Community Corner

Gillette Castle to Offer Free Admission This Saturday

The East Haddam castle, operated by the state, is celebrating Open House Day on June 8 along with other parks in Connecticut.

Gillette Castle in East Haddam will be offering free admission this Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The move is being done in honor of Open House Day — an annual event coordinated by the Connecticut Office of Tourism — in which several locations will be holding special events and perks.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which operates Gillette, will also be offering free admission to these other Connecticut locations:  

  • Fort Trumbull State Park, New London – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with special activities including crafts, film showings, animal demonstrations, “Track Talks,” and nature walks (weather permitting).  
  • Osborne Homestead Museum, Derby – Free admission from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a special one-woman performance, “They Called Me Lizzy…from Slavery to the White House” by actress Stephanie Jackson at the Kellogg Environmental Center at 2 p.m. (A five dollar donation is requested for the performance). More information on the performance is available here.  
“This is a great time for first-time visitors to discover the many fun and educational opportunities our state parks and state park museums have to offer and for returning visitors to come back and enjoy their old favorites,” said DEEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Whalen. “As we celebrate the Centennial of our state parks system, we are encouraging residents and visitors to take the occasion to experience as many of our 107 state parks and 32 state forests as you can.”

More information on Connecticut’s state parks and forests and all of the many outdoor recreational activities available in the state can be found at http://www.ct.gov/deep/recreation.

Click this link to find out more Open House Day events.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here