Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Guilford, CT

Summary

1. Henry Whitfield State Museum
2. Town Green
3. Jacobs Beach
4. Hyland House Museum
5. The Dudley Farm
6. Bishop’s Orchards
7. Chaffinch Island Park
8. Griswold House Museum
9. Alder Brook Cemetery
10. Medad Stone Tavern Museum
11. GreenStage Guilford
12. Guilford Fair
13. Guilford Art Center
14. Lake Quonnipaug
15. Falkner’s Island Lighthouse

This welcoming coastal community in New Haven County has been notable since 1639 and is regarded as an antiquarian’s paradise.

The entire center of Guilford constitutes an extensive Historic District, considered among the most significant in New England. With over 600 historic properties, a walking tour is highly recommended.

Remarkably, five of the historic homes in Guilford open their doors to the public during the summer season.

A suitable starting point is the stone-built Henry Whitfield House (1639), the oldest structure of its kind in New England, predating the town by only a few months.

1. Henry Whitfield State Museum

The oldest stone house in the area was constructed for one of Guilford’s founders, English Puritan minister Reverend Henry Whitfield.

He resided here with his wife Dorothy and their nine children. Due to its high stone walls, it served as a refuge for early colonial settlers in the region.

The attached visitor center features rotating exhibitions about the house and early European history of Guilford in two galleries.

The house has functioned as a museum since 1904. During a self-guided tour, visitors can explore three floors filled with furnishings from the 17th to the 19th century.

The knowledgeable docents are available to answer any questions. The landscaped grounds include historic stone walls, a bronze statue of Henry Whitfield, and a ship’s cannon from the War of 1812.

2. Town Green

No historic New England town would be complete without a charming old green, and Guilford exemplifies this beautifully. This area has remained virtually unchanged since the 17th century.

Covering just under eight acres, the Town Green occupies a rectangular area characterized by mature trees and paved paths running diagonally from its corners and from north to south.

Initially designated for grazing in the 17th century, this space served as Guilford’s primary cemetery until the 19th century.

A notable monument to observe is the Civil War memorial, carved from pink granite and dating back to 1877, depicting a Union soldier looking symbolically towards the south.

It is worthwhile to explore the surrounding townscape, which includes the third largest collection of historical homes in New England.

These residences date back to the 19th century and are complemented by significant civic buildings such as the library and town hall on Park Street. Additionally, there are three churches situated on Broad Street, Whitfield Street, and Park Street, all facing the green.

The oldest among them is the Federal-style Congregational Church (1829), located on the northern side.

3. Jacobs Beach

This small yet well-maintained beach is an excellent option for those wishing to indulge in a leisurely sunny afternoon.

Gradually sloping into Long Island Sound just beyond the East River’s mouth, Jacobs Beach extends over 420 feet and is equipped with numerous amenities.

Facilities include a children’s playground, a boardwalk, outdoor showers, a bathhouse, a boat rack, picnic area, and grills. Furthermore, there are basic sports amenities, including volleyball and basketball courts.

Access to the beach involves a daily fee, applicable to both residents and non-residents. Seasonal beach passes are also available.

4. Hyland House Museum

As one of the oldest house museums in New England, this Colonial Saltbox house was erected in 1713 and is named after George Hyland, who acquired this land in 1657.

Hyland House is exceptionally well-preserved and has functioned as a museum since 1918, following its acquisition by the Dorothy Whitfield Historic Society.

Within, visitors can discover a remarkable collection of colonial-era artifacts and furnishings. Among the intriguing period details are the ornately chamfered girts, an early example of this type of decoration.

Guided tours are available on weekends from June to September, and demonstrations of traditional skills, such as blacksmithing, may also be offered.

5. The Dudley Farm

Erastus Dudley, a prosperous farmer along with a gristmill and tannery owner, constructed this expansive farmhouse and accompanying outbuildings in 1844.

The Dudley family’s storied history on this land extends over 300 years, and the farm’s picturesque 10 acres are currently maintained by the Dudley Foundation.

The Dudley Farm remains as it was in 1900, with tours highlighting life and work on a family farm during that period. The homely interior of the house is intimately decorated with family heirlooms including quilts, tapestries, and furniture.

The barns and outbuildings are filled with period farming equipment and tools. The grounds also feature period-specific livestock, flowerbeds, herb gardens, agricultural fields, a farm garden, woods, and meadows.

Within the Munger Barn, you can discover an impressive collection of arrowheads and stone tools left by the Native American Quinnipiacs.

6. Bishop’s Orchards

This extensive operation has been in the Bishop family since 1871 and offers numerous seasonal attractions.

Throughout various seasons, visitors can engage in fruit picking, sample hard ciders and award-winning wines, and select from over 20 different ice cream flavors at the creamery.

The farm stand presents a diverse array of fresh produce and homemade goods sourced from the farm.

Bishop’s Orchards provides a useful pick-your-own calendar on its website, detailing the seasonal availability of strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, pears, apples, and pumpkins.

The winery, established in 2005, produces a variety of wines ranging from sweet to dry, including Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and Vidal Blanc.

7. Chaffinch Island Park

This picturesque, lightly-trafficked park is situated at the mouth of the West River, offering an ideal environment for reflecting on Long Island Sound.

Visitors can walk their dogs, go fishing, search for shells on the beach, enjoy picnics, or engage in kayaking and paddleboarding.

Spanning 22 acres, the park features picnic tables, grills, sanitary facilities, and ramps for access.

