Unique Experiences

Item Description

The aptly named "Tiny Tour" will focus on the extraordinary life of “General Tom Thumb” and his wife, Lavinia Warren. The museum tour will include a behind-the-scenes look at rarely seen personal items in the collection, such as the couple's jewelry, custom-made clothing, accessories, calling cards, and even a slice of their wedding cake, now more than 150 years old! (But don't worry, it isn't moldy or gross - and you'll find out why during the tour.) Guests will also see hand-colored books and prints, special souvenirs, and rare broadsides promoting Tom Thumb’s tours.

The Tiny Tour is your special opportunity to discover some of the most treasured collections at the Barnum Museum. While the gallery features incredible artifacts such as the couple’s miniature carriages and furniture, this tour also introduces you to items not usually seen by the public. In order to preserve these rare and unique items for future generations, many cannot be continuously displayed. You and up to seven additional guests will be welcomed by the Barnum Museum Director and the tour will be led by the Curator. At the conclusion, guests will be treated to “tea” featuring cake similar to the kind made for Charlie and Lavinia’s wedding.

A little biographical information! Charles S. Stratton was a Bridgeport native, born in 1838. He weighed over 9 pounds at birth, but stopped growing around 7 months old. P. T. Barnum met “Charlie” shortly before the boy turned five, and quickly recognized his innate charm and natural ability to entertain. Barnum brought Charlie and his parents to his American Museum in New York City, taught him to act, and gave him the stage name "General Tom Thumb." Charlie was also known as the “Man in Miniature” because he was only two feet tall but perfectly proportioned. Tom Thumb became famous and wealthy through his performing and partnership with P.T. Barnum, and the two traveled overseas as well as touring America. Tom Thumb’s acts included singing, dancing, miming and most famously, portraying characters like Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte. His 1863 marriage to Lavinia Warren, a beautiful and bright “woman in miniature” from Massachusetts, became front-page news at the height of the Civil War, and their wedding attracted thousands of guests. The couple did a three-year tour of the world, becoming America’s first international celebrity couple. Sadly, Charles died of a stroke at age 45, on July 15, 1883. Lavinia remarried in 1885 and lived to be 77.

Duration: approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Number of participants: Limited to 8 guests (recommended for adults and older children)

When: To be scheduled at the convenience of both parties; tour must take place no later than May 31, 2017.

Item Special Note

The Barnum Museum’s home is an elaborate stone and terracotta building completed in 1893, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a legacy gift of P. T. Barnum originally called The Barnum Institute of Science and History. Located at 820 Main Street in Bridgeport, CT, the museum is just a short walk from the Metro-North and Amtrak train station, the Port Jefferson, Long Island Ferry, and very close to Exit 27 off Interstate 95, approximately1.5 hours away from NYC.  Due to ongoing restoration of the historic building, the tour will be in the modern wing behind the historic structure, the Peoples United Bank Gallery. Public entry in the historic building is not permitted at this time, however the exterior ornamentation, including the historical scenes of the terra cotta frieze and animal figures hidden in the carved stone foliage, are worth seeing.

The Barnum Museum is dedicated to its mission to inspire curiosity, and seeks to be a relevant institution of learning, committed to intellectual exchange, community engagement. The museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of P.T. Barnum’s legacy and his genre in American history. Inside the People’s United Bank Gallery, the museum showcases dozens of original objects and works of art, including many owned by P. T. Barnum and his family, Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren, the Nathaniel Wheeler family--and even a centaur and a mermaid! The gallery is open from 11 to 3 on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year, and also on Saturdays during the summer. For more information, visit www.barnum-museum.org

The successful bidder will receive a certificate for the Tiny Tour.

Terms and Conditions:
* Certificate expires one year after date issued
* Certificate must be used on a single day only, during regular museum hours
* Certificate cannot be combined with any other certificate, gift cards, offers, or packages
* Certificate has no cash value
* Certificate needs to be surrendered at the time of the visit