Barnum Museum, Bridgeport, CT

The Barnum Museum is located in Bridgeport and is a celebration of the life of P.T. Barnum through activities and programs. The museum is located in an 1893 gothic style building and features Barnum's most famous invention, the Three Ring Circus. Other exhibits include General Tom Thumb, Jenny Lind, themes of exhibits such as `Barnum the Man', and `Barnum's Bridgeport'. The building was located on the National Register of Historic Places in the Hobbies and Activities category.

P.T. Barnum was the one-term mayor of Bridgeport, the building which houses the museum was originally constructed for P.T. Barnum himself. The museum was provided to house the work of the Bridgeport Scientific Society and the Fairfield County Historical Society. The buildings construction was completed in 1893 two years after Barnum's death.

The museum is a three storey building and was constructed from stone and terra cotta. Images from America's History line the top of the building, these images include Native American, maritime, Civil War and industrial age reliefs. Among these panels are panels that include images of Christopher Columbus, George Washington, a Native American and Civil War General Winfield Scott.

The building was originally called The Barnum Institute of Science and History and operated as a resource library and lecture hall, the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison visited the institute to give lectures. No commercial properties ever occupy the first floor of the building and let to financial instability. The buildings ownership was taken over by the City of Bridgeport in 1933 when the great depression forced business to cease operation.

The building was remodeled in 1943 and reopened in 1946 as a city hall annex; the third floor was reserved for displaying collections from now defunct societies. Plans were put in motion in 1965 to return the building to its former status as a museum. The building was repaired and remodeled to create space to feature exhibits on the history of Bridgeport and on his life.

The building is the only museum that is dedicated to the life of P.T. Barnum and includes the 1,000 square foot miniature replica of the circus that was hand crafted by William Brinley and the 3000 miniature figures. Along with the circus is a miniature replica of the library from the estate Brinley owned in Iranistan and many other artifacts showing life in Bridgeport in the 19th Century. The oldest artifact at the museum is an Egyptian mummy that has been verified as being 2,500 years old; this was verified by the Quinnipiac University.