Connecticut River Museum In Essex Wins 2 Statewide Awards

ESSEX, CT — The Connecticut River Museum in Essex has received two 2026 Awards of Merit from the Connecticut League of Museums, one for its "Birding on Board" program and one for its exhibition on early submarine warfare.

The league announced its 2026 awards Oct. 5, recognizing museum work by individuals and organizations across Connecticut. The Connecticut River Museum was one of the institutions listed among this year's recipients, receiving awards for "Birding on Board" and "The Famous Water Machine of Connecticut: How Grit, Determination, and Ingenuity Launched a New Era of Submarine Warfare."

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The museum, at 67 Main St. in Essex, is a private, nonprofit educational institution based on Steamboat Dock. The museum says its mission is to deepen appreciation of the Connecticut River's history and inspire stewardship through educational and recreational experiences.

"Birding on Board" is an on-the-water education program in which students learn about the environmental history of the Connecticut River from the Industrial Revolution to the present. The program includes bird identification, data collection and use of eBird, a citizen science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.

"The Famous Water Machine of Connecticut" was on view from April through July 12 and focused on David Bushnell's Turtle, an early submarine developed during the Revolutionary War. The museum is home to two Turtle submarine replicas, including one that visitors can enter and another commissioned during the nation's bicentennial and christened by Gov. Ella Grasso.

The exhibition looked at the submarine's construction and was presented as part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The museum says the original Turtle was constructed in secret in 1776 and used during the Revolutionary War to transport a bomb with a delayed flintlock detonator to a British warship.

"For over 60 years, the League's Awards of Merit have honored the best work happening at Connecticut's museums, historical societies, cultural organizations, and libraries," Amrys Williams, executive director of the Connecticut League of Museums, said in the release. "This year's pool of nominations was the largest and strongest in recent memory, and we are thrilled to be honoring more than 20 separate organizations and one stellar individual whose efforts reflect the creativity and vibrancy of our state's cultural sector."

Mike Forino, a Connecticut League of Museums board member and co-chair of the Awards Committee, said the awardees reflect work being done across the state's museums.

"The number of outstanding nominations is a testament to the dedication and resilience of our museum community as the field navigates real challenges," Forino said.

The awards will be presented from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the New Britain Museum of American Art. The ceremony and reception are ticketed and open to the public, according to the league.

The Connecticut River Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.