The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut tells the story of how radios and other communications devices helped transform society.

The displays at the museum are arranged by decade, starting from the mid-1800s up through the 1970s. The museum also has an extensive research library in which visitors can learn more about the history and science behind radio communication.

All kinds of devices are represented, including phonographs, crystals, televisions, telephones, and a variety of recording equipment and early computers.

The collection has continued to grow throughout the museum’s 27-year history. The museum is currently raising money to buy a 1940 Wurlitzer jukebox it has had on loan to make it part of the permanent collection. Connecticut’s contributions to the development of communications technology over the years is also highlighted, in tribute to the museum’s home state.

In addition to its various displays, volunteers offer classes on radio building and repair. The facility houses a broadcast studio from the “golden age of radio,” and hosts an amateur radio station, W1VCM (as in “Vintage Communications Museum”). The studio also converts vintage recording media into digital formats, which is important for the preservation of recorded material.