Special Exhibitions
The New Haven Museum and Historical Society offers visitors a variety of special exhibitions each year. NHMHS has three principal changing galleries:
The Feature Exhibition Gallery
The Upper Rotunda Gallery
The Community Gallery
All galleries are located on the Museum’s second floor and accessible via elevator and stairs. Please see below for the current and/or upcoming exhibits in each gallery.
In addition, NHMHS also offers mini-exhibits in its lower Rotunda. These exhibits allow the museum to highlight seasonal topics and feature selected small collections which would not otherwise be on view. Please see below for the current exhibit.
Feature Exhibition Gallery
This gallery is currently closed. A new exhibit will be opening in this gallery in June. Please stay tuned for updates!
The Upper Rotunda Gallery
MEN IN UNIFORM 
Men in Uniform is a portrait exhibition of New Haven men who served in the United States armed forces between 1812 and 1865. These eight portraits are visual biographies of individuals who served their country in many capacities – from conflicts such as the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the American Civil War to diplomatic voyages and world-wide exploration. Some of their names may seem familiar, such as Rear Admiral Andrew Hull Foote, one of the most important naval officers of the nineteenth century, but the painting will be a surprise. It is not the traditional portrait of the older man, but one of a dashing, young Lieutenant, ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead.
Men in Uniform also highlights portraits that have not been on display for several decades due to condition issues. Years of dirt and dust left some of these soldiers and sailors unrecognizable. Recently restored paintings include the portraits of William Hogeboom (painted by Vincent Colyer) who was a member of Duryea’s Zouaves, a famous Civil War unit from New York; Lyman Bissel, a veteran of the Mexican War who also served as New Haven’s first Chief of Police; and Henry Peck, a young Yale graduate who died near the battle of Winchester during the Civil War.
Portrait of Ralph Voorhees, NHMHS collection
The Community Gallery
This gallery is currently under construction. As part of "Project Iceberg," our ongoing effort to display as many of our artifacts and paintings as possible, we are revamping old galleries and converting galleries that have been previously used for storage into exhibition galleries. Join our mailing list to stay updated on exhibit openings, special events, and public lectures.
