Canton Historical Museum Reopens For The Year

CANTON, CT — The Canton Historical Museum in Collinsville has reopened to the public on Sunday, resuming regular weekend hours after its winter closure.

The museum, located at 11 Front St. in downtown Collinsville, will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., according to an announcement from Kathy Taylor, president of the museum.

Admission is free, with donations accepted. Special tours can be arranged by email.

The museum typically closes in January and February, but can accommodate special tours during that period with advance notice.

Housed in a three-story building constructed in 1865 by The Collins Company, the site reflects a significant part of Canton’s industrial history.

The Collins Company manufactured axes, machetes, and more than 1,300 types of edge tools from 1826 to 1966.

From the 1860s through the early 1920s, the building was used to paint and ship cast iron plows.

After tractors, including those made popular by John Deere, replaced plows, the structure was converted into a recreation center for company employees and their families.

It included a reading room, a lunch room, a shooting gallery, and six bowling alleys.

Since opening as a museum in 1970, the Canton Historical Museum has displayed artifacts related to the Collins Co., Victorian and Civil War-era items, local Native American tools, and recreated spaces such as a general store and bridal salon.

Other exhibits include farm tools, band instruments, a fire engine and equipment, and a children’s room.

A large train diorama on the top floor, built and maintained by the Farmington Valley Railway Association, depicts downtown Collinsville and the Collins Company factory buildings circa 1903.

Visitors can operate several model trains by pushing a button.

The museum also hosts the annual “Gallery of Trees,” a three-week fundraising event held from mid-November through early December.

Those interested in volunteering or conducting research in the museum’s library are encouraged to contact the organization by email.

For more information on the Canton Historical Museum, click on this link.