The Mill Museum

The Mill Museum Windham Textile & History Museum and Visitors Center

Museum : Library : Archive

The Windham Textile and History Museum (the Mill Museum of Connecticut), located in the historic former headquarters of the American Thread Company in Willimantic, Connecticut, is a nonprofit educational institution housing a museum, a library, and an archive. Through its exhibits, programs, and collections, the Museum preserves and interprets for the general public the history of textiles, the te

xtile arts, and the textile industry, with special emphasis on the experiences of craftspeople, industrial workers, manufacturers, inventors, designers, and consumers. The Museum also promotes a greater understanding of the major trends and changes in technology, the economy, immigration, society, the environment, and culture that shaped the history of textiles, the textile arts, and the textile industry in Connecticut, New England, and the United States from the colonial period to the present.

This graph tracks the horsepower of the Willimantic River! It includes data from 1907 through 1913. This information was...
05/22/2026

This graph tracks the horsepower of the Willimantic River! It includes data from 1907 through 1913. This information was very important for the mills who used the rushing river waters to power their facilities. While the mills were no longer exclusively relying on water power at this time, (coal-fueled steam boilers were added to supplement power in the 1870s) water power was still an important function of the business. Keeping track of the rise and fall of the river gave them an idea of what to expect for power outputs and how much they would need to be supplemented to keep things running.

We're back with another edition of "Found in the Archives"! This graph was painstakingly created over the course of many...
05/18/2026

We're back with another edition of "Found in the Archives"! This graph was painstakingly created over the course of many years, but what is it tracking? Take a guess! The answer will be posted on Friday!

THIS SATURDAY ONLY! May 16th at 2pm join us for an hour-long concert of textile songs by singer, songwriter, and educato...
05/13/2026

THIS SATURDAY ONLY! May 16th at 2pm join us for an hour-long concert of textile songs by singer, songwriter, and educator Sally Rogers. The concert will be held in the second floor of Dugan Hall, and your $10 ticket grants you admission to the concert as well as to the Mill Museum! Come on down and enjoy some great music and visit our new temporary exhibit of art quilts, Circular Thinking. See you there!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the exhibit opening for Circular Thinking! We heard from some of the artists about...
05/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to the exhibit opening for Circular Thinking! We heard from some of the artists about their pieces and enjoyed some wonderful live dulcimer music on the second floor.

Circular Thinking will be here until June 28th. Also, don't miss out on a concert of textile songs by Sally Rogers, May 16th at 2pm in the Mill Museum's Dugan Hall. See you there!

Our friends at the Pomfret, CT, Historical Society have an interesting-looking program coming up!
04/04/2026

Our friends at the Pomfret, CT, Historical Society have an interesting-looking program coming up!

The Mill Museum is one of the local charities supported by the Thread City Hop Fest. A wonderful, fun event that benefit...
04/02/2026

The Mill Museum is one of the local charities supported by the Thread City Hop Fest. A wonderful, fun event that benefits charities -- what more could you want?

Ryan Kristafer takes you to The Willimatic Brewing Company for a preview of the Thread City Hop Fest this weekend, featuring 74 breweries, food and music.

Exciting news! Starting this Friday, April 3rd, we're adding Fridays to our open hours! Now you can come visit us Friday...
03/29/2026

Exciting news! Starting this Friday, April 3rd, we're adding Fridays to our open hours! Now you can come visit us Friday, Saturday, or Sunday from 10am to 4pm all Summer!

Regarding Easter weekend. The museum will be open normal hours Friday and Saturday and closed Easter Sunday.

TODAY at 4pm at the Mill Museum, come to Dugan Hall to learn about John Trumbull with speaker Bev York!
03/22/2026

TODAY at 4pm at the Mill Museum, come to Dugan Hall to learn about John Trumbull with speaker Bev York!

A Lebanon, CT, artist painted Hamilton! Learn more about John Trumbull this Sunday, March 22, at the Mill Museum, 411 Main Street. Willimantic. 4 p.m. Free. America is 250!

Join us on Sunday March 22nd at 4pm for a talk on John Trumbull: Painter of the Revolution, by Bev York. Trumbull was a ...
03/20/2026

Join us on Sunday March 22nd at 4pm for a talk on John Trumbull: Painter of the Revolution, by Bev York. Trumbull was a Revolutionary War veteran, painter, and Connecticut native who famously captured the presentation of the Declaration of Independence on canvas.

This Saturday! Come to Dugan Hall at the Mill Museum for a community clothing swap. Bring up to 5 items of clean, lightl...
03/19/2026

This Saturday! Come to Dugan Hall at the Mill Museum for a community clothing swap. Bring up to 5 items of clean, lightly used clothing to swap and maybe go home with a new ensemble of your own!

Address

411 Main Street
Willimantic, CT
06226

Opening Hours

Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(860) 456-2178

Website

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