The museum will host a series of special events in commemoration of the anniversary.

In honor of the 50 year milestone, the museum is presenting their newest exhibit, "Around the World from A to Z -- 50 years of Collecting at the Youth Museum." Donna Veach, marketing and special events coordinator said that the museum will also do Family Nature and Heritage Day at the Hungerford location on May 20 from 10 a.m. to 4: p.m.

Since 1956, the New Britain Youth Museum has exposed children and adults to cultural and historical displays and collections.

The museum’s roots began at the New Britain Public library as a children’s room that displayed the natural history collections belonging to the New Britain Institute.

Today the museum’s collection consists of more than 10,000 items and Ann Peabody, museum director, encourages all people to take advantage of what the museum has to offer.

"This museum is for all ages, we like to say that we serve from preschool to adults," Peabody said."A lot of our exhibits are geared to children up to adults, and are multi-layered so learning is at every stage."

For the last 11 years, Peabody has worked at the museum, and says the community is a big part of its future objective. "We’re trying to include the community," Peabody said. "We want to reintroduce the museum to the community and schools. We are enhancing, modernizing, updating, and moving into the 21st century. We’ve started our long range planning, and hired a consultant to address the next 10 years, and evaluate our site."

Thanks to grants from the Connecticut Humanities Council and the New Britain foundation for Public Giving the museum will start their long range planning which will take place over the next six months. The museum retained Laura Roberts of Roberts Consulting in Cambridge, Mass. as a consultant for the project, to work with staff volunteers and many community members in the planning process.

The museum’s collection includes clothing and textiles from various periods in American history; Native American stone tools, beadwork and clothing from New England; American household items and agricultural tools. Additionally, circus-related items, dolls, toys, games, early children’s periodicals, and original illustrations for children’s book are included in the collection.

The museum’s location at Hungerford Park sits on 27 acres of woodland and interpretive gardens. There are more than 100 different live animal species, large barn yard animals, small and unusual pets as well as reptiles and aquatic animals. The location also serves as a wildlife rehabilitation center, assisting over 200 wild animals each year.

For more information about the New Britain Youth Museum call 225-3020.

Franchone Fraser-Ben Reuben Bey can be reached at ffraser@newbritainherald.comor by calling (860) 225-4601.

, Ext. 306.