Organized by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, the event is designed to showcase the state’s diverse mix of history, art, culture, nature and adventure experiences. For the first time in two years, all event offerings are fully in person.
“Connecticut Open House Day is the perfect opportunity to discover or rediscover Connecticut’s rich history, arts & culture scene, outdoor recreation experiences, and so much more, as we kickoff an exciting summer season” said Noelle Stevenson, director of Connecticut Office of Tourism, in a press release.
The event offers free or reduced admission to more than 60 attractions, including history, art and children’s museums, trains and trolleys and water sport retailers. The public will have access to more than 25 free tours to theaters and venues that are rarely open to the public as well as vineyards, breweries and distilleries. There will also be special offers events and giveaways to farms, shops and nature centers.
“We encourage everyone to get out, explore and take advantage of the amazing offers throughout the state—you might just be surprised at what you find!”
Below is a list of what each county has to offer for Connecticut Open House Day. Or, click your county above to skip to attractions near you.
Fairfield County
Visitors to the Maritime Aquarium including Leo and Maxwell Brenner, 4 and 6, watch the seals frolic in their new enclosure Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Norwalk, Conn.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media
Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, Newtown
Boothe Memorial Park and Museum, Stratford
Boothe Memorial Railway Society, Stratford
Brookfield Museum & Historical Society, Brookfield
Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan
Charter Oak Brewery & Taproom, Danbury
CTBEER.COM, New Canaan
Danbury Cultural Commission Citywide Showcase, Danbury
Danbury Museum & Historical Society Authority, Danbury
EverWonder Children’s Museum, Newtown
Fairfield University Art Museum, Fairfield
Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich
Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, Norwalk
Mill Hill Historic Park – Norwalk Historical Society, Norwalk
Mellow Monkey Gifts & Home Decor, Stratford
MoCA Westport, Westport
NaturalAnnie Essentials Candle Bar & Studio, Bridgeport
Norwalk Historical Society Museum, Norwalk
Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton
Sculpture Exhibition, Bethel
Shelton History Center, Shelton
Stratford Historical Society, Stratford
Stratford Veterans Museum, Stratford
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield
The Historic William Perry House, Stratford
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Norwalk
The Surfside Hotel, Stratford
Hartford County
American Clock & Watch Museum, Bristol
Barnes Museum, Southington
Berlin Historical Society Museum, Berlin
Bristol Historical Society, Bristol
Canton Historical Museum, Collinsville section of Canton CT
Collinsville Canoe & Kayak, Canton
Congregational Church of Plainville, Plainville
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford
Connecticut’s Old State House, Hartford
Connecticut Trolley Museum, East Windsor
East Hartford Public Library, East Hartford
Elton Tavern and Center Schoolhouse, Burlington
Free Admission To Our Galleries, Hartford
Free Distillery Tour at Waypoint Spirits, Bloomfield
Gardens & Crafts with The Barnes Museum, Southington
Hartford Taste Festival, Hartford
Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington
Hilltop Farm, Suffield
Huguenot House Museum, East Hartford
Hungerford Nature Center, Kensington
Isham-Terry House, Hartford
Lutz Children’s Museum, Manchester
New Britain Industrial Museum, New Britain
New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain
Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, West Hartford
Nowashe Village at Wood Memorial Library & Museum, South Windsor
Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine, East Granby
Oliver Ellsworth Homestead, Windsor
Real Art Ways, Hartford
Slipaway River Tours, Wethersfield
Sonia Plumb Dance Company at Columns Dance and Wellness Centre, Hartford
Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut, Windsor
The Carousel Museum, Bristol
The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, Wethersfield
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford
Wethersfield Historical Society, Wethersfield
Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, Wethersfield
Windsor Historical Society, Windsor
Woodbridge Farmstead, Manchester
Litchfield County
Abrash Galleries, Woodbury
Connecticut Museum of Mining Annual Gem and Mineral Show, Kent
Ellsworth Hill Orchard & Berry Farm, Sharon
Eric Sloane Museum, Kent
First Congregational Church of Litchfield, Litchfield
Gallery 25 & Creative Arts Studio, New Milford
Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden, Woodbury
Gunn Memorial Museum, Washington
Harry C. Barnes Nature Center, Bristol
H.O.R.S.E. of Connecticut, Washington
Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington
Kent Art Association, Kent
KidsPlay Children’s Museum, Torrington
Leroy Anderson House, Woodbury
Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield
Lock Museum of America, Terryville
Merwinsville Hotel Restoration, Gaylordsville
New Milford Barn Quilt Trail, New Milford
Norfolk Farmers Market, Norfolk
Plymouth Historical Society, Plymouth
Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston
Susan Rood Studio, New Hartford
T.A. Hungerford Memorial Museum, Harwinton
Watertown History Museum, Watertown
Winsted Fire Department, Winsted
Middlesex County
Gillette Castle at Gillette Castle State Park on the borders of Haddam and Lyme, Conn. July 2021.