The views from the smooth pink granite outcrops are remarkable, allowing visitors to observe the yachts passing by and view Falkner’s Island. During low tide, one can walk surprisingly far out into the water.

8. Griswold House Museum

This distinctive Colonial Saltbox house was constructed around 1764 and is characterized by its rear lean-to.

Built by Thomas Griswold III, the second generation on this property, it was intended for his two sons. The property remained within their family lineage until it was acquired by the Guilford Keeping Society in 1958.

Visitors are encouraged to admire the grand entrance flanked by fluted pilasters and topped with a pediment.

The interiors, as they currently appear, are a result of a 19th-century renovation during the time of George and Nancy Griswold, with a room also dedicated to rotating exhibitions from the Guildford Keeping Society’s collections.

Additionally, on the property, there is a Victorian three-seat outhouse, a barn with tools and farming implements, an authentic blacksmith shop, and two corn cribs.

Generally, visitors can explore the museum on weekends from June to October, with extended hours from Wednesday to Sunday during July and August.

9. Alder Brook Cemetery

After the settlement of Guilford in 1639, the primary cemetery was located on the Town Green, which was also utilized for livestock grazing and militia training. Consequently, alternative burial grounds were necessary by the early 19th century.

Alder Brook Cemetery, the largest of these, dates back to 1818, and many gravestones were relocated from the Town Green to this site.

The town has organized a self-guided tour of this tranquil and historically significant site, available online with audio, images, and GPS coordinates for 28 of the more notable burials.

Among those interred here are poet Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867) and prominent sociologist William Graham Sumner (1840-1910).

10. Medad Stone Tavern Museum

This property of the Guilford Keeping Society is open for tours on weekend afternoons from June to September, with options for attending open houses or arranging visits by appointment.

The Federal-style Medad Stone Tavern (1803) has an intriguing narrative reminiscent of a fictional establishment. Constructed by local resident Medad Stone, it was intended to capitalize on traffic from the Boston Post Road, which was rumored to be redirected.

However, the route never changed, resulting in the tavern never serving customers and remaining in a rural-residential area west of Guilford.

The Medad Stone Tavern features a gambrel roof punctuated by five gabled dormers and a two-level shed-roof porch that leads to the exposed basement level.

After two centuries in the care of the Davis family, local farmers, the property was sold to the Guilford Keeping Society in 2001 and subsequently opened to the public.

The interior includes 14 rooms and 10 original fireplaces, while the grounds consist of a barn, corn crib, and expansive fields.

11. GreenStage Guilford

Formerly known as the Guilford Performing Arts Festival, this cultural event occurs at the end of summer, showcasing a plethora of performances over three days.

Centered around the Town Green, GreenStage Guilford features live music, drama, dance, and spoken word, providing an excellent opportunity to experience new works, with several worldwide premieres each year.

The festival extends beyond mere observation; it also offers a variety of workshops and masterclasses themed around performance.

12. Guilford Fair

The second oldest agricultural fair in Connecticut is held over three days during the third weekend of September.

Founded in 1859 as a cattle show, it retains strong roots in rural traditions. Events include exciting horse and oxen pulls, as well as Connecticut’s only donkey and mule show.

The Guilford Fair also highlights many traditional skills like open hearth cooking, rope-making, and wool-spinning.

Residents spend the year preparing for the fair, refining their skills in photography, cooking, agriculture, and crafts to compete in various categories.

This lively occasion is complemented by ample live entertainment, carnival rides, and music for all the family.

13. Guilford Art Center

Established in 1967 to cultivate the town’s emerging artistic talent, the Guilford Art Center functions as a non-profit gallery, educational facility, and retail shop offering a diverse array of workshops and events.

The center emerged organically following the inaugural Handcraft Expo, held on the Town Green in 1957.

As the largest public exhibition space between New Haven and Old Lyme, it features juried and invitational showcases across various disciplines, all accessible at no charge.

The school caters to participants of all ages, from preschoolers to seniors, offering around 350 classes annually in disciplines such as sketching, painting, pottery, weaving, and jewelry-making.

The shop serves as a popular local destination, open seven days a week and providing a selection of contemporary arts and crafts created by artisans throughout the country.

14. Lake Quonnipaug

Located just north of Guilford proper but still within town limits, Lake Quonnipaug is a scenic rural lake covering 41 acres, encircled by steep wooded hills.

According to my experience, Lake Quonnipaug reaches its peak appeal during summer, when visitors can enjoy the 330-foot beach, swim in tranquil waters, rent paddleboards and kayaks, or build sandcastles.

A picnic shelter is conveniently located just off the shore, and the lake is popular among local anglers for its abundance of bass. Seasonal beach passes are enforced, and non-residents are subject to entrance fees.

15. Falkner’s Island Lighthouse

This crescent-shaped island, situated 3.5 miles off the coast of Guilford, has housed a lighthouse since 1802. Falkner’s Island Lighthouse was established to aid vessels navigating through this notoriously perilous area of Long Island Sound.

The lighthouse was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and possesses the second-oldest tower of its kind in the state.

Moreover, Falkner’s Island Lighthouse stands as the last functioning light station established on an island in Connecticut.

The island itself serves as a crucial wildlife sanctuary, hosting one of the largest breeding colonies of roseate terns in the Northeastern United States.

Consequently, access is forbidden during the nesting season from May through August, yet an annual open house occurs in September. On this occasion, visitors can typically board a ferry from the mainland to the island’s small harbor, with a water taxi service for those arriving by private boat anchored to the west.

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