Holiday Magic Returns to Gillette Castle With More Tours, Today

EAST HADDAM, CT – Gillette Castle State Park will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, said the extended schedule – which adds Fridays to the mix – runs through Dec. 21. 

The Friends in a press release said the Castle will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21. Each day’s final tour starts at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 and may be obtained at the Visitor Center on the day of visit. 

The Friends said advance purchase is highly recommended. Click here to reserve a spot. There is a fee for online reservations. 

Volunteers with the Friends and other local organizations are currently busy decorating the century-old mansion of William Gillette at 67 River Road, as well as delivering festive holiday cheer to the 122-acre park grounds. The exterior decorations are expected to be completed by the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Wilkinson credited local businesses and nonprofit groups with making the extended schedule possible. 

“The holiday program has been completely sold out every year since 2021,” Wilkinson said.  “We are so excited that the state has decided to open the Castle for extra days.”

Volunteer-led interpretive hikes are scheduled Friday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. along William Gillette’s historic narrow-gauge train trails. Free hot cider will be served from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m at a cider station just off the main path to the Castle, weather permitting. 

For the younger set, volunteers have planned scavenger hunts and coloring activities throughout. More information about the timing of the free activities will be posted on the Friends website when it is available.

There will be musical entertainment on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. from groups like the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus and the Hartt school of Music. 

The state park remains open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset so visitors can walk the grounds to view the outside decorations. The exterior decorations are expected to remain in place through Jan. 5. 

For more information on volunteering or sponsoring the holiday program, visit www.gillettecastlefriends.org. The group can also be reached by email at gillettecastlevolunteers@gmail.com or by phone at (860) 222-7850.