The Connecticut River spans 410 miles from the border of Canada to Long Island Sound. Inside the Connecticut River Museum, visitors can span that space through exhibits that tell the stories of the river and the people who have lived along it. Aerial photographs and a large mural depict the evolution of the river communities through time, and the On the Great River exhibit showcases the early history of the river through artifacts and works of art. A reproduction of David Bushnell’s Turtle allows visitors to get up close to the submarine, turn the propeller, and pump the ballast intake. A huge mural, cannonballs, and ship fragments recall the night in April 1814 when British forces traveled upriver and burned the privateer fleet in Essex. The river played a key role in the development of towns and cities in New England, providing everything as transportation routes to waterpower.

Along with long term and special exhibits, the museum offers educational programs for adults and children as well as seasonal boat cruises up the River. These include the September swallows cruise that gives passengers a unique view of swallows gathering at sunset as well as the October fall foliage cruise which provides riders with a chance to see the leaves in New England turn bright red, orange, and yellow. Cruises travel along the lower river valley, labeled one of America’s last great places by the Nature Conservancy.