gillette castle east haddam tours

Gillette Castle State Park

Each year, a whopping 300,000 visitors flock to enigmatic William Gillette’s inspired mansion perched high above the Connecticut River to immerse themselves in history, architecture, and nature. Tour the modern medieval stone castle, hike the wooded grounds along the former bed of a miniature train, revel in the spectacular river views, or pitch a tent in one of the few river camping spots in Connecticut, and discover why so many are drawn to the stunning park.  

Built in 1914 by William Hooker Gillette, the actor, director, and playwright most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, the ornate, 14,000-square-foot stone fortress sits 200 feet over the Connecticut River atop the most southerly hill in a chain known as the Seven Sisters and is surrounded by 184-acres of gorgeous Connecticut woodlands. After his passing, the State of Connecticut purchased the castle and adjoining acreage to create a state park. 

William Gillette gave specific directions in his will that the property did not fall into the hands "of some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded." 

67 River Rd. East Haddam, CT 06423

Get Directions

Open Daily (8:00 a.m. – Sunset)

Main (860) 526-2336

Soak in the river views and bask in the solitude with an unforgettable experience boating to your campsite along the Connecticut River — one of just four river camping sites in the state!

GILETTE CASTLE STATE PARK RIVER CAMPING

2023 Season: May 1 – September 30

Campsite Map

• One riverside campsite 
• Primitive, riverside site with fireplaces and pit toilets
• Available for overnight stops by those traveling on the river
• Campers must arrive and depart by boat. Vehicle access is not available.
• 20-person maximum per site
• Maximum stay: 1 day
• Daily Rate: $5/person/night 

RESERVE A CAMPSITE 

• Online: Visit Reserve America
• By phone: 1-877-668-CAMP (2267)

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• No fires permitted
• No mooring or docking facilities 
• Break camp by 9:00 a.m.
• Camping in Connecticut State Parks and Forests
• Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail   

Gillette's artistic influence is no less visible outside the mansion on the park grounds. Many trails follow the former path of the actor’s three-mile-long, quarter-scale, narrow-gauge railroad that he used to ferry his friends around the estate. Gillette's own walking paths were constructed with near-vertical steps, stone-arch bridges, and wooded trestles spanning up to forty feet.

Train Trail (Purple Blaze) to Blue Trail (Blue Blaze) 

• 1.5-mile trail along converted railroad path and former driveway 
• Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Wind through the park along the purple trail, the original path of Gillette’s miniature railroad, over footbridges and trestles and through an abandoned 75-foot train tunnel. A word of warning – the tunnel is very dark and, depending on your idea of fun, either exhilarating or a little creepy. Then link up with the blue trail which leads to the home of Gillette’s closest confidant, Yukitaka Osaki, and the wreckage of the Aunt Polly, Gillette’s houseboat that was destroyed by fire in 1932 (best viewing is during low tide).  
• Park Trail Map | Mobile  
• Friends of Gillette Castle’s Hiking and History Map 
• Watch Archival Footage of William Gillette on his train 
• Watch “Yukitaka Osaki: William, Gillette’s Right Hand Man”
• Watch “The Aunt Polly, William Gillette’s Houseboat”  

ART TRAIL SITE

Did you ever wonder what the Connecticut landscape looked like a century ago? Check out “Viewpoints”, a joint project of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the Connecticut Art Trail, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Outdoor exhibits reproduce works of art painted in the 19th Century, with information about the artist and the location. Visit the Connecticut Art Trail website for a preview, and look for the Viewpoint exhibits when you visit the Chester-Hadlyme ferry landing area of Gillette Castle State Park and spot where William Chadwick found inspiration for “Connecticut River: View from Ely’s Ferry Road”.

William Gillette designed his 24-room castle and most of its furnishings personally. Everything from the built-in couches, a movable table on tracks, and hand-hewn southern white oak woodwork including carved wood light switches and forty-seven distinctly designed doors, reflects his singular imagination and creative genius. Built of local fieldstone and steel framework, it took twenty men five years (1914-1919), just to complete the main structure.

Along with the mansion itself, the park is home to a trove of historical treasures including the wreckage of Aunt Polly, Gillette’s houseboat destroyed by fire and one of two underwater preserves in the state.

CASTLE TOURS

One-hour castle tours are available daily Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend and for Holiday Programs in November and December. Due to the limited amount of daily tour tickets, do we recommend that you pre-book your tickets in advance. 

