East Haven, Branford's Shoreline Trolley Museum Gets $400K State Grant

EAST HAVEN/BRANFORD, CT —The Shoreline Trolley Museum, shared by East Haven and Branford, is set to receive a state grant of $405,375 to update both Museum campuses to allow a more accessibly inclusive environment for guests, volunteers, and staff, Gov. Ned Lamont announced today.

The state is releasing more than $7 million in state grants to several nonprofit organizations for the purposes of making facility and infrastructure upgrades at 34 cultural and historic sites statewide. And the popular Trolley Museum is among them.

The funds are being released under the state’s Good to Great Grant Program, which is co-administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and CT Humanities. It was established in 2014 with a goal of helping nonprofit arts, cultural, or history organizations enhance visitors’ experiences in engaging, meaningful, and relevant ways.

“As one of the oldest states in the nation, Connecticut has many unique cultural and historic sites that not only share the history of our state but also provide avenues for that culture to continue into today,” Governor Lamont said. “I’m glad that we can release this state funding and get it into the hands of these nonprofit organizations, who will use these grants to maintain and enhance the valuable services they provide to residents and visitors to our state.”

The Good to Great Grant Program is a competitive award program that recognizes those organizations that devote time and energy to planning strategies to improve the visitor experience, according to Liz Shapiro, the director of arts, preservation, and museums at DECD.

“These funds have been awarded to organizations of all sizes who demonstrate deep thinking about who they are as organizations, and what they could be if granted access to capital funding," she was quoted as saying. "I’m so proud that DECD is a funding partner for this outstanding group of projects.”

Dr. Jason R. Mancini, executive director of CT Humanities, said the program "aligns with our goals to provide equitable access to grant funding and recognizes the connection between a vibrant arts and humanities ecosystem and a strong tourism economy."