Clock & Watch Museum offers week of free admissions and special activities commemorating 70th anniversary

The clock on the corner of Woodland and Maple streets where the American Clock & Watch Museum sits. | Laura Bailey

Posted By: David Fortier April 6, 2024

The week of April 10-14 the American Clock & Watch Museum will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its opening with free museum admission. In addition, a variety of activities are being planned as well as special videos on view.

The museum opened its doors April 10, 1954, at the first institution in the nation dedicated to horology, the science of measuring time and the art of making instruments that measure time. Since its opening to the public, the main museum ahs expanded to 10,000 square feet of exhibit space and collection space now boast over 10,000 items, from clocks to watches to photographs as well as archive space, according to the release announcing the anniversary.

Activities during the week of free admission include the following:

  • On Wednesday and Saturday there will be a special drop-in story time at 10 a.m., with a craft session to follow.
  • On Friday at 10 a.m. the weekly Meet the Old Cranks will begin with the winding of the new Seth Thomas post clock.
  • For those who might have an American-made clock that they would like to know more about, there will be a clock ID session on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. This event will follow the museum’s usual policy—attendees are limited to three clocks and the charge per clock is $10.
  • The birthday of Eli Terry, who is an important person in the history of clock making, will be celebrated on Saturday, too. Stop by, grab a cupcake while they last, and sign the birthday card for Mr. Terry.
  • Curious about what makes a clock tick? On Sunday, Visit on Sunday, a repair person will be owrking on timepieces and answering questions in the clock shop
  • Also, on Sunday, there will also be a post clock selfie station for Facebook and Instagram photos.

In addition to these activities, there will be video programs playing continuously, Friday through Sunday, and two special exhibitions—”Seth Thomas: Clocks for Every Need” and “70 Objects for 70 Years.”

With the recent installation of the museum’s Seth Thomas post clock, the exhibit is an opportunity to learn a bit about the company’s history and the wide variety of items it produced. 

The “70 Objects for 70 Years” cabinet of curiosities exhibit is a nod to every museum’s struggle to avoid displaying unrelated items together in a haphazard manner, affording the museum the opportunity to dive into its artifacts and display the more curious items that have been collected over the past 70 years.

Free admissions to the public for the week were made available by sponsor Thomaston Savings Bank.

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