The 2019 Connecticut Open House Date: June 8th

SAVE THE DATE

15^th ANNUAL 

CONNECTICUT OPEN HOUSE DAY 

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

WHAT: Connecticut Open House Day

WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 2019 (times may vary by location)

WHERE:  Statewide (150+ locations)

DETAILS: Save the date for this ever popular one-day event where destinations across Connecticut offer free or discounted admission or special offers to Connecticut residents. 

Organized by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, Connecticut Open House Day is designed to showcase Connecticut’s diverse mix of history, art, culture and tourism, and encourage residents to discover or rediscover the wealth of treasures in their own backyard.

The list of participants and special offers is available at: www.ctvisit.com/connecticut-open-house-day-june-8-2019

Follow the official Connecticut Tourism account @CTvisit on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.

Participating Towns as of 4-23-19

Ashford          

• Ashford House Studio, 10 Mansfield Rd.
  Open studio from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., offering 10% off all matted prints.
  Part of the Art & Garden Tour.
• Willow Tree Pottery
  Open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Featuring guests Barbara Katz, Gretchen Geromin and Laure Merlo who will be showing their work in the gardens. Suzy Stauback makes pottery for the kitchen, table and garden inspired by pots of ancient China and Korea and country pottery of England and early America. All visitors will receive a homemade amulet.
  Part of the Arts & Garden Tour.

Barkhamsted 

• Squire’s Tavern
  Free admission from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. In addition, there will be a whimsical program at 1:30 p.m. by George Papp, Sr. on the history of outhouses. Following the program will be an ice cream social.

Bloomfield      

• Old Farm School                    
  Free tours from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. of the 1796 schoolhouse which was used until 1922, and the History Center.

Bridgeport     

• Barnum Museum 
  Free admission from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Guest can enjoy free guided tours through the gallery and all visitors will receive a red nose and Barnum bookmarks.

Bristol 

• American Clock & Watch Museum
  Free admission from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
• Bristol Historical Society
• Free admission from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., with special hands-on activity for children and new displays for the adults to view.
• Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center              
  Free admission for the first 200 visitors from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., sponsored by the Thomaston Savings Band Foundation and the Barnes Foundation.
• Witch’s Dungeon Classic Movie Museum     
  Open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., with free movie viewing and photo opportunities with the Dungeon characters. Animation drawings will be available.

Brooklyn        

• Creamery Brook Bison          
  Open from noon until 6 p.m. during their Summer Festival featuring food and craft vendors, activities for children including butter making; ice cream, and wagon rides to see the bison.

Burlington      

• Elton Tavern & Center Schoolhouse
  Open for tours from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Visit with costumed interpreters in the Federal-style tavern or try your hand at school lessons and games in the one-room schoolhouse.

Canterbury    

• Green District Schoolhouse
  Open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Visit the restored 19th century one-room schoolhouse and experience first-hand how different school was in the not-so-distant past.
• Prudence Crandal Museum
  Free admission from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Canton           

• Collinsville Canoe & Kayak              
  From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., visitors receive half off rentals.

Chaplin          

• Jane Collins Studio 
  Open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., offering guests a free herb or flower plant.
  Part of the Arts & Garden Tour.

Cheshire         

• Cheshire Historical Society
  Open from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The Cheshire Historical Society has been researching the history of the Hitchcock family and with the information they have found, staff will tell the stories about the family through skits. Guests are invited to dress in period costumes and read from the prepared scripts.

Chester           

• Chakana Sky Alpacas            
  Open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., offering guests 10% off total farm store purchases.

Clinton           

• Adam Stanton House            
  Free admission from noon until 4 p.m., with guided tours throughout the 18th century house and general store.
• Captain Elisha White House              
  Free house tours from noon until 4 p.m. of the oldest brick building on the Boston Post Road, also known as “Old Brick.” Enjoy the perennial gardens containing heirloom plants, view a diorama of Main Street, Clinton as it looked in 1915, and visit the Buell Tool Museum, a treasure trove of antique tools.

Colchester      

• Colchester Historical Society
  Free admission from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., offering tours of the history museum in addition to three other historic sites including Hayward Fire Museum, School of Colored Children, and the Nathaniel Foote House.

Collinsville      

• Canton Historical Museum                
  Free admission from noon until 4 p.m., with guided or self-guided tours.

