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All the United States Connecticut Bristol American Clock and Watch Museum

American Clock and Watch Museum

Thousands of American timepieces on display in the former clock-making capital of the country.

Bristol, Connecticut

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E.J. Hagadorn
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American Clock and Watch Museum.   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
American Clock and Watch Museum.   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
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  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
American Clock and Watch Museum.   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
American Clock and Watch Museum.   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
  Calvin the Courageous / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Situated in the center of Bristol's historic Federal Hill, what began with one man’s collection of shelf clocks has now grown into a museum stuffed with more than 5,500 American-made timepieces, including 3,500 pocket watches.

The American Clock and Watch Museum is, at its core, a trip back in time. It places a particular emphasis on its home state of Connecticut, which was once considered the clock-making capital of the United States.

Dioramas demonstrate how keeping time grew from sundials to clocks and how creating timepieces went from individual craftsmanship to large-scale production. Art and industry come together through a series of rooms that show how time and its measurement changed, well, over time.

Display cases house dozens of watch chains and watch keys. Grandfather clocks, grandmother clocks, alarm clocks, pocket watches, and wristwatches sit side by side, filling the air with a chorus of ticks and tocks and chimes each hour. Getting these timepieces to sing their songs every hour on the dot means daylight savings must be the worst time of year for those who work in this museum.

Related Tags

Clocks Museums Time Collections Museums And Collections

Know Before You Go

Guided tours are given by appointment, but the casual observer can explore and learn on their own. The New England Carousel Museum is less than a mile away.

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ejhagadorn

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Calvin the Courageous

  • Calvin the Courageous

Published

May 11, 2018

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American Clock and Watch Museum
100 Maple St
Bristol, Connecticut
United States
41.679602, -72.940693
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Nearby Places

New England Carousel Museum

Bristol, Connecticut

miles away

Ted Knight Memorial Bridge

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Lock Museum of America

Plymouth, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bristol

Bristol

Connecticut

Places 2

Nearby Places

New England Carousel Museum

Bristol, Connecticut

miles away

Ted Knight Memorial Bridge

Plymouth, Connecticut

miles away

Lock Museum of America

Plymouth, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bristol

Bristol

Connecticut

Places 2

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