Whoops (Part 2)
Bethlehem Fair Vintage Museum, Bethlehem (Location)
September 2026
“Whoops Part 1” is here. This is Connecticut museum visit #556
Whoops.
This mistake is my own. Well, for the most part.
The above is exactly how I began my page about my visit to the same fair’s Photo Museum, which I totally did visit but didn’t realize I was visiting it. And guess what? It happened again! What is wrong with me?
Nothing. From what I saw, neither museum is signed as such and neither appeared on any map or wall or literature at the fair proper. And I looked. I really, really looked. I knew there was a so-called Vintage Museum here, not because it was on the online map on the fair’s website like the Photo Museum, no. This museum is mentioned in the text within the fair’s 150-page online pdf booklet in a few places:
Hold up. I said on the Photo Museum page that I had absolutely no intention of returning to the Bethlehem Fair to “right my wrong[s]” but now I’m seeing that I missed the “Chicken-themed Farm Chore Relay?” What on earth is that? If you know, please tell us all… or I might have to return here in the future to see for myself.
And if I were to do that, I’d experience again that strangest of phenomena… a Morris and Bethlehem traffic jam. This obviously happens every year for a few hours on the same weekend, sure, but it must melt some local brains every time.
Screenshot
I admit, it kind of melted mine.
Although I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the traffic and parking was very well handled and they have this thing down to a science and the number of young… I don’t know what they were, police explorers(?) guiding cars into spaces in the field was impressive, as was the traffic flow pattern in and out.
For some reason, I had it in my head that the Vintage Museum was the antique tractor display. Why? I honestly have no idea. What’s crazy about that is that after I entered the fair, I went straight to the Art Barn, which required me to pass right through the Photo Museum (aka “Whoops Part 1”)… and the Vintage Museum!
Before the museum, I passed a giant pumpkin. Then all the vegetables and pies and stuff that have been an integral part of country fairs for a century. All the while, the Vintage Museum was to my right. And, just like the Photo Museum, I took exactly one picture of one thing from it. Drumroll please…
Boom. Vintage doll at the Vintage Museum.
So here’s what we’ll do. I’ll talk about what I think the Vintage Museum is while I include pictures of vintage tractors at the furthest, most far away end of the entire fair from the actual real Vintage Museum. Fair? Well, it has to be because that’s what I’m going to do.
The Bethlehem Fair Vintage Museum consists of about 50 yards of exhibits behind half walls and chicken wire. You must view the Vintage Museum from the concrete pathway. Santa Claus is here, by the way, because despite it being early September, you’re in Bethlehem and Bethlehem is Christmas Town. You wave at Santa. Don’t get distracted. Back to the museum.
The museum appears to be a large and fairly well curated collection of… stuff. Old stuff. “Vintage” stuff. It’s kind of like the town’s historical society merged with the town’s elders and gathered up a bunch of old, er, vintage stuff and created several themed rooms. There was a kitchen with all the kitchen implements and tools that you’d have seen in a well-appointed kitchen a century ago.
Then there was an adult bedroom from that time period. A child’s bedroom. A playroom. And, I don’t know, probably a tool room or farm room or something. These are things I’ve seen 100 times at town history museums and other similar places.
That’s not to take away from what was shown here. I did think to myself that a massive effort went in to these displays, as the volume of “stuff” was hugely impressive for an unnamed, lightly viewed “museum” at a small town fair in a small town in Litchfield County. Each “room” looked great and I assure you, if I had my head on straight and took proper photos of each display, you’d be “oohing” and “aaahing” right now.
Instead, you’re looking at random old tractors. Tractors which are also vintage to be sure. But since this isn’t the vintage tractor museum, I’m not even going to bother to try to pretend I learned or know anything about old tractors other than the fact that they are old and they are tractors.
I experienced what was the 101st Bethlehem Fair, which is an impressive run. I walked the entire length of the joint a couple times, soaking in the scenes. This is a very typical small town fair and it was really sweet to hear some little kids on my way in saying things like, “I’m so excited!” Pure Norman Rockwell Americana right there.
I apologize to the Bethlehem Fair Vintage Museum (that only exists, as best as I can tell, in that pdf document about the fair). Somehow I’m guessing the vast CTMQ audience will forgive me.
The Bethlehem Fair
CTMQ’s Museum Visits
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