• Tours run every 15 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 
• Maximum of 12 visitors per tour (we recommend purchasing tickets in advance, especially for groups).
• Please arrive at the castle five to ten minutes before your scheduled tour time. 
• We cannot guarantee entry if your tour time has passed.  
• Only the first floor is ADA accessible.

Bus Groups: Bus Tours offered at 9:00 a.m. only and not permitted weekends or holidays. Please make reservations at least two weeks in advance by calling Reserve America at (877) 668-2267 .

Purchase tickets on site at the castle or in advance at Reserve America (additional processing fee applies). Connecticut residents aged 65 or older can obtain a pass at the park (proof of residency required).

• $6 Ages 13+
• $2 Ages 6-12
• FREE Under 5
• FREE Charter Oak Passholders and Heritage Passholders

HOST AN EVENT AT THE CASTLE 

The outdoor terrace, with the Lower Connecticut River Valley as a scenic backdrop, is available to rent for small wedding ceremonies from June through September, on Saturdays only. Because our first priority is to provide for the visitors to the Castle, weddings can only be held at 10:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.  

Snag a spot at one of the picnic tables in Grand Central Station, Gillette’s former train station converted into the Park’s picnic pavilion. The converted stone and wood structure faces the river, offering spectacular views of the Connecticut River and a dining experience like no other.

Park Grounds & Trails Free

Castle Tours Under 5: Free Ages 6-12: $2 Ages 13+: $6

Castle First Floor

Picnic Tables

Picnic Areas & Trails Yes, on leash

Buildings & Decks Not permitted

About The Outdoor Terrace

Perched on the 7th Sister hill, 200 feet over the Connecticut River is the 14,000 square foot stone wonder that is Gillette Castle. The outdoor terrace, with the Lower Connecticut River Valley as a scenic backdrop, is available to rent for small wedding ceremonies.

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS

For questions or to apply for a permit to rent the terrace for a wedding, contact us at (860) 526-2336 .

Availability

The space is available to rent from June through September, on Saturdays only. 

• Because our first priority is to provide for the visitors to the Castle, weddings can only be held at 10:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. 
• Only the outdoor space on the terrace is available. No facilities inside the castle are provided. In the event of rain, ceremonies can be held under the cover of the side porch. There is no facility for receptions.
• The guest list must be 50 people or less to account for the standing capacity of the terrace.
• Weddings may be booked after January 31st for the upcoming season.
• Those hosting private events are reminded that the park is a public facility and visitors are permitted on the grounds until sunset.  

There is a non-refundable, non-transferable fee of $285 to rent the terrace for a wedding ceremony, which covers the following:

• Use of the terrace for one-half hour.
• 20 chairs (no additional chairs may be brought in).
• Extension cord.
• Maximum of 3 vehicles allowed to drive up the Castle driveway. (No limousines).
• Pictures may be taken on the terrace and/or Castle grounds.
• A rehearsal can be arranged, upon request, between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the Friday before the scheduled ceremony.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. All rights reserved.

Gillette Castle State Park

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Gillette Castle State Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Gillette Castle: This Connecticut Oddity Will Enchant You

Visit This Unique, Historic Connecticut Attraction

 Joe Mabel/Flickr/CC 2.0

The former castle home of actor William Gillette enchants visitors to Gillette Castle , which is now one of Connecticut's most popular state parks.

History of Gillette Castle

Gillette was born in Hartford in 1853 and was descended from the city's founder, Thomas Hooker, who is buried in Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground . His family didn't support his pursuit of acting as a profession, but he went on to make his own fortune writing, producing and starring in plays.

The rather eccentric Gillette, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, first spotted the location where he would build his castle on a boat trip up the Connecticut River in 1912. Gillette Castle, built at a cost of about $1 million and completed in 1919, features a number of peculiarities including hidden mirrors, a lock-protected bar and intricate, hand-carved door latches on each of the castle's 47 doors: No two are alike. 

When Gillette died in 1937, his will insisted that the medieval castle he'd built not fall to "some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded." The state of Connecticut acquired the nearly 200-acre estate in 1943, and it has been a public park and one of Connecticut's most popular and intriguing attractions ever since. In 2002, a four-year, $11.5 million restoration project was completed.

What To Do at Gillette Castle State Park

Self-guided castle tours are offered continuously from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily (purchase tickets by 4:30 p.m.) from Memorial Day weekend until the Monday of Labor Day weekend. Allow about an hour to explore this fascinating structure.

