Museum of Darien
History & Background
Whether it’s a 17th century blanket chest owned by a Middlesex family, a hand-sewn flag from the Civil War era, or an early photograph of a Darien school principal, the Museum of Darien believes in the power of objects to convey stories and construct larger meanings.
From Darien’s earliest, humble beginnings as Middlesex Parish, the Museum of Darien shows how a struggling farm community along the Long Island Sound shoreline evolved into the prosperous community we know today.
Housed in the Bates-Scofield House, the former Darien Historical Society became the Museum of Darien in 2020 seizing on the 200th birthday of Darien to launch a fresh logo and website. It is this rich town resource that houses the Darien Heritage Trail’s digital home.
Outside the Museum, the Garden Club of Darien maintains colonial-style kitchen gardens filled with culinary and medicinal herbs. On the Museum’s front lawn is a soaring oak tree that is a descendent of the state’s famous Charter Oak tree. The Museum houses an antique clothing collection of over 3,000 items, letters and documents from the time of the Revolutionary War, artifacts owned by people who lived in Middlesex Parish, and a quilt collection that is considered amongst the finest in the country.
Trail Marker
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