Community Calendar

Looking for the perfect staycation destination?

Whether you're planning family adventures, a cultural date, or quality time with grandkids, the Bruce offers captivating experiences for every visitor.

With a wide selection of programs and events, from interactive science to stunning art collections, there's always something new to spark your curiosity this summer!

Enjoy 10% off all membership levels.
Use code: SummerFun10
Valid through June 30, 2025

Perfect for:

Teacher thank-you gifts
Summer birthdays
Family adventures
Staycation outing
Escape the summer heat
Rainy day

Create unforgettable memories while exploring science, art, and nature together – or gift a membership to share the wonder with someone special!

Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England, co-organized by the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art to celebrate the YCBA’s reopening, features the work of the British portrait painter George Romney (1734–1802). Remembered today for his fashionable likenesses of wealthy patrons, Romney was rivaled in late 18th-century London only by the now better-known artists Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. His aspirations to be a history painter were never realized, but his many drawings serve as a testament to those greater ambitions. These swiftly executed sketches reveal a mastery of form, line, and light, while his proficiency as a musician and early experience building musical instruments distinguish him among his polymath contemporaries. To fully explore the era’s subjects and sensibilities, paintings and drawings by Romney from both museums are shown alongside selections from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments. Unveiling the contrasts in his artistic practice, the exhibition presents a forceful vision—one that has resonated with admirers through the centuries, from William Blake in Romney’s own time to the portraitist Kehinde Wiley today.

Katharine Hepburn was married once, to Ludlow Ogden Smith, in 1928. She kept her Babani gown, which was sold after she passed away and stored for twenty years. The Katharine Hepburn Museum has brought this dress back home to Connecticut and it will be exhibited alongside two others - one from the play "The Lake" (1933) and one from the film "The Sea of Grass" (1947) to create a stunning trio. This beautiful exhibit brings together Kate’s stage, screen, and personal lives in a never-before-seen way.

Museum Hours:
Tuesday through Friday 10 AM to 4 PM and one hour prior to performances. Closed major holidays.

Additional Summer Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 4 PM in July & August only

About the Exhibition: This exhibition presents highlights from the collection of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, which explores the impact of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 through artwork produced by eminent Irish and Irish-American artists of the past 170 years. The works on view in the exhibition will include paintings by late 19th- and early 20th‐century artists like James Brenan, Daniel Macdonald, James Arthur O'Connor and Jack B. Yeats, as well as sculptures, paintings, and works on paper by contemporary artists including John Behan, Rowan Gillespie, Brian Maguire, and Hughie O'Donoghue. The exhibition is presented by Quinnipiac University and the Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield Exhibition.

Image: James Arthur O’Connor, Scene in Connemara, 1828, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Quinnipiac University and the Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield Exhibition.

Experience the highlights of the Bruce Museum’s exhibitions during a guided tour that is free with museum admission. No reservations are required but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis. Please check in with the front desk if you wish to join.

Before heading home after a long workday, join us for a lively and engaging evening at the Bruce Museum! Grab a slice of pizza, a refreshing beer, and get ready to flex your brainpower with our fun-filled trivia game, moderated by museum staff.

Bring your friends or come solo—everyone’s welcome to this exciting after-hours event that promises laughter, learning, and a little friendly competition.

Price: $10 (includes a slice of pizza and a beer)

A reexamination of Benedict Arnold's 1781 raid on New London, Connecticut, dispelling myths and offering a balanced military study. The Traitor’s Homecoming uses dozens of newly discovered British and American primary sources to weave a balanced military study of an often forgotten and misunderstood campaign. Indeed, Reardon achieves a major reinterpretation of the battle while dismantling its myths. Thirteen original maps and numerous illustrations and modern photographs flesh out this provocative and groundbreaking study.

Registration is suggested.

Matthew Reardon is a native of northeastern Connecticut. He earned his BA in history and an MA in education from Sacred Heart University. He served as executive director of the New England Civil War Museum & Research Center for more than 15 years. He currently works as a middle school teacher in Vernon, Connecticut, and serves as a command historian for the Connecticut Military Department.

Don’t miss your opportunity to attend SPIRITUS’ 2025 season, “Tales of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!” Bringing world-class chamber music to Long Island, SPIRITUS will feature internationally recognized artists from around the world in a weeklong celebration of four different concerts from June 24-29, 2025. Each concert will revolve around a special theme and will feature both beloved old and exciting new chamber works from the classical repertoire. More information can be found at www.spiritusfestival.org - get your tickets today!

Looking for the perfect staycation destination?

Whether you're planning family adventures, a cultural date, or quality time with grandkids, the Bruce offers captivating experiences for every visitor.

With a wide selection of programs and events, from interactive science to stunning art collections, there's always something new to spark your curiosity this summer!

Enjoy 10% off all membership levels.
Use code: SummerFun10
Valid through June 30, 2025

Perfect for:

Teacher thank-you gifts
Summer birthdays
Family adventures
Staycation outing
Escape the summer heat
Rainy day

Create unforgettable memories while exploring science, art, and nature together – or gift a membership to share the wonder with someone special!

Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England, co-organized by the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art to celebrate the YCBA’s reopening, features the work of the British portrait painter George Romney (1734–1802). Remembered today for his fashionable likenesses of wealthy patrons, Romney was rivaled in late 18th-century London only by the now better-known artists Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. His aspirations to be a history painter were never realized, but his many drawings serve as a testament to those greater ambitions. These swiftly executed sketches reveal a mastery of form, line, and light, while his proficiency as a musician and early experience building musical instruments distinguish him among his polymath contemporaries. To fully explore the era’s subjects and sensibilities, paintings and drawings by Romney from both museums are shown alongside selections from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments. Unveiling the contrasts in his artistic practice, the exhibition presents a forceful vision—one that has resonated with admirers through the centuries, from William Blake in Romney’s own time to the portraitist Kehinde Wiley today.