Let’s Explore the Greenwich Historical Society Together

by Kelcy May 18, 2026May 18, 2026

The Greenwich Historical Society is located in the Cos Cob part of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is perfect for a relaxing afternoon staycation. The weather was not supposed to be great the day I went. And if you’ve read my post about travel activities for a rainy day, you’ll know that visiting a museum is a great idea. Let’s get right into what makes this museum unique.

The different parts of the Greenwich Historical Society offer something for everyone. There are multiple buildings to visit, in addition to rotating galleries. Buildings include Toby’s Tavern, the museum galleries and the Bush-Holley House, among others. Start your trip in the lobby, where you will be directed to the museum galleries featuring the current exhibits.

Current Exhibits

During my visit the current exhibits featured fashion and the Cos Cob artist colony. In the exhibit “Fashioning America – 250 Years of Greenwich Style”, you travel through time and see the fashion women wore during different time periods. I’m only featuring a few because I hope that if you’re local to Connecticut, you will be able to see the collection on your own. After we made our way up to modern day Connecticut fashion, it was time to explore the history of art in Cos Cob.

First, I watched a short film explaining the art colony and the various artists that produced art during the 1800s into the 1900s. Many were influenced by the New England lifestyle that they lived. There were lots of paintings that included local trees and flowers. Other paintings and artwork showed maritime themes and sailboats. Featured artists included Elmer Livingston MacRae and also Genjiro Yeto. Again, I’m only sharing a few photos because I do hope that you can visit the Greenwich Historical Society on your own.

Bush-Holley House

On the way to the Bush-Holley House we walked through beautifully landscaped gardens. Many of the flowers I recognized, such as peonies. Then there were others that I had never seen before. There was also a grape arbor on the property that had been restored.

The Bush-Holley House is comprised of multiple properties that were combined. Take a guided tour, where you learn the history of David Bush and his family during the American Revolutionary War. There is a complex family tree that is involved. I appreciated that they also noted the people who were enslaved by the Bush family and who also lived at the property. They were named and their emancipation dates were also shown. People don’t always believe that slavery existed in Connecticut, and while it did end sooner than in the south, it did still exist for a period of time.

Visit the Greenwich Historical Society and take a tour of the Bush-Holley House for yourself. Learn the history of the Bush family who lived in this house in the not-too-distant past.