Patch Passport: Make the Griffin Museum a Must-See [VIDEO]

Plenty of residents use Shore Road as a cut-through to get to . Others drive by it lookig for a place to park their car as they grab the Commuter train.

But that means too many people are missing Winchester's hidden gem, the .

The Griffin has been a world-renowned photographic institute for the past 19 years, which was founded by photographer, Arthur Griffin.

Griffin, born in Lawrence, MA, in 1903 was the first photographer to use color in the Saturday Evening Pos. He became the leading color photogapher in the country.

The Great Places in Massachusetts Commission listed the museum as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts. It was the only Winchester site that made the cut.

"It makes me feel good that all our hard work doesn't go unnoticed," said museum director, Paula Tognarelli. "We want to generate interest among the public with the exhibitions and the camps. We've worked hard and it's nice to see it's paying off; that's why we do it. Being in arts the financial gain is minimal, so this definitely is nice recognition."

For the last five years, the Griffin Museum has hosted its Focus Awards, which invites some of the top photographers from across the country to Winchester. Last year, James Colton - an editor for Sports Illustrated - was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Griffin.

For many photographers, it's an honor to be associated without he Griffin.

"I have a lot of respect for the Griffin and what they do," said David Fram, founder of Fraction, an online-only magazine.

Even with all its fame, the Arthur Griffin is still a relative unknown in the town.

"They know us in China, but not in Winchester," said associate director Frances Jakubek. "Recently, 20 curators from all over the world were chosen to meet at a summit in China and [Tognarelli] was one of them."