Port Jefferson Students Take Virtual Tour of Barnum Museum

Third-graders at Port Jefferson Elementary School recently took a virtual tour of the Barnum Museum in Connecticut with the help of technology.

A total of 86 students from four classes spoke via Skype to Melissa Houston. who discussed the museum’s history and the legacy of Tom Thumb and P.T. Barnum, whose roots run deep in Port Jefferson. Houston also showed students various artifacts from the museum, including Tom Thumb’s wedding cakes and items Barnum had brought back from his various travels with the circus.

Teacher Nancy Winkler-Brogan explained that students normally took field trips to the museum in years past. However, the last several winter storms had severely damaged the historic site, which is currently undergoing renovations.

The next best thing, said Winkler-Brogan, was to create a virtual tour that would culminate students’ recent lessons on Port Jefferson history. Students also learned about Barnum’s link to the Port Jefferson Ferry, founded by Barnum in 1883 under the name Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Steamboat.

Despite not being able to go to the museum, student Olivia Ross said she thought the virtual tour was a great way to learn about Barnum. “I think it’s cool that we can Skype the museum,” she said. “I really like learning about P.T. Barnum and knowing that the circus is part of Port Jefferson’s history.”