents, stories, and collections.

As AI technologies continue to develop, Connecticut Landmarks may choose to integrate such tools to enhance our work while maintaining our values and the trust of our communities. We pledge to be transparent about any changes to this policy.

No part of this website may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.