One of the original 13 colonies, Connecticut is a state rich in history. It is the southernmost state in New England, and the wealthiest state in the country per capita. While it is the third smallest state in size in the United States it is home to medium sized cities as well as plenty of open rural land. The population of the state is actually less than the nearby New York City. This makes the pace of things in Connecticut almost seem slow by the big city standards.

Much of its past is on display at the Museum of Connecticut History, which is part of the Connecticut State Library in the state capital of Hartford. The 1910 State Library and Supreme Court Building include a Memorial Hall with displays including portraits of past Connecticut governors, as well as important documents. These include the 1662 Royal Charter that established the British colony of Connecticut, as well as the state’s 1818 and 1964 constitutions. The museum is also home to numerous permanent exhibits that trace the state’s history through colonial and early statehood days.

More information about the state’s culture and history can be learned at the Connecticut Historical Society, which is a non-profit educational center with a museum and library. Their research data includes more than 200,000 prints and photographs from its founding as a colony to the modern day, along with an impressive collection of 17th and 18th century furniture, clothing, tavern and trade signs and even the decorative arts.

The library is actually one of four locations where important items are housed, along with similar facilities at the State Library, the University of Connecticut and Yale University. Combined these collections include millions of manuscripts and several hundred thousand volumes of books, making it one of the largest genealogical collections anywhere in the nation.

The Connecticut Historical Society is located in Hartford. The Museum galleries are open from 12noon until 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday), and the Library is open from 10am until 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday.