The University has repaired buildings at the Depot Campus as resources have become available. The buildings on the north side became the Donald T. The portion on the south side of Route 44 became part of the University. It closed in 1993, after a number of lawsuits regarding the care of persons with mental disabilities and as the state established more group homes for former MTS residents. The Depot Campus used to be the Mansfield Training School (MTS), a facility for mentally retarded persons starting around 1900. But those buildings have a rather sad (and sadly recent) history: When I attended UConn, this was known as “Those decrepit abandoned buildings out by the prison.” By the looks of it, that description is still apt for the majority of the buildings there today. (Though, thanks to the billion dollars the state poured into it since 2000, it’s a beautiful campus.) But that’s not where the Ballard Museum of Puppetry is situated…Ībout five miles West of campus lies what is known as the Depot Campus. All that you’ve heard about cows and trees is totally true. UConn is in Storrs, which isn’t even really a town at all. And I am fortunate enough to have been to both… within an hour.įirst, I’ll set the scene: The University of Connecticut – Depot Campus. It’s pretty funny when you stop to think about it there is a puppet museum about 12 minutes up Route 44 from a weird doll museum. Just call my name, `cause I’ll hear you screamĬTMQ co-founder (then immediate deserter) EdHill and I were still coming off the high of the Special Joys Doll Museum visit when we arrived at the next destination of our day-long MegaQuest up Route 44 and then out to Willimantic. Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams “Master of puppets I’m pulling your strings Mansfield Depot Section of Mansfield ( Google Maps Location)

Ballard puppetry museum