While the castle is the main attraction, the grounds are equally spectacular, providing scenic Connecticut River views and opportunities for hiking and picnicking. Food concessions are available during the castle's operating season.

If you're up for a walk, consult this hiking map for options. The coolest path to take is the Railroad Trail, which meanders through the property along the route once followed by Gillette's own Seventh Sister Short-line train. You can even walk through a 500-foot-long rail tunnel drilled into a hill.

On summer weekends, be sure to catch a performance on the outdoor stage by Gillette Castle State Park's theater-company-in-residence: East Haddam Stage Company . For 2018, a four-person cast presents The Professor , penned by Gillette in 1890, at 1 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from July 7 through August 12.

Where to Stay/Camp Near Gillette Castle

The closest lodgings are in East Haddam, Connecticut, where you'll find the elegant Boardman House , an 1860 mansion turned inn that welcomes primarily adult guests (although children 13 and up are allowed), and the Gelston House , which has just a handful of simple rooms. For family-friendly lodging, look to the Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut: one of America's oldest still-operating inns.

Camping at Gillette Castle:  You can't sleep inside Gillette Castle, but if you are paddling the Connecticut River in a canoe or kayak, you can reserve a riverside campsite at Gillette Castle State Park from May 1 through September 30. There is nothing regal about these primitive campsites, which have pit toilets and fireplaces as their only amenities. Stays are limited to one night, your application for a camping permit must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

More Things To Do Near Gillette Castle

While you're in the Connecticut River Valley, consider...

• Riding the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry - This car ferry crosses the Connecticut River near Gillette Castle, just as ferries have since 1769.
• Seeing a show at Goodspeed Musicals - You're in for an engaging experience at Connecticut's historic, riverside opera house, where Goodspeed Musicals stages a mix of new and popular musicals.
• Getting out on the river - A RiverQuest boat tour, departing from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, Connecticut, affords a different view of Gillette Castle, as well as the chance to spy on the eagles, osprey, tree swallows and other birds and wildlife that make the Connecticut River their home.

Visit Gillette Castle

Address and Directions:  Gillette Castle is located at 67 River Road in East Haddam, Connecticut. From Route 9 North or South, take Exit 7 for Route 82. Follow Route 82 East through Goodspeed Landing, and watch for signs directing you to the park. Parking is free.

Hours and Admission: Gillette Castle State Park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset year-round. While admission to the grounds is free, there is a charge of $6 for ages 13 and over and $2 for children ages 6 to 12 to tour the castle as of 2018. Children 5 and under are admitted free. Call ahead to make special arrangements if you are bringing a group.

For more information:  Call 860-526-2336.

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Gillette Castle, Sherlock Holmes’ Connecticut Home

Actor william gillette, who created the detective on stage, built the ofbeat mansion.

Gillette Castle looks like a medieval fortress – well, sort of — but it was the private home of William Gillette, famous as an actor who played Sherlock Holmes.

Gillette, a bit of an eccentric, designed many of the castle’s quirky features himself, but it took 20 men five years to finish it. It sits high above the Connecticut River in East Haddam. A 184-acre park surrounds it. The State of Connecticut took over the castle in 1943, renaming it Gillette Castle State Park. Then Connecticut thoughtfully opened the castle and walking trails to the public.

William Gillette

Gillette was born in the Nook Farm neighborhood of Hartford in 1853. His parents belonged to Connecticut’s aristocracy: His father, Francis, a strong abolitionist, served as a U.S senator. His mother, Elisabeth, was descended from Thomas Hooker, the Puritan leader who founded Hartford.

The Gillettes had several prominent neighbors: Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Twain wrote a play called The Gilded Age and suggested 22-year-old William perform in it. The young man had already begun his acting career in New Orleans – not to his father’s liking. But Francis Gillette had lost one son to war and another to tuberculosis, so he reluctantly supported his youngest son’s ambitions.

Gillette in Secret Service, a play he wrote

Critics didn’t always love William Gillette, but audiences did. He wrote and staged plays, bringing a new realism to acting and theatrical sets. But he achieved enduring fame by devising the visual image of Sherlock Holmes we know today. Gillette, with the blessing of the detective’s creator, A Conan Doyle, put on a deerstalker hat, long traveling cape and calabash pipe. He then played Holmes on stage and on the silent screen for 33 years.

