Community Corner

Lyme's Gillette Castle and New London's Fort Trumbull Are Free to Visitors On Saturday

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is offering free admission to a number of state parks as part of the annual Connecticut Open House Day on June 8.

A press release from DEEP

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will again be participating in the annual Connecticut Open House Day on June 8.  

Connecticut Open House Day is an annual event coordinated by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Economic & Community Development as a way to highlight all of the arts, history and tourism offerings in the state.  

The following state parks will be providing special activities and/or free admission:

  • Gillette Castle State Park, Lyme/Haddam – Free admission from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Fort Trumbull State Park, New London – Free admission from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
  • Fort Trumbull State Park, New London – Free admission from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
  • Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill – Free admission from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 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 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM 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 2:00 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


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