American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont

Held in a simple yet historic building in a bucolic Vermont town the American Precision Museum, a collection of machining tools, geared contraptions, and the under appreciated history of the United States’ devotion to quality through detail.

The American Precision Museum is housed in a building that has stood since 1846 and holds special significance for the collection itself. The building once housed a gun factory owned by Richard Lawrence and Samuel Robbins, the two men who are said to be responsible for the creation of the entire machine tool industry. Their firearms workshop was one of the first to use custom metal lathing machines to create parts so precise that they could be interchangeable, a major advance in not only weaponry but also manufacturing in general. Before too long, machine tools that created the precise custom parts for all manner of machinery were standard kit across the entire country, helping earn America itself a reputation for sturdy, detailed craftsmanship.  

Today, the museum housed in the former shop is a celebration of this proud legacy. Countless machining tools are on display, as well as a number of strange custom machines that were built as show pieces just to illustrate the concept at work. There are also a number of exquisitely created items as well as a number of miniaturesshowing off just how precise things can get.