Coley House Guided Tours & Exhibit Open Hours

Warm up this Winter at the Weston History & Culture Center (Weston Historical Society) in Weston, CT. Open every Sunday and Thursday 1pm - 4pm – January 22, 2023 through March 30, 2023. 

Take a guided tour of the newly restored Coley House and learn about life in Weston during the pivotal 1940s. No other historic house in Connecticut reflects the 1940s era which makes the Coley House unique! Then take a self-guided tour of the exhibition “The Curious Case of Eleven O’clock Road – How Weston Got Its Place Names” in the Visitor’s Center.

Tickets at www.westoncthistory.org or at the door. $5 – Adults, $3 – Children, Free for members of the Weston History & Culture Center. Also open by appointment by emailing: info@westoncthistory.org. The Weston History & Culture Center is located at 104 Weston Road in Weston, CT. Parking and entrance is located on High Acre Road. Please check-in at the Visitor’s Center (red building adjacent to parking lot).

Explore life in the 1940s with a guided tour of the Coley House. Over the past 5 years, the Coley House has undergone restoration work as well as a reinterpretation which includes new exhibits and a focus on the 1940s. On your guided tour, learn how the Coley family would have lived, worked, and played during World War II. Using photographic evidence and historic research, rooms on the first floor have been interpreted in the 1941 - 1945 period when three generations of the Coley family occupied the home. In the parlor, learn about leisure time on the home front during World War II. Sit down at the dining room table for an interactive experience as you discuss topics important to the Coley family and Weston during this period. Explore a kitchen in transition as technology and World War II impacted food supplies, appliances and everyday household tasks. Learn about the lady of the home, Cleora Coley, who served multiple roles in the family. Upstairs, explore the exhibition, “Let’s Play!” Without video games, TV and computers, how did children have fun in Weston all those years ago? Find out in this new permanent exhibit located in Jimmy Coley's former bedroom. Across the hall is the exhibition, “Twelve Stories of Weston”, which highlights twelve important moments in Weston's history.

Conclude your visit with a self-guided tour of the exhibition in our Visitor’s Center, “The Curious Case of Eleven O’clock Road – How Weston Got Its Place Names”. Inquiring minds want to know how Weston evolved. Our road names provide clues about Weston history. This exhibition explores through objects, maps and film, Weston's heritage and evolution. Young historians can learn about Weston history with fun activities in our Kids Corner! Whether you are 5 or 95, this exhibit has something interesting for you.

Bundle up and explore the grounds of the Weston History and Culture Center. Stroll through the Daniel E. Offutt, III Sculpture Garden and explore the whimsical sculptures created by former Weston resident, philanthropist and artist, Daniel E. Offutt, III.  Learn more about the Coley Homestead by touring the grounds using our award-winning historic interpretive signs dotted around the property. Weston history comes alive at the Weston History & Culture Center.

A special thank you to the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust which generously funded the restoration and reinterpretation of the Coley House as well as the creation of the sculpture garden. The Weston History & Culture Center would like to thank its annual sponsors: Fairfield County Bank and KMS Team at Compass. The Weston Historical Society d/b/a Weston History & Culture Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located at 104 Weston Road in Weston, CT. For more information and to donate, please visit: www.westoncthistory.org, call 203-226-1804 or email: info@westoncthistory.org. All donations made by check must be made out to: Weston Historical Society.