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Connecticut
7

Connecticut State Parks

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USA Parks
Connecticut
River Valley Region
Gillette Castle State Park
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Gillette Castle State Park Gillette Castle © Louis Galgano
Grand Central Station
Gillette Castle State Park © craig m zacarelli
Gillette Castle State Park Pond and Stone Bridge in Autumn © Inception Imaging - Heather Williams
Gillette Castle State Park © craig m zacarelli
Gillette Castle State Park Gilette Castle Grounds © Angela Hansen
The Gilette Castle driveway is closed to cars, but makes for an enjoyable walk
Gillette Castle State Park Walking in Leaves at Gilette Castle © Angela Hansen
A small boy walks in the crunchy leaves on the Gilette Castle grounds
Gillette Castle State Park Fence at Gilette Castle © Angela Hansen
A fence on the grounds of Gilette castle gives a preview of the idiosyncratic style thats also on display inside the castle
Gillette Castle State Park Gilette Castle View © Angela Hansen
The Gilette castle has a beautiful view overlooking the river
Gillette Castle State Park Stone Bridge © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park Christmas at the Castle © Angela Melnik
Gillette Castle State Park Winter Castle © Angela Melnik
Gillette Castle State Park Driveway © Gary Jordan
Gillettes driveway is bordered on both sides by rock walls.
Gillette Castle State Park Gillette Castle © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle viewed from a keystone archway.
Gillette Castle State Park Tiffany Light Fixture © Gary Jordan
This is an original Tiffany Light Fixture rare. It is one of two in the castle. I do not believe Tiffany made many.
Gillette Castle State Park Grand Central Station © Gary Jordan
This is a different view of the train station.
Gillette Castle State Park The Steam Engine © Gary Jordan
Pictured here is the original steam engine visitors could ride that ran around his property. It was designed by Gillette.
Gillette Castle State Park Entryway Porch © Gary Jordan
This porch leads to the central room of the castle.
Gillette Castle State Park Keystone Archway © Gary Jordan
Many stone works of art can be seen as you tour the grounds.
Gillette Castle State Park Train Rail © Gary Jordan
A section of the old railway that ran around Gillettes property.
Gillette Castle State Park Stone Archway © Gary Jordan
This was shot 1-23-09 winter. There arent many people that visit in the winter but the ones that do can see the castle and grounds with snow.
Gillette Castle State Park Ferry © Gary Jordan
The ferry ride that crosses the Connecticut River can be seen from the rear stone patio of the castle.
Gillette Castle State Park Old Train Station © Gary Jordan
In the summer this structure now serves as a picnic area.
Gillette Castle State Park Grand Central Station © Gary Jordan
Gillette had a miniature steam driven train that ran around his property. People he would invite over for a ride left from this building, thus the name - Grand Central Station.
Gillette Castle State Park Stone Works of Art © Gary Jordan
Gillette used all local workers and craftsmen to build this estate.
Gillette Castle State Park Gillette Castle © Gary Jordan
William Gillette made his fortune playing Sherlock Holmes and built this splendid castle overlooking the Connecticut River. The inside is open seasonally for all to view and enjoy. The grounds are open year round.
Gillette Castle State Park The Greenhouse outside © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park Rear of Castle © Gary Jordan
The greenhouse door comes out at ground level in the rear of the castle.
Gillette Castle State Park © Ben Prepelka
Gillette Castle State Park The Greenhouse inside © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park Study © Gary Jordan
This is the small study William Gillette had in his Castle.
Gillette Castle State Park Gillette Castle © Louis Galgano
Gillette Castle State Park Ferry To Castle © Louis Galgano
Ferry To Castle
Gillette Castle State Park © Louis Galgano
Gillette Castle State Park Stone Bridge © Gary Jordan
Gillette Castle State Park The Castle © Vivekbrata Basu
Gillette Castle State Park Flora at Gillette Castle © Vivekbrata Basu
Gillette Castle State Park Grand Central Station © Gary Jordan
A picture of Gillettes old mini-train station. The engine is now housed in the new adjacent visitors building.
Gillette Castle State Park Overlooking Connecticut River © Gary Jordan
View of the Connecticut River looking through a window porthole in the upper part of the castle.
Gillette Castle State Park The Walkway © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park Bridge on Trail © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park Trail Path © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park The Castle © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park Wooded Bridge © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park Overlooking the Pond © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park The Castles side © Karol Livote
Gillette Castle State Park Flowers overlooking CT River © Karol Livote
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GILLETTE CASTLE STATE PARK
GILLETTE CASTLE STATE PARK
67 River Road
East Haddam, Connecticut   06423

