The Barnum Museum opened in 1893 and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Bridgeport’s industrial social history and the life and times of Phineas Taylor Barnum. A one-term mayor of Bridgeport and four-term member of the Connecticut General Assembly, Barnum was born July 5, 1810 in Bethel, CT and died April 7, 1891 in Bridgeport, CT. With three floors of fascinating exhibits that illustrate the extraordinary business and personal accomplishments of P.T. Barnum, the museum is an outstanding educational resource for students of all ages. The original museum building, owned by the city of Bridgeport and designed by the architectural firm Longstaff and Hurd, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is handicap accessible. As part of a multi-million dollar restoration project with the CT Trust for Historic Preservation, on September 25, 2008, Hampton Hotels’ Save-A-Landmark program refurbished The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Conn. Volunteers from local Hampton hotel properties, community leaders and museum staff donated their time to refurbish the museum that pays tribute to one of the most recognizable names in entertainment history, P.T. Barnum. Volunteers worked floor to ceiling, painting the interior and exterior structures to preserve intricate stain glass windows and help restore an original tin ceiling and wooden doors. Additionally, Hampton Hotels contributed $40,000 towards the refurbishment of this historical treasure for its continued care.
http://www.hamptonlandmarks.com/
