Gillette Castle State Park

Very beautiful park! This apps information is wrong though. The Castle is only open Thurs-Sun and it is $6 admission. You can walk around the outside though.

Great place to spend a awhile. Lots to see. Spend at least a Few hours and then enjoy the landscape and Inside interior of the castle. Well worth the Stop.

Went during the COVID-19 closure. It was still worth the drive.

Gillette Castle State Park is NOT in Old Lyme, CT near I-95. It is located further up the Connecticut River in East Haddam, CT.

Correct Address: 67 River Road, East Haddam, CT

Very interesting architecturally and historically.

Not much of a hiking trail!

Designed by Connecticut’s William Hooker Gillette, Gillette Castle in East Haddam, CT, beckons architecture and history buffs alike. Covering nearly 200 hilltop acres overlooking the Connecticut River, the castle was the actor and playwright’s passion project, doubling as a residence and medieval mansion.

Built in the early 20th century, the castle is now Gillette Castle State Park and is open seasonally to the public. Intricate woodwork and interior curiosities ignite the imagination while walls made of local stone remind you of the castle’s roots.

When done with your tour, venture outside and stroll the walking paths, take a breather by Gillette’s goldfish pond, and admire the property’s three mile narrow gauge railroad.

We think a visit here is one of the best things to do in Connecticut.

beautiful park!!

The castle opened for inside tours Memorial Weekend while we were there (on Sunday). It was very busy, and we didn't have time to walk around/tour the castle much as we were headed to Maine. My husband did get some pics of inside stuff after he took a restroom break. It was still fun to ride the Chester Hadlyme Ferry over and see some of the outside of the castle. Driving around the castle is very green and beautiful. I'd like to stop back when I had more time to stay awhile.