Explore Guide

Located behind the majestic equestrian statue of Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam (1718-1790), is the Brooklyn Historical Society Museum. The museum houses the permanent General Putnam Gallery whose exhibits “Israel Putnam: Facets of a Hero” and “General Israel Putnam Remembered” explore the fascinating life of the farmer and citizen soldier whose daring exploits in a Pomfret wolf den and during the French and Indian War made him a legend in his own day, and the creation of the statue that honors him. The museum’s Special Exhibit Gallery features changing displays of local history. The current exhibit is “Treasures from Brooklyn’s Attic,” which showcases some of the varied objects of our collections, items such as silver spoons and spectacles made by Edwin Newbury (1799-1872) in his small shop near the Brooklyn Green, a Civil War era silk dress, ice harvesting equipment, and a circa 1835-1840 oil painting Young Girl With Cat. The museum is wheelchair accessible and air conditioned. Behind the museum is the 19th-century law office of Putnam’s great-grandson Daniel Putnam Tyler (1798-1875) furnished as it might have been during his career, which included his service as a County Court Judge and Secretary of State when he supervised Connecticut’s first comprehensive economic census. Both museums are open every Wednesday and Sunday, from I to 5 p.m., from Wednesday, May 21st through Sunday, October 12th or by special appointment. Please call 860-774-7728 to schedule. There is no admission charge for either museum.