Danbury         

• Danbury Museum & Historical Society                     
  Free admission from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., which includes tours and a special exhibition.
• Gallery at Still River Editions
  Open from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., featuring the exhibition of photographs by Robert Jacobsen and photoencaustics by Marcy Juran. Enjoy art, conversation and light refreshments.

Derby 

• Osborne Homestead Museum 
• Museum open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with a special architecture tour of the homestead, exploring its transformation from a modest 1800s farmhouse into an elegant 20th century Colonial Revival home.

East Granby  

• Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine
  Free admission from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

East Haddam 

• East Haddam Historical Society & Museum             
  Free admission and tours from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., along with tours and complimentary gifts.
• Goodspeed Opera House       
  From 9 a.m. until noon, enjoy free tours of the historic Victorian theater built in 1876.

East Hartford            

• Futtner’s Family Farm LLC
  Free prize drawing every half hour from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Prizes valued at $15 to $20 each, include flats of plants and vegetables, potted herbs, hanging baskets, and more. Must be present for drawing and limited one prize per customer.
• Huguenot House Museum     
  Open from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., take the opportunity to visit this site which is rarely open to the public and offering a complimentary brochure on historic sites. Merchandise available at half price.

East Haven     

• Shore Line Trolley Museum   
  Offering half off trolley ride admissions and also museum store items from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

East Windsor 

• Connecticut Trolley Museum
  From 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., purchase one admission and receive the second admission free (higher price prevails) and one free admission per party for Connecticut residents only.

Ellington         

• Nellie McKnight Museum     
  Free admission from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Essex   

• Connecticut River Museum   
  Everyone is a “kid” on June 8. Open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., offering morning programs, tours, crafts and stories in the museum and aboard the ship “Onrust.” Programs are free with admission.

Fairfield         

• Fairfield University Art Museum    
  Open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., offering guests a free notecard.
• Walsh Gallery at the Regina Quick Center for the Arts
  Open from noon until 4 p.m. All visitors receive a complimentary museum notecard.

Farmington    

• Stanley-Whitman House        
  Open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Free admission from 8 a.m.-noon; half price admission from noon-4 p.m.; along with a 20% off family memberships. Farmington Farm Truck on-site from noon-3 p.m.

Franklin         

• Ashbel Woodward House Museum
  Free admission from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. A lecture from a Franklin notable at 2 p.m., followed by a tour to a nearby cemetery (weather permitting).
• Blue Slope Country Museum
  Reduced admission from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. of $1. Have fun with interactive activities including solving historical farming questions.

CT Open House Day 2014 - In Guilford & New Haven

Promotional Invite

Connecticut Open House Day turned TEN YEARS OLD!.

That's right! The big One-O! And for the past decade, the state of Connecticut has been rolling out the red carpet for both residents and tourists to enjoy all the fun things to do in our great little nutmeg state!

Once a year, many of the businesses, museums, and travel destinations, fling open their doors, at free or reduced prices!  And now it's become an annual event called Connecticut Open House Day (#CTOpenHouse) sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Tourism.

This year they partnered with some of CT's wonderful network of social media mavens to help get the word out. Wendy of Weights Over and Cheryl from CherylBudge.com traveled to one portion of the state with their families to visit the Dinosaur State Park, New England Air Museum, and the Southington Drive In.

In another part of the state, Michelle, a freelance travel writer, and publisher of She Is Going Places, Kelsey from FleishmanHillard representing CT Tourism, and I went on a walking tour of historic Guilford CT.

And later in this post you'll see we met up with Wendy and Greg of CT Lifestyles Magazine for lunch at the hip and healthy Claire's Corner Copia, in neighboring New Haven CT, home to Yale University, and one of the greatest small cities in American (GSCIA!)


Speaking of great little cities and towns - the Connecticut Tourism Bureau is ALSO running a Connecticut still revolutionary Fan-Favorite Town Contest for a fan favorite town. Vote now for your chance to win a getaway to Niantic! The ZIP and ZEN prize package includes a four-night stay at the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina, $100 gift card to Grace Boutique and a free all-day pass to Niantic Bay Bicycles.

VOTE HERE ===> Fan-Favorite-Town

Back to CT Open House Day!

The cowboy and I started off earlier than our 9:45 meet up at the Guilford Town Hall, and decided to head in to Guilford ahead of schedule to have some breakfast on our own. While we were driving down one of the streets near the Guilford Town Green, we spotted a little Quonset Hut that houses a little restaurant called Perk on Church and some other retail establishments! It looked so cute so we stopped and started with a great breakfast before we set off on our historic walking tour.