Lisa Nichols
Adam Stanton House & General Store Museum, Clinton
Boho Farm, East Haddam
Chakana Sky Alpacas, Chester
Clinton Historical Society Gardens & Grounds, Clinton
Company of Fifers and Drummers Museum, Ivoryton
Connecticut River Museum, Essex
Earthly Goddess – A Clay Co-Op, Durham
Essex Indoor Golf Center, Essex
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Essex
Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme
Gene and Neato’s Comedy Magic Shows, Middletown
Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam
Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown
Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam
Greater Middletown Military Museum, Middletown
Ivoryton Playhouse, Ivoryton
Katharine Hepburn Museum, Old Saybrook
Kids & Family Cycling Safety Fair, Middletown
Little Pub Old Saybrook
The Lyman Homstead Tours at Lyman Orchards, Middlefield
Middlesex County Historical Society, Middletown
River Valley Dance Project, Deep River
Spectrum Art Gallery and Store, Centerbrook
Thankful Arnold House Museum, Haddam
The Lyman Homstead Tours at Lyman Orchards, Middlefield
Wesleyan Potters, Middletown
Westbrook Historical Society, Westbrook
New Haven County
The Henry Whitfield State Museum is located at 248 Old Whitfield St. in Guilford.
Henry Whitfield State Museum / Contributed photo
Allis-Bushnell House, Madison
Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum, Cheshire
Bullet Hill School – a living museum program, Southbury
Darling House Barn Tours, Woodbridge
Deacon John Grave House And Gardens, Madison
Dudley Farm Museum, Guilford
Fascia’s Chocolates, Waterbury
Gallery 53, Meriden
Guilford Art Center, Guilford
Guilford Information Center, Guilford
Harwinton Historical Society Restored Schoolhouse and Museum, Harwinton
Henry Whitfield State Museum, Guilford
Hitchcock-Phillips House, Cheshire
Hyland House Museum, Guilford
Legacy Theatre, Stony Creek
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury
Matthies House Museum Tours, Seymour
Medad Stone Tavern Museum, Guilford
Meriden Historical Society, Meriden
Milford SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Milford
New Haven Museum, New Haven
Osborne Homestead Museum, Derby
Palace Theater, Waterbury
Prospect Historical Society, Prospect
Seven Angels Theatre, Waterbury
Seymour Historical Society, Seymour
Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven
Solomon Goffe House Museum, Meriden
Stone Schoolhouse Museum & Center School History Museum, Wolcott
The Jonathan Dickerman House, Hamden
Thimble Island Brewing Company, Branford
Thomas Griswold House Museum, Guilford
Waterski Connecticut, Derby
New London County
Spectators watching the relaunch of Mystic Seaport Museum’s flagship whaling ship Charles W. Morgan on July 21, 2013 in Mystic, Connecticut. Photo by Lisa Wiltse (Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images)
Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images
Avery-Copp House Museum, Groton
Blue Slope Country Museum, Franklin
Brookside Farm Museum, Niantic
Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House, Stonington
Colchester History Museum, Colchester
Cold Spring Farm, Colchester
Custom House Maritime Museum, New London
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic
Ebenezer Avery House & Museum at Fort Griswold State Park, Groton
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Groton
Fort Trumbull State Park, New London
Gifts on the Green, Colchester
Groton Heights Neighborhood Open House Day, Groton
Governor Jonathan Trumbull House, Lebanon
Hands-on History Family Fun, Lebanon
James Merrill House, Stonington
Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop, Norwich
Lebanon Historical Society Museum, Lebanon
Leffingwell House Museum, Norwich
Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London
Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme
Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic
New London Ledge Lighthouse, New London
Niantic Children’s Museum, Niantic
Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors’ Center, Norwich
Old Mystic History Center (formally the Indian and Colonial Research Center), Old Mystic
Old Town Mill, New London
Portersville Academy, Mystic
Sikh Art Gallery, Norwich
Stonington Historical Society, Stonington
Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum, Montville
Thames River Heritage Park, New London/Groton
Thomas Lee House, Niantic
TreeTrails Adventures Mystic, Mystic
Wylie Schoolhouse, Voluntown
Tolland County
Archaeology Exhibit, Columbia
Art & Garden Tour of Northeast Connecticut
Artisans at Middle River, Stafford Springs
Arts Center East, Vernon
Atwood Farm Museum, Mansfield
Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry, Storrs
Friends of Valley Falls, Vernon
Joshua’s Trust Gurleyville Grist Mill, Mansfield
Kim Bova Photography, Mansfield-Storrs
Mary Noonan, Storrs-Mansfield
Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry
Nellie McKnight Museum, Ellington
New England Civil War Museum, Vernon
Scott Rhoades Studio, Storrs
Stafford Historical Society Museum, Stafford Springs
Strong Family Farm, Vernon
Windham County
A Historic Survey of Early Ellington and Farm Exhibit
Art & Garden Tour of Northeast Connecticut
Barbara Lussier Gallery, Pomfret
Creamery Brook Bison Farm, Brooklyn
Finnish American Heritage Society, Brooklyn
Finnish Hall & Museum, Canterbury
Prudence Crandall Museum, Canterbury
The Old Brooklyn Meeting House, Brooklyn
Watercure Farm Distillery, Pomfret Center
Westford Hill Distillers, Ashford
Willow Tree Pottery, Ashford
Windham Textile and History Museum – The Mill Museum, Willimantic