Gillette Castle

Gillette had a brief, happy marriage to Helen Nichols, who died of peritonitis six years after their wedding. They had no children, and he never remarried. When not working, he lived on a houseboat. Gillette hired a wealthy young Japanese immigrant, Yukitaka Osaki, as his assistant, and the two stayed close for decades. ( Osaki’s older brother became mayor of Tokyo and gave Washington its cherry trees .)

Gillette built the castle as a retirement home. By castle standards, it isn’t huge – just 24 rooms . The three-story structure was built of wood, cement and Connecticut field stone with a steel frame. Inside, Gillette designed the rooms in the Arts and Crafts style , using local materials crafted by local artisans.

Inside Gillette Castle

He had mechanical aptitude and a sense of whimsy, along with enough money to indulge both. The unusual stone house is the result, with inventive locking devices, trick mirrors and unorthodox furniture. He built an 18-inch gauge train to go around the grounds, something guests like Albert Einstein and Calvin Coolidge enjoyed .

He lived there in the castle from 1919 until his death in 1937.

The Neighborhood

East Haddam, a charming rural town in the Lower Connecticut River Valley, can be reached by a historic ferry. The current Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, a “quaint wonder,” has been running since 1949 and costs only $5 per vehicle. It deposits its passengers near Gillette Castle.

East Haddam from the river

East Haddam has a number of 18th and 19th century homes in its historic district, along with the Goodspeed Opera House.

One way to see the Gillette Castle is by the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat ride, which runs from May through October. The 2-1/2-hour historic train ride begins at the Essex Station and runs for a 12-mile round trip through the quintessential New England towns and unspoiled parts of the Connecticut River Valley . Then comes an hour-long riverboat ride along the Connecticut River on the Becky Thatcher, where passengers will see Gillette’s Castle, Goodspeed Opera House and Haddam Swing Bridge.

Five things You’ll Remember About Gillette Castle

Gillette designed and local woodworkers carved several dozen wood: doors with complicated wooden locking mechanisms. He designed whimsical light switches to look like switches on a train engine.

Original Furniture

You can tell Gillette lived on a boat. The house has built-in couches, and a movable table and desk chair on tracks.  One table has moveable pieces hanging from it. Gillette loved cats – he once had 17 — and they loved to bat the table ornaments.

Bedroom in Gillette Castle

Stained Glass Windows.

Gillette brightened the inside of his stone castle with plenty of colored light. Tiffany designed several of the light fixtures. There’s also an unusual stained glass window that looks as if someone threw confetti at it.

Gillette had mirrors placed around the house so he could check on visitors. From his room he could check the mirrors at the far end of the Great Hall and decide whether to greet the visitor or stay in his room.

He could also watch guests try to open the tricky latch to his liquor cabinet after he ostensibly went to bed.

Spectacular Views

The grounds alone are worth a visit even when the castle doesn’t open for tours. The old estate still has remnants of Gillette’s railroad, a stone picnic pavilion, a goldfish pond, a tunnel, wooden bridges and hiking trails. Visitors rate the view of the Connecticut River as spectacular, especially in the fall.

Gillette Castle in winter

If You Visit…

You are strongly recommended to call ahead to order a ticket and reserve a time to tour the Gillette Castle.  Leave some time to check out the visitors’ center, which has articles, photos and a short film about William Gillette. There’s also a gift shop.

Don’t let the summer heat deter you – the castle has air conditioning.

You’ll find parking easily in a big paved lot with handicapped spaces in front. The house, though, has stairs that the mobility-impaired might find troublesome.

You can skip the house, as the state park is open year-round from dawn to sundown. Pack lunch and enjoy it on a picnic table near the pond, or you can buy lunch at the restaurant., Sherlock’s Grill. The restrooms have won praise for their cleanliness.

Check the website — https://www.gillettecastlefriends.org/history-of-the-castle — for more information.

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Gillette Castle State Park

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

GILLETTE CASTLE STATE PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Thu - Sun 11:00 - 17:00
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• (2.00 mi) Grano Arso
• (0.54 mi) Chester-Hadlyme Ferry
• (0.54 mi) Selden III
• (2.50 mi) Goodspeed Opera House
• (0.85 mi) DEEP Marine Headquarters - Ferry Landing Park
• (5.66 mi) Connecticut River Museum

Part of the State of Connecticut State Park System

67 river road, east haddam, c t, gillette castle.