A magical medieval like castle sits in a picture perfect forest – like something out of a fairytale.
Gillette Castle State Park [67 River Rd, East Haddam, CT 06423] is such a matchless place, it should be on everyone’s Connecticut bucket list. This quirky castle was completed in 1919 by William Gillette, an actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes. The twenty four room mansion is built of local stone, the forty-seven doors are completely unique, and there is even a secret door which allowed Gillette to theatrically surprise his guests.
The back porch opens up to a dramatic scene looking over the Connecticut river.
Venture through the gatehouse and head out onto the trails.
In the heart of the woods discover a number of delightful bridges.
Trails are not marked, but the park is not so large enough to get lost – and paths are quite maintained.
Outside by the visitors center we bumped into an eccentric man with a robe on smoking his pipe, with his classy wife stroking her cat. The volunteer Gillette’s ghosts linger around the castle, interacting with passerby’s. Inside watch a film to learn more about owner of this infamous abode.
Good to know:
+Castle is open for tours Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day
+Grounds are free and open year round
It’s a place I want to explore more, thanks for the tips!
The Connecticut River Valley is a really cool place ! Other things to see in the area include the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam and the Griswold Art Museum in Old Lyme.