It was a fun little place to stop and there is a patio for dining al fresco! The cowboy had three eggs over easy and I had a Southwestern Crepe. So good! So spicy! (wipes sweat from brow, gulps water, YUM)

After breakfast we met up with Michelle and Kelsey, our companions for the walk, and Dennis who runs the Guilford Historical Tours, and Elya and Virginia, our two guides for the walking tour. Elya and Virginia are both college students who grew up in Guilford, and have an affinity and love for their hometown, and the history of Guilford's founding. Virginia earned her Girl Scouts' Gold Award for her research on Guilford and the Guilford Green.

It was a beautiful day in CT - and we set out to learn all about Guilford, who, by the way, is getting ready to celebrate their 375th Anniversary!

Our tour guides explained the rigorous process that homeowners go through to have their homes join the prestigious historic registry in town. The historic society will go through town records dating back hundreds of years to find the original owners of the home. After the society authenticates the home, a placard is made that gives the year the house was built and the original owners family name.

Our guides Elya and Virginia explained each house's style: saltbox, Victorian, cape, colonial, or cottage, and pointed out the different architectural details of each.

And there were more than just private homes on the tour! There were churches, town halls, and schools.

Above is the pride of Church Street - a beautiful Queen Anne!

We learned the history of the churches we visited and all about the town's founders. And a truly inspiring moment was viewing the covenant of the original settlers, inscribed with the names of the founding families of Guilford CT!

The Guilford Covenant

We saw many beautiful homes and buildings and at the conclusion of our tour we crossed the town green, where tour guide Virginia pointed out the plaques that described historic information on the town green. Did you know that Guilford Green is the largest continuous Green in New England? And Virginia had a hand in raising the monies and donations for the plaques as part of her civic project.

Before I move on to the second half of our CT Open House Day, I have to say that the Guilford Walking Tour is a MUST for anyone vising the Shoreline area. Guilford has such a rich and storied history, and the tour guides bring each story to life. From learning the green stripes on the poles markthe New England Trail, to a retail establishment that was once the town's Methodist Church; and from the historic Whitfield House and Museum to the eerie Doll House, each area on the tour has an interesting element to it.

What's more, these young adults are marking their own pages in Guilford's history books. They are knowledgeable about the town, engaged in civic events, and on several occasions stopped to introduce us to present day residents and merchants explaining each individual's personal connection to the town.

Make no mistake about it. History is being made, AND preserved, in beautiful Guilford CT!

For more pictures from the Guilford Historic Walking Tour click HERE.

By now it was past noon and we were FAMISHED! So we moved on to Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, a short 15-20 drive from Guilford.

Claire's is a New Haven staple, serving organic, sustainable, kosher, vegan, and gluten free dishes. And New Haven was just named the Top Foodie City in 2014 by Livability.com. Although Claire's has been in business since 1975, their first location was in my hometown of Branford! And, I'm ashamed to admit that this visit during CT Open House Day was the first time I've been back to Claire's since they moved to New Haven many moons ago.

As soon as we arrived and got in line to order we were were tempted by the delicious desserts on display in their cases! Just look at them!

We had loads of fun with the staff at Claire's! While I sipped on my Cucumber Lemon Freeze we got to browse through one of Claire's cookbooks.

On to our delicious lunch!

 I originally ordered the Cobb Salad and the Cowboy ordered the Pizza Caprese, but when he took a look at my salad, I knew he was going to claim it as his own. What can I say...it looked that good! And I love Pizza Caprese so it was a win-win for both of us!

And here are my tablemates' lunches! More flat bread pizzas, grilled vegetables, a quesidilla, and quiche!

And for dessert, none of us held back! So many offerings that are gluten free, flourless, and just plain good!

What a great day!  For more pictures from our visit to Claire's click HERE

There is so much to do in CT and this was a great example of two fun filled adventures that are 15 minutes from my hometown!

That's what CT Open House is all about - Get out and see what's in your own backyard! From historic towns and tours to trendy eateries - Connecticut has it all! I guess that's why we're Still Revolutionary!

Big thanks to the CT Tourism Bureau for an amazing time, the Guilford Historic Walking Tour for an educational and fun experience, and Claire's Corner Copia for a delicious lunch.

