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Tales of the Crypt(s)
Downtown's hidden historic treasures
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Business New Haven
3/18/2002
By: Priscilla Searles
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Have you ever pretended to be a tourist in your own city? You might discover that there is a lot more to see than you might have realized, gems that you may have overlooked.
New Haven has a wealth of museums and galleries - some of which many people have never seen. So if you are in the mood for an enlightening experience, grab your map and start walking. There is plenty to see within easy strolling distance of the New Haven Green.
The New Haven Colony Historical Society's red brick Georgian Revival building with its massive pillars houses a collection that preserves and interprets the history of New Haven, from colonial times to the contemporary age. Located at 114 Whitney Avenue, the museum presently houses the New Haven Illustrated: Colony, Town and City gallery, which highlights more than 300 years of New Haven history. It includes paintings, photographs, objects such as an original model of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, Charles Goodyear's rubber inkwell, A.C. Gilbert's Erector set and manufactured goods. Additional permanent galleries trace New Haven's maritime past and tell the story of Joseph Cinqué and the voyage of the Amistad. Two additional galleries house changing exhibits. For researchers, the Whitney Library includes 30,000 printed items and more than 250 manuscripts in addition to genealogical and architectural records. Admission is $2 , $1.50 for seniors and students. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday, and weekends from 2 to 5 p.m.
The John Slade Ely House, located at 51 Trumbull Street, is a non-profit center for artistic and humanitarian endeavors. Eight galleries display the works of New Haven's oldest art clubs, the New Haven Paint & Clay Club and the Palette Club. During the academic year, the gallery exhibits the works of contemporary Connecticut artists. From September through June the galleries are open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and weekends from 2 to 5 p.m.
Small doesn't mean inadequate. The Arts Council of Greater New Haven's Small Space Gallery is a great place to drop into if you happen to be near Audubon Street. The hallway and conference room walls display works by Arts Council members. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
While you are on Audubon Street, drop by the Creative Arts Workshop. Two galleries feature exhibits by CAW teachers and students as well as local artists. The galleries, free of charge are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays during exhibitions.
If your children haven't been fortunate enough to take a school field trip to the Connecticut Children's Museum, then by all means plan an excursion on your own. This is a not-to-be-missed experience for children ages three to ten. Housed in a recently renovated historic building at 22 Wall Street, the museum features rooms with a different theme to challenge the imagination and encourage creativity.
Music is everywhere in the “Making Music” room. Children can see it, make it, hear it and study it. The “Reflections” room houses mirrors and is home to three large wooden sculptures, a “Frog & Toad Are Friends” frog, a “Blueberries for Sal” bear and a “Caps for Sale” tree full of monkeys.
The “Figure It Out” room houses a maze wall with moveable slats so children can arrange and rearrange pathways for rolling balls. The “Great Green” room from Goodnight Moon contains the words from this famous children's story in different languages and Braille. Children can design buildings from around the world in the Space Place, play with a wall-sized Cityscape dollhouse in City Connections, and study live bees in the “To Bee or Not To Bee” room. The museum is open noon to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $5.
The Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale features changing exhibitions by Jewish artists or about Jewish themes. Many pieces are on permanent exhibition, including a lithograph by Marc Chagall and the Yale Hillel Judaica Suite, a set of Jewish ritual objects composed primarily of silver and garnet stones, designed by Joseua Marrow. The center is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays,
The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at 121 Wall Street houses one of the largest libraries in the world devoted to rare books. On permanent display are a Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from moveable type, and Audubon's Birds of America. Pick a sunny day to visit: The effect of the sun shining through the translucent marble panes to the interior is a rare sight. The building was fabricated of Vermont marble and granite, bronze and glass. The courtyard features sculptures by Isamu Noguchi and represent the earth, the sun and chance. The exhibition area is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays during the academic year.
The Yale Collection of Musical Instruments may be one of New Haven's best-kept secrets. Located at 15 Hillhouse Avenue, the gallery houses an 18th-century harpsichord that Bach might have used to compose one of his cantatas and a piano similar to the one on which Mozart wrote his first minuet. Glass cases preserve objects of musical history, produced in eras when artistry reigned.
The collection includes French guitars from the 1700s as well as an 18th-century Russian bassoon. You can listen to a music box or organelle built in the 1800s.
Morris Steinert, a local Jewish piano manufacturer and retailer, helped to found this incredible collection. Born in Germany, he returned to Europe to collect old and forgotten instruments, which he later donated to Yale. The instruments were displayed in the rotunda of Woolsey Hall until Yale established the present museum. The collection continues to grow and today contains nearly 1,000 instruments - making it one of the most important musical-instrument collections in the world. It also serves as a laboratory for courses in the history of musical instruments and is a supplemental archive for courses on the history of music and related subjects.
Admission to the museum is free to Yalies, $2 for others. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays during the academic year. They are closed July and August and during University recesses. And don't forget to ask about the concert series.
Artspace, at 50 Orange Street, was founded in 1984. Today it is parent to three core programs: The untitled gallery, a lab for emerging curators featuring rotating exhibitions of new and challenging work in all media and a permanent collection of works on paper by promising artists from the region. Artspace is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Thursdays until 5 p.m.
One of Connecticut's newest attractions is the Knights of Columbus Museum, located in the former municipal Community Services Building at One State Street. Tours of the renovated 77,000-square-foot facility begin in the theater with a six-minute introduction to the exhibitions. Galleries include the Columbus Gallery, focusing on Christopher Columbus' impact on world history and housing artifacts from his second voyage of exploration in 1493. A 17th-century statue of St. Peter welcomes visitors to the Papal Gallery. The Library Gallery contains rare books and documents, while the States Gallery contains artifacts and mementos from the 11,500 K of C councils worldwide.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; during summer months 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free, as is parking beneaththe museum.
If you ever wondered what your physician might do in his spare time, he just might be painting a masterpiece or taking a spectacular photograph. One of the newest galleries in New Haven is the Yale Physicians Building Art Place, where those connected to Yale University or Yale-New Haven Hospital exhibit artworks. Located at 800 Howard Avenue, Art Place Five opens March 21. Nineteen artists (including three MDs) will display quilts, oil paintings, photographs, sculpture, fiber art and basket weaving. The exhibit may be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
While you're downtown, drop in to the New Haven Free Public Library. Located at 133 Elm Street, the library holds exhibits with local and/or educational themes. And if you're fortunate enough to find the New Haven Crypt open for tours, you'll be surprised what you'll learn about colonial New Haven. Located under First (Center) Church of Christ on the New Haven Green, the crypt includes tombstones dating back to 1687. The church itself boasts a renowned Tiffany window depicting John Davenport's first religious service in New Haven.
If you want more information on Yale exhibits or a tour of the University, the place to go is the Yale University Visitor Information Center, temporarily located Dwight Hall at 344 College Street. Tours of Yale, conducted by students, are available 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays as well as at 1:30 p.m. on weekend days.
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