American Precision Museum

We try not to let too many years go by without revisiting the American Precision Museum. The Museum is a must-​see destination for anyone with an interest in American history and the development of modern technology and manufacturing, and many visitors of all ages who didn’t think they cared about either subject come away realizing their fascination and importance. Housed in an historic 1840’s mill building by the side of a river just over the New Hampshire line (take the country’s largest covered bridge, the Windsor-​Cornish, to get there!), the Museum has standing displays detailing the beginnings of mass production, particularly of armaments, and the actual machine tools that made it possible. When you come be sure to stay and take the tour, and you’ll come away not only with your own lathe-​turned object and a custom-​stamped gear, but with an increased appreciation for the people who first standardized these path breaking technologies. Hours are seasonal (open only spring to fall) and some areas are not accessible.

The American Precision Museum is a jewel set in the middle of Vermont. Who knew that the cradle of the American machine tool industry is right here, with such a wonderful museum waiting to tell the story?
Set in the old Robbins and Lawrence armory building, the museum has all sorts of machine tool curiosities on display. The working shop in the middle of the museum is setup for docents to provide demonstrations of various tools.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and would recommend this museum to anyone with an interest in America’s technology heritage.

This is one of my favorite museums in the world. It’s small but very well done. If you are interested in the transition from craftsmanship to standardization and mass production this place will blow your mind.

A museum of a different flavor, the APM holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the country.
The focus is to spotlight the importance of the industrial revolution.
I have not been here in over 20 years so I can imagine how much this place has changed.
Some of the collections include: typewriters, firearms, sewing machines, measuring devices, library, and archives.
Open during the warm months, May– October.