American Precision Museum
American Precision Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The American Precision Museum provides visitors with a unique experience as they step back in time into an 1846 armory building. Discover the story of the three founders who boldly refined a process of manufacturing that is used globally today. Make your way through the evolution of machine tools until arriving back in the present-day manufacturing industry to see modern machines in action.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
110 reviews
Excellent
82
Very good
21
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Maggi K
Brooklyn, NY9 contributions
Sep 2020
My husband wanted to visit but we both enjoyed this museum. It is located in the former site of the Robbins and Lawrence Armory, which made rifles used in the Civil War, among other things. John, a knowledgeable and friendly docent, demonstrated the use of two of the old lathes . The museum features many old precision machines, as well as modern automated machine tools.
Windsor is a charming town on the Connecticut River, located in what I learned was called Precision Valley, for the many machine shops located there.
Windsor is a charming town on the Connecticut River, located in what I learned was called Precision Valley, for the many machine shops located there.
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim W.
Atlanta, GA1,301 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
I wasn't completely sure what to expect from the American Precision Museum, but given our technical backgrounds, it seemed likely to be interesting. It is a bit difficult to access their parking; the turn from the main road is pretty sharp. You park 'in back' but it wasn't clear if that included some spaces along the side or just in back. Parking is all on various gravel areas and was limited, but there were not a lot of other guests on the weekday morning that we visited.
The museum is built into an old machine shop / manufacturing mill where they had a large water wheel in the basement powering overhead axels with belts, etc. So some of the exhibits were actually made in this building 150 years ago.
The lady who sold the tickets (I think it was $8 or $10 apiece) was friendly and helpful. She also recommended another stop for our afternoon (the Saint-Gaudens Historic Site) which we liked. She cued up the short intro video for us after which we entered the main exhibit space and browsed.
They provided a historical context for the museum, citing the area as the nineteenth century's rough analog to Silicon Valley. The work done in shops along the Connecticut River accelerated machining of parts and machine tools and trained apprentices that spread out across the U.S. They also had a lot of different machine / product examples and how they evolved into things one might be familiar with now. They went from mass producing gun-stocks to making parts for bicycles and typewriters. There were also examples of precision tools. Ultimately shops in the area also produced the expanded range of industrial machine/tools that produced smaller parts for various uses.
We spent just over an hour here and felt it was a very worthwhile stop. Though we didn't bring any kids, I'd think that those over 8 might find some of the exhibits interesting.
The museum is built into an old machine shop / manufacturing mill where they had a large water wheel in the basement powering overhead axels with belts, etc. So some of the exhibits were actually made in this building 150 years ago.
The lady who sold the tickets (I think it was $8 or $10 apiece) was friendly and helpful. She also recommended another stop for our afternoon (the Saint-Gaudens Historic Site) which we liked. She cued up the short intro video for us after which we entered the main exhibit space and browsed.
They provided a historical context for the museum, citing the area as the nineteenth century's rough analog to Silicon Valley. The work done in shops along the Connecticut River accelerated machining of parts and machine tools and trained apprentices that spread out across the U.S. They also had a lot of different machine / product examples and how they evolved into things one might be familiar with now. They went from mass producing gun-stocks to making parts for bicycles and typewriters. There were also examples of precision tools. Ultimately shops in the area also produced the expanded range of industrial machine/tools that produced smaller parts for various uses.
We spent just over an hour here and felt it was a very worthwhile stop. Though we didn't bring any kids, I'd think that those over 8 might find some of the exhibits interesting.
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rick J
Victoria, TX142 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
A very well done museum that shows the history of how machines were developed to make work easier, faster and better. We took the behind the scenes tour too and John did a great job showing us many of the machines that were upstairs and how they worked. It was a wonderful afternoon. And beautiful grounds.
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CanadianButterfly60
Montreal, Canada133 contributions
Nov 2022
A most informative presentation of machines and production from early days to modern days. Well displayed machinery and processes with informative text adjoining. The working model displays are exceptional and of great interest to all, even the casual visitor. However, as a lay person I would have appreciated a graphic for each on how the machines actually worked. The ability to get information from a very knowledgeable person is a bonus.
Finding the entrance to the museum from the street was a small problem and the parking area was not clearly defined but the sign to the parking was helpful.
There is a very warm welcome with an introductory video, that we had watched from home. It was very well done.
This museum has to be kept in good repair and remain in this location for history’s sake. Their STEM expansion project will be very worthwhile.
Finding the entrance to the museum from the street was a small problem and the parking area was not clearly defined but the sign to the parking was helpful.
There is a very warm welcome with an introductory video, that we had watched from home. It was very well done.
This museum has to be kept in good repair and remain in this location for history’s sake. Their STEM expansion project will be very worthwhile.
Written November 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin L
Adams, MA197 contributions
Jul 2022
A hidden gem! What a great place with history of machines and the improvements over time. Once they figured out to make machines with interchangeable parts things just took off from there. Lots of old machines, explanations of how they worked, how they made life easier. It explained how they used water power to run the machines in the beginning. They have a hand-held device that allows you to listen to information on many of the exhibits, so you don't have to rely on a tour guide. Quite alot of it was over my head, but still very interesting.
Free for NARM members!
Free for NARM members!
Written July 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pmack17
Schenectady, NY38 contributions
Aug 2022 • Friends
The collection is phenomenal, IF you go on a day it is open (or call in advance.) But the main exhibit downstairs is unbalanced in favor of modern sponsors. With so much emphasis on recent equipment, there is not enough room left to show historical pieces.
Written November 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jimbill
Houston, TX157 contributions
May 2021
Nice diversion for an hour or two. Who knew how important Windsor was to the industrial revolution! Very nice and informative history teacher was the docent.
Be sure to check out the scale model in the glass case by the souvenir shop. It was made by a 14 yr. old from the 1800's.
Be sure to check out the scale model in the glass case by the souvenir shop. It was made by a 14 yr. old from the 1800's.
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken V
Maryland205 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
I am a U.S. manufacturing fan, so I took my wife to this museum. It provides a neat overview of the precision machine tool industry. I marveled at the displays they had the tools that were invented in the area. I found it interesting that at one point this area was known as Precision Valley well before Silicon Valley came into existence. It was sad to see how some of the old companies went away. It does not take too long but it is interesting to see the evolution of the industry. An old friend recommended we stop and glad we did.
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
babee1998
Franklin Square, NY135 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
One of my sons is interested in mechanical engineering so we decided to stop by here. It was worth it. We were the only guests at that time so we were able to take our time looking around. I have older kids so they really enjoyed the visit.
Written April 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn H
Saint Louis, MO119 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Small museum definitely worth a visit. Maggie gave us a private tour and was very knowledgeable and friendly. They made socks and Maggie explained the steps on the still working machines then showed us the power sources water then engines. The grounds are well preserved and if you love history you will love this place.
Written September 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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