Need 'More Cowbell?' Berlin Historical Society Has The Prescription

BERLIN, CT — If you have a fever and the only prescription is "more cowbell," then the Berlin Historical Society has something just for you.

That's because it has restocked one of its most distinctive local souvenirs: steel cowbells that pay tribute to the town's agricultural and manufacturing heritage.

The society announced July 25 that the $10 bells are once again available for purchase at its museum, which is open Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Visitors can also browse the museum's exhibits during those hours.

According to the Berlin Historical Society, the cowbells serve as "a timeless reminder of our town's farm history, and of the Yankee peddlers who made Berlin known far from our community."

The organization noted that bells have long been used to signal events, celebrate news and bring people together.

Today, it suggests the cowbells can be used at sporting events, family gatherings, to call children in for dinner, chase squirrels from bird feeders or simply "make joyful noise."

The announcement follows a July 14 post reminding residents who had reserved bells to pick them up at the museum and noting that additional bells had become available for sale.

The Berlin Historical Society said the bells are made of solid steel in Connecticut by the country's last domestic bell foundry and are intended to celebrate Berlin's dairy farming past.

The museum is open to the public on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. for shopping and exhibits.

Of course, the cowbells can also be used to re-enact a certain Saturday Night Live skit from 2000 that turned "more cowbell" into an iconic pop culture catchphrase as well.