Phone: 860-526-2336
Toll Free: 866-287-2757
Email: park email button icon
It looks like a medieval fortress, but a step inside the stone castle reveals the built-in couches, table trackway, and woodcarvings that all point to the creative genius that was William Gillette.

The Castle is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Memorial Day Weekend through Columbus Day. Staff are available to assist with questions about the Castle interior and its history.
Nature of the Area
The newly refurbished Gillette Castle State Park is an excellent locale to examine the Hebron formation, consisting of gneiss and pegmatite intrusions. Although individual trails are not marked, the spaghetti bowl setting lends nicely to exploration of the Hebron formation, the only rock formation within the Park. The coarse grained pegmatites, a member of the Hebron formation, are especially interesting to mineral lovers, as many diverse minerals can be observed throughout these pegmatites.

The Hebron formation consists of a calcite and quartz-rich gneiss. A metamorphic rock, gneiss (pronounced "nice") was subjected to intense heat and pressure during formation. Gneiss is easily identifiable by the segregation of light and dark minerals giving it a banded texture. Gneiss usually consists of mostly elongated and granular, as opposed to platy, minerals. At Gillette Castle State Park, the gneiss is layered and is greenish-gray in color, due in part to the green mineral diopside. In addition to diopside, quartz, plagioclase, and biotite are minerals associated with the Hebron Gneiss.Photograph of shale-like Hebron Gneiss outcrop with hammer for scaleThe Hebron Gneiss at Gillette Castle State Park is very well layered. However, the thickness of these layers varies from outcrop to outcrop. For example, some outcrops are very thickly bedded, whereas others are almost shale-like in theirthickness.

Pegmatites in the Hebron formation typically are white or light-gray rocks containing reddish brown biotite, tourmaline, and garnet as accessory minerals. Pegmatite is an igneous rock that formed from molten rock buried deep below the surface of the Earth. Since the molten rock was well insulated beneath the surface it cooled very slowly, allowing the crystals to grow very large. The pegmatite crystals of the Hebron formation are approximately 3 cm in length. Generally small, pegmatite intrusions usually have the same composition as granite, only coarser. Furthermore, pegmatite intrusions are of great interest to mineral collectors because they may contain a variety of rare minerals. One mineral of interest, black tourmaline, is abundant near the contacts, in small prisms lying parallel to the contact surface. Since this is a State Park, mineral and rock collecting is prohibited.

Given that Gillette Castle State Park is located only a few miles away from the Honey Hill fault, a very large, old fault, much of the pegmatite is in the shape of lenses and layers and shows distinct pinch-and-swell structures, known as boudinage. Boudinage, which is French for sausage, is a term used to describe the way that layered rocks break up under extensional stress (Figure 5a and 5b). In addition to boudinage, other structural geology features seen at Gillette Castle State Park include folds and a drag fault (Figure 5c). Small-scale features such as small folds and faults are younger than the deformation that produced the laminar gneisses. The steps leading up to the Castle's main entrance are of another rock type, schist. Like gneiss, schist is a metamorphic rock that has undergone intense heat, pressure, and hot fluids. By definition, schist contains more than 50% platy and elongate minerals such as mica and amphibole. This high percentage of platy minerals allows schist to be easily split into thin flakes or slabs. This particular schist has a very high concentration of white mica, giving it a vitreous, or shiny, nature. In addition to white mica, glassy, red garnet crystals up to 5 mm in diameter are clearly visible in the steps as well. The garnets are special not only because they are so large, but also since they are euhedral, meaning that their ideal crystal shape is nearly perfect. In addition, they are the Connecticut state mineral. The new visitor center has similar schist with garnets in its steps.
History of the Area
Atop the most southerly hill in a chain known as the Seven Sisters, William Hooker Gillette, noted actor, director, and playwright, built this one hundred and eighty-four acre estate, the Seventh Sister. The focal point of his effort was a twenty four room mansion reminiscent of a medieval castle.

