COLLECTIONS

What began as a personal collection of antique automobiles has grown into a museum collection of 18,000 items. Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Lilly III dreamed of sharing their collections with the public, and opened Heritage Museums & Gardens in 1969. Today the collection still features those automobiles (on view in the J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery), as well as American folk art, fine art, militaria, Native American artifacts, and an operating 1908 Looff carousel . Limited selections from the museum’s Heritage Collection of art and artifacts are on display in the Heritage Highlights exhibit in the American Art & Carousel Gallery. To learn more about what is currently on view, please click here.

The Heritage Collection

Our collections celebrate the culture, work, leisure, and life of people in southeastern New England. On display in the American Art and Carousel Gallery is a selection of objects from the permanent collection of art and artifacts. With rotating displays throughout the year, the Heritage Highlights exhibit presents a sampling from some of the museum’s signature collections. READ MORE

1908 Looff Carousel

The carousel is one of the most popular attractions at Heritage Museums & Gardens. Made by Charles Looff in 1908, the hand-carved carousel has been thrilling riders for over a hundred years. READ MORE

American Automobile Collection

Heritage’s antique automobile collection features 42 American-made cars, ranging from 1899 through 1965. READ MORE

The Museum Collection Online

Want to learn more about Heritage Museums & Gardens’ collections? All 18,000 items in the museum’s permanent collection are available on our online database. READ MORE