And DON'T FORGET to vote for your Fan-Favorite Town! Vote ==> HERE

For more info on fun events in CT, click the CT Tourism Board ==> HERE

For more info on the Guilford Historic Walking Tour click ==> HERE

For more info on Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven CT click ==> HERE

Explore Connecticut! It's still revolutionary!

What's YOUR favorite thing to do in CT?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Disclaimer: I was invited by the CT Tourism Bureau's Marketing Team to participate in this event as their guest. However, the views, experiences, and opinions are my own. 

Save the date 6-14-14 for Connecticut Open House Day!

One of the best days for Connecticut Tourism and Connecticut residents and visitors is quickly coming upon us.

Yes! Connecticut Open House Day! 

And 2014 promises to be better than ever.

If you're not familiar with Connecticut Open House Day - it's an annual event sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Tourism where many of our wonderful state's attractions open their doors for deeply discounted admittance and some are even FREE!

Last year I visited several places in Fairfield county (Read my recap HERE) and this year I hope to head north to CT's historic Hartford county.  But, no matter where you are, there is something going on!

For a list of participating attractions visit the Connecticut State of Tourism's by clicking here: CT Open House Participants

There you'll find hundreds of attractions listed alphabetically. There is something everywhere for everyone!

And you can also follow them on:

           twitter at @CTVisit
           facebook at Facebook/VisitCT

Connecticut Open House Day - #CTOpenHouse - Connecticut Tourism

This year I was honored to be asked by the Connecticut Department of Tourism to be a member of their "Official Street Team" and visit, tweet, and write about some of the places I visited for their 9th Annual Connecticut Open House Day 2013.

        Click here for a complete listing of participating places ==> CT Open House June 8th 2013

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit

What a great day!

One of the things I had in common with the other members of the Street Team was that I was taken aback by all the great treasures that our wonderful state of Connecticut has to offer.  It certainly gave me the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful place that I've resided all of my life! Next year I will definitely be back, and plan to visit so many more of the participating destinations!

#CTOpen House - @CTVisit
Left: Sweet & Simple Bakery, Middle: The Ogden House, Right: The Bellarmine Museum at Fairfield University

This year, I was only able to sandwich in a few places on Saturday, due to a hectic work schedule (I was in New Orleans for most of the week, arriving back in CT late Friday evening), and plans that I had already made in Fairfield in the early afternoon on Saturday.  However, it gave me the opportunity to foray once again into beautiful Fairfield County, away from my native New Haven county and eastern shoreline area.

I'm so glad I did!

I was able to visit fellow CT blogger, Michelle Jaffee's Sweet and Simple Bake Shop. Michelle's shop has only been open for a short time, and I remember how proud she was to announce to our CT Blogging Community how thrilled she was to fulfill her dream of owning a bake shop.

Sweet & Simple #CTOpenHouse 

The bakery is adorable! A gem tucked in among some other boutique type shops, with plenty of parking, and close to an outdoor Saturday summer farmers market.

I had a moment to talk to owner Michelle, who wanted me to be sure to thank all the people who came out for CT Open House! She feels like she made lots of new friends through the #CTOpenHouse day, and is, of course, looking forward to all of them returning soon! Michelle is a little spitfire, and I loved her open bakery concept, where you can watch all the behind the scenes baking going on!

If I lived in the Fairfield area, her shop would be my daily stop for coffee! It was that good! I also purchased some delightful sugar cookies, fruit flavored glazed shortbread cookies, and some Italian wedding cake cookies.

Sweet & Simple - #CTOpenHouse
L-R, Italian Wedding Cake Cookies, Flower & Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies, Lemon & Raspberry Glazed Shortbread Cookies.

I also heard about Sweet & Simple's partnership with The Farmer's Cow ice cream!  What a match made in heaven!  The Farmer's Cow ice cream and Sweet & Simple's cookies! PERFECT PAIRING! And, as part of the #CTOpenHouse festivities, Michelle was able to offer us FREE samples of some of their creations!

Of course, I kept it 'healthy' and opted for the oatmeal raisin cookie with vanilla ice cream. And, was. it. ever. good. OH YES! See the pictured pamphlet below for some of the other combinations.

Sweet & Simple - #CTOpenHouse
The Farmers Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches made with Sweet & Simple Cookies

Sweet and Simple

75 Hillside Rd  Fairfield, CT 06824

(203) 292-8992
Web: http://www.sweetandsimple.com/

Follow them on facebook: HERE

Michelle then asked me where my next destination was, and when I told her Fairfield University's Bellarmine Museum of Art, she URGED me to stop at the Ogden House because it was right on the way.

