The Barnum Museum is the leading authority on Phineas Taylor Barnum’s life and work and maintains a collection of over 60,000 artifacts relating to Barnum, Bridgeport and 19th century America.

Financed by P. T. Barnum himself in 1891, the Museum’s building was intended to be the permanent home for the Bridgeport Scientific Society, Fairfield County Historical Society, and Bridgeport Medical Society. Named The Barnum Institute for Science and History, it provided space for collections and a venue for intellectual exchange. Barnum also decided that the building itself would be an architectural gem for Bridgeport and be self-sustaining; he hired Bridgeport-based architects Longstaff & Hurd to design the structure and arranged for retail spaces on the first floor to provide financial support for maintenance of the building. The Barnum Institute for Science and History opened to the public on February 18, 1893.

Over its 132 year history, the building has been witness to and a participant in change: the societies merged, the building changed ownership, and it has withstood several natural disasters including a tornado, two hurricanes, floods, and an earthquake. Although forced to close its doors to the public to address structural damage caused by these events, The Barnum Museum is the last surviving building attributed with P. T. Barnum in Bridgeport and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2023. 

While the museum remains closed, staff are continuing to restore and re-envision our museum in cooperation with the community, subject matter experts, donors, and the creative wizards at BRC Imagination Arts. However, we are planning to open our M&T gallery to visitors several times a week very soon! Please check back regularly for that announcement.