Barnum Museum

Friday, 28 May 2010 11:20

P.T. Barnum, born 200 years ago, was one of the great characters to come out of Connecticut. He grew up in Bethel and later lived in Bridgeport, where he established his museum at 820 Main Street as the Barnum Institute of Science and History. It's now the Barnum Museum, which recounts the colorful life of its founder and his “Greatest Show on Earth.” The museum, unfortunately, was badly damaged by the tornado that hit Bridgeport in 2010 and is in the process of repairing the building and conserving and restoring its collection. Among the unusual items are “Baby Bridgeport,” an elephant born in 1882 in the Park City, and “Pa-Ib,” an Egyptian mummy. There are mementos of Bridgeport native Tom Thumb, born Charles Sherwood Stratton in 1838.

The museum also pays tribute to the glory days of Bridgeport and its manufacturing heritage and recounts the career of P.T. Barnum, the famous impresario, from his roots in Bethel to his life in Iranistan, his Bridgeport mansion. Swanke Hayden Connell Architects were selected this spring for the $15-to$17-million restoration and conservation project. Information about the work and fund-raising efforts will be posted online.

Details

The Barnum Museum is at 820 Main Street in Bridgeport, accessible from I-95 or the Merritt Parkway. For more information call 203-331-1104 or visit www.barnum-museum.org.