The Windham Textile and History Museum, also known as The Mill Museum, is a museum in Willimantic, Connecticut, devoted to the region’s textile and industrial history. It occupies two former factory buildings and offers a look at the southern New England textile industry at the height of its productivity.
- Location: 157 Union-Main Street, Willimantic, Connecticut 06226.
- Setting: Two textile factory buildings dating to 1877.
- Focus: Textile industry, industrial history and U.S. economic history.
- Before planning around hours: Open Friday to Sunday; closed Monday to Thursday
What does the Windham Textile and History Museum cover?
The Windham Textile and History Museum covers the textile industry and its place in southern New England’s industrial and economic history. Its exhibits portray the regional textile industry during its most productive period, connecting the work of the mills with the people and businesses around them.
The museum’s subjects include industrial history, U.S. economic history and the textile industry. That makes it a focused stop for understanding how textile production shaped the area, rather than a general history museum.
What is the museum’s historic setting?
The museum is housed in two 1877 textile factory buildings that were part of Windham Mills. These buildings once held the company store, library and store warehouse, linking the museum’s location directly to the mill community it interprets.
Willimantic Linen Company Mill No. 2 is also known as American Thread Company Mill No. 2, according to the U.S. National Park Service’s Historic American Engineering Record. Windham’s plan of conservation and development lists the museum among the town’s cultural and historic resources.
What can you see at the museum?
Features described for the museum include an overseer’s office and a fully equipped shop floor, along with replicas of a mill owner’s mansion and a workers’ home. Together, these spaces connect factory operations with the workplaces and homes associated with mill life.
A company store at the museum offers local handicrafts. The range of subjects—from the textile industry to broader economic history—helps place the mill buildings within the region’s larger story.
What are the museum’s hours and admission details?
A museum newsletter gave Friday, Saturday and Sunday as normal operating days, but that information is dated and does not specify hours of the day.
Opening hours
- Friday to Sunday: 10 AM–4 PM
- Monday to Thursday: closed
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
For current visitor information, call 860-456-2178 or check the official site before you go.
How do you plan a trip from Chaplin to the museum?
The museum is in Willimantic, while Passport Inn And Suites Chaplin is in Chaplin.
If you’re also planning a campus visit, Eastern Connecticut State University is another stop to factor into your trip.
The Chaplin area planning guide can help with local logistics. Use the museum’s phone number to confirm hours, admission and access details before you travel. That way, your plans are based on current information rather than an older schedule.
FAQs
What is another name for the Windham Textile and History Museum?
The museum is also known as The Mill Museum.
Where is the museum?
It is at 157 Union-Main Street in Willimantic, Connecticut 06226.
When was the museum’s building constructed?
The museum occupies two textile factory buildings dating to 1877.
How can you confirm current visitor details?
Call 860-456-2178 or check the museum’s official site before going.