Big thanks to Michelle!

I loved the Ogden House, which is curated by the Fairfield Museum and History Center. We have a similar 18th century historic home in my hometown of Branford Connecticut, the Harrison House, that I'm ashamed to say I have yet to visit. I'm so glad I was able to visit the Ogden House and speak with the all nice folks that volunteer there!

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit
The Ogden House

The Ogden House is a 1750's saltbox colonial that has been lovingly maintained by the Fairfield
Museum Center. Typically only open seasonally in the summer on Sundays, but for today, they too, were participating in Saturday's #CTOpenHouse!

I did a quick tour of the inside of the Ogden House, and was amazed at the knowledge my tour guide had of both the 1750's and the original materials used. The inside contains a colonial family's living space, including a kitchen, family room, and parlor; and upstairs there are two bedrooms, all with historically correct paints, textiles, and materials.

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit
The Ogden House Interior

Outside, the garden tour guide was chock full of information. The Ogden House Gardens themselves are maintained by the Fairfield Garden Club, and have been since the 1980s. The garden club members have also been called upon to help at the Ogden House at previous times, helping to plan a tricentennial celebration in 1935, landscaping in 1974, and then, the official kitchen garden in the 80's.

They are always interested in learning more about colonial gardening, so if you have any information you'd like to share, contact them at: Fairfield Garden Club, P.O. Box 435 Southport, CT 06890.

Colonial gardening was essential to the survival of the 18th century townspeople, and all of the plantings had to be functional. Although items like garlic were grown, they were not used for flavor or spice, but more for their medicinal and healing purposes. The garden paths were paved with crushed seashell, essential to adding calcium and nutrients to the soil.

Also in the gardens were beehives, and I learned that honeybees were not indigenous to the Americas, brought over by our Scandinavian ancestors, again for their utility in their ability to pollinate, and for the medicinal honey produced. This year the garden club is hoping to work with the local beekeepers to produce the first batch of authentic Ogden House Garden Honey!  Each year the club holds a private tea at the Ogden House that I'm hoping to receive an invite to! 

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit
The Ogden House Gardens

After touring the garden I was able to pull together a group of volunteers for pictures and to watch them interact with the families that were touring.

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit
The Ogden House

Folks, it is the volunteers at these organizations that make a great tour sucessful! Always remember to support their efforts and thank them for their hard work!

The 1750 Ogden House & Gardens

1520 Bronson Road, Fairfield, CT 

Open Sundays, 1pm – 4pm from

June 2 – September 29, 2013

$3; Members free.

Web:  http://www.fairfieldhistory.org/visit/ogden-house/

With my eye on my dwindling time, I moved on to my final destination of the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University. This was my first time on the FairfieldU campus and I was awestruck at the size and the beauty.  What a gorgeous campus! What an amazing museum!

#CTOpenHouse - @CTVisit
Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University

The #CTOpenHouse coincided with both their alumni weekend on campus and their monthly Museum Family Day Activities. The entire campus was decked out with festivities and fun! In addition to their current exhibit and artifacts, it was family fun day and the children's activities included a class on "Building Blocks of Art III: Shape" in their smART Classroom - and a reading hour, held right in the beautiful museum.

The staff at the museum are wonderful, and the children activities were well attended and FUN for all ages! While touring the museum, I was assisted by many staff members who were happy to help as well as an extremely knowledgeable and informative intern, majoring in Medieval Art History at Georgetown University, home for the summer and interning at FairfieldU.

I could have spent the rest of the day at the museum, but alas, I had to leave for my previous commitments! When you go, do plan to spend a few hours there; and the grounds themselves are beautiful! Relax and enjoy!

The Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University

1073 N Benson Rd  

Fairfield, CT 06824

(203) 254-4000

Web: http://www.fairfield.edu/arts/bell_index.html

That concludes my day of #CTOpenHouse and I'd like to sincerely thank the Connecticut Department of Tourism for inviting me to be a member of the Street Team for their 9th Annual Connecticut Open House Day!

For more pictures of my Open House travels: Visit and "Like" the Home Place Facebook page...HERE

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Did you participate in any of the CT Open House Events?

I'd love to hear about them in the comments below! 

Disclaimer:  I was offered the opportunity to participate with the CT Tourism Office as a member of the Street Team as part of their "Connecticut...Still Revolutionary" promotion. All opinions expressed are my own.