Visit the Museum Archives

Hours & Admission

Public Hours

WINTER HOURS:

November through April

Open by appointment only due to no heat in the exhibit space. Please be forewarned that you’ll want your coat & gloves!

Summer Hours:

May through October

During the summer, we’re open daily from 10am – 5pm! (Weekends and Holidays Included)

(Please see News for information on our COVID-19 precautions.)

General Admission

Members	FREE
Adults	$10.00
Seniors (65 and over)	$8.00
Students	$5.00
Children under 6	FREE
Family	$20.00

Accessibility

Exhibits, museum shop and rest rooms are wheelchair accessible, and a wheelchair is available for our visitors to use. If you have special needs, please call ahead to let us know how we can best accommodate you. Handicapped parking is available in the front of the building.

become a member

Group Visits

** COVID-19 precaution: For the safety of our guests and staff, we have limited museum capacity to 25 at a time. Updated Aug 17, 2020 **

Are you part of a group of 10 or more? Please call us 2 business days in advance so we can prepare to give you a great tour! Phone: 802.674.5781

Motorcoach & Adult Groups: $6.00 per person

10 people required for group rate. Group leaders and motorcoach drivers receive complimentary admission.

School Groups: $4.00 per student, teachers & adult chaperones receive complimentary admission.

Please contact us to plan a customized tour for your group’s interests and needs. Special behind-the-scenes tours are priced accordingly, and are in addition to the individual group rate.

Behind the Scenes

Plan to attend a staff-led Behind the Scenes Tour—an opportunity to visit staff-only areas, and view artifacts in storage. This is a rare opportunity to see the structure and restoration work at the National Historic Landmark, Robbins & Lawrence Armory, home to the American Precision Museum since 1966.

We ask for at least 48 hours’ notice so that we can be sure to have adequate staff for your tour. Let us know how much time you have, because we can spend hours showing you around!
Be advised: the behind-the-scenes tour is on upper floors and there are steep staircases.
Cost is $10/person for nonmembers.

If you’d like to see everything, give us a call or send an email and we’ll be happy to schedule your tour!

Location & Directions

196 Main Street

PO Box 679

Windsor, VT 05089

Windsor is located on Route 5, between exits 8 and 9 off Interstate 91. The American Precision Museum is located on Route 5 (Main St.), at the south end of Windsor Village, just south of the stoplight at the intersection of Main and Union/Bridge streets.

get directions

Visit From Home

We’ve recently added a variety of tools to help you experience the museum from wherever you are.

* Vermont Art Online is a digital portal to Vermont’s museums and galleries, curated by Sarah Briggs and Sarah Laursen of the Middlebury College Museum of Art. It is presented in partnership with the Vermont Curators Group with generous support from the Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Humanities Council. A visitor took a 360 “photosphere” of our museum a few years ago, so you can even travel back in time to see the museum, some highlighted machines, and more. (If you are looking at the map, the museum is on the eastern border of the state toward the middle.)

* Google Maps Street View – we’ve also added several of our present day galleries to our Google Maps listing. This works from a phone or a computer: Click here to see our Google Street View photospheres!

* We try to post something new and interesting to Facebook every day and a few times a week on Instagram, and sometimes on Twitter.

* Lastly, our exhibits page of this website will continue to develop ‘digital exhibits.’

Thank you for visiting!

– 3-30-2020

Windsor Cornish covered bridge

The scenic Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire offers access to charming towns, history & culture; gardens & galleries, outdoor adventures, farm-to-table and fine dining. It is a destination rich with activities for those of all ages and interests.

Area Attractions

There are many fine attractions in our area—and two are located within walking distance of the American Precision Museum.

The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, originally built in 1866 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places is the longest historic wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.

The Old Constitution House, located on Main Street in the center of Windsor, is the birthplace of Vermont. On July 8, 1777, the first Constitution of the “Free and Independent State of Vermont” was adopted in what was then Elijah West’s tavern. The noteworthy constitution was the first in America to prohibit slavery and the first to establish universal suffrage for men without the requirements of property ownership or specific income for voting rights. The Vermont Constitution was also the first to establish a system of public schools.

Be sure to check out other nearby attractions:

Need help planning your trip?

Frequently Asked Questions About the Museum

Q. How long does it take to go through?

A. Most visitors spend 20 – 40 minutes with an unguided tour. Some visitors spend a few hours reading and looking at everything!

Q. Does the museum accept new artifacts?

A. The museum is not actively soliciting new materials, but if you have an item that’s directly related to our story, we’d love to hear about it! Send us an email and a picture with your contact information. We want to be sure that we not only take good care of any acquisitions, but that we have adequate room to store or display your donation.

Q. Would my (child/spouse/parent) enjoy a visit to the museum?

A. An appreciation of history, vintage machinery, or modern technology is all you need!

A note about visitors under 10: While the museum is for all ages and abilities, we’re not able to offer hands-on activities at this time (due to COVID-19). We do have some building & creativity materials available such as Lego, K’nex, cardboard, duct tape, and Sphero Robots. These materials are either sanitized between used or taken home with you. There is lots to look at, though!

Q. Who should visit the American Precision Museum?

A. Our museum is for people of all ages, whether or not they have background in the manufacturing industry. Some of our events and programs are more kid-focused, but adults are welcome to attend if they like hands-on building. Similarly, some of our exhibits and events are designed for adults due to the technical or historical content, but families are welcome if they are interested. We try to provide cultural context and simple explanations of the machines.