American Clock & Watch Museum

Join us for a fascinating trip back in time. Learn about American clock & watchmaking with particular emphasis on Connecticut, once the clock capital of the United States. The museum holds one of the largest displays of American clocks and watches in the world, over 5,500! As visitors travel through the museum’s eight galleries, these timekeeping devices chime and strike upon the hour. Located in the historic "Federal Hill" district of Bristol, the museum is housed in an 1801 Federal-style home with a sundial garden.

The American Clock & Watch Museum is proud to be a Blue Star Museum. Active-duty military personnel and their families receive free admission to the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Thank you to all who serve!

Join us at the museum on June 10th from 10-5 for The Magic of Clockmaking! in celebration of Bristol’s Museum Magic and Connecticut’s Open House Day.

Watch as some talented clock repairers work on different types of clock movements and learn just what it is that makes clocks tick! In the Barnes Wing, make clock and watch crafts as you listen to the chiming and striking of our grandfather clocks! Step out into our Sundial Garden and play some “Minute to Win It” style games!

The Museum is open free to all visitors thanks to generous support from Stanley Black & Decker!

Museum Magic is supported by the City of Bristol!

Come see the World's Largest
Kit-Cat Clock!

There’s a special visitor at the American Clock & Watch Museum! As part of the Kit-Cat Clock company’s 85th anniversary celebration, the museum was chosen to host the company’s world’s largest Kit-Cat clock. With a swing of its tail and a roll of its eyes, these American-made clocks have been keeping time and making people smile since 1932, and the museum is thrilled to help them celebrate.

Come take a selfie with our feline friend. The clock will be on view through June making this the purr-fect time to visit the museum!

By the Bell

Our 2017 exhibition, By the Bell, discusses the ways we measured our workday and productivity, and how this impacted our daily lives. The business concept that “time is money” is explored with punch clocks, key and time recorders, and time stamps that evolved over the last 100 years.

By the Bell also explores the impact of a new workday and workplace. As the Industrial Age spawned the creation of factories, new concepts arose such as punctuality, break time, happy hour, and vacation time. Connections among employees and with employers extended beyond the work day through after hours activities, sports teams and civic events. In promoting efficiency, the new workplace also redefined our relationships with time and each other.