Purchased by the State of Connecticut in 1943 from the executors of Mr. Gillette's will, Gillette Castle and the adjoining property with its fine woodlands, trails, and vistas are now administered for the enjoyment of present and future generations. This apparently would have pleased Gillette, since his will gave specific directions to see 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." This statement also points out the value Gillette placed upon his estate and the apprehension he felt about its disposition.

Gillette designed the castle and most of its contents personally, periodically checking every phase of their construction. Built of local fieldstone supported by a steel framework, it took twenty men five years (1914-1919), to complete the main structure. Gillette began his semi-retirement in his new home; and in the following years, he supervised the many thousands of refinements created by local craftsmen.

The woodwork within the castle is hand-hewn southern white oak. Of the forty-seven doors within the structure, there are no two exactly the same. And each door has a handsome external latch intricately carved of wood. Even the Castle's furnishings are indications of Gillette's inspirations. The built-in couches, a movable table on tracks, and light switches of carved wood all point to his creative genius.

Outside on the grounds, Gillette's influence is no less in evidence. The trails often follow, over trestle and through tunnel, the actor's three mile long narrow gauge railroad. Gillette's own walking paths were constructed with near-vertical steps, stone-arch bridges, and wooded trestles spanning up to forty feet. Other outdoor attractions include a vegetable cellar, the railroad station (Grand Central), and Gillette's goldfish pond.

Gillette was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1853, the son of former U.S. Senator Francis Gillette and his wife Elizabeth Daggett Hooker Gillette, a descendent of Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford. As a child, Gillette was captivated with the stage and acting pursuits, an interest that his parents did not encourage. At age thirteen, he reputedly had built a small stage and amused himself by frequently giving puppet shows for his friends. At age twenty, he left home to follow his chosen career; but success was slow in developing. He attended classes at numerous colleges including Trinity, Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and College of the City of New York, but never received a degree. His first recognition as an actor was attained when the lead became ill in "Broken Hearts" at the Boston Museum, and Gillette's stand-in performance was well received. This led to other and better roles for Gillette. He is most famous for his portrayal of "Sherlock Holmes" in his acting abilities and style. Besides his activities as an actor and playwright, Gillette is known to have written two novels, invented many trick stage props and lighting techniques, and often produced and directed the plays in which he appeared. After his semi-retirement in 1910, Gillette was welcomed by theatergoers countless times during his four revival tours. His last performance was at the Bushnell in Hartford in 1936, the year before his death.
Passes
Connecticut has made state parks, forests, trails, historic sites and beaches more accessible to our residents so they can enjoy the many attractions and beauty they offer. Under the Passport to the Parks program, parking fees are now eliminated at Connecticut State Parks for those with Connecticut registered vehicles. You can view the CONNECTICUT PASSPORT TO THE PARKS web page to learn more.
Camping
Three public camps along the Connecticut River at Hurd, Gillette Castle and Selden Neck State Parks are managed by the Department of Environmental Protection for your enjoyment. The campsites are available from May 1 through September 30 for overnight stops by those traveling on the river.
Nearby Accommodations
businesss listing main photo
BBs / Inns
Located along the CT Shoreline midway between New York City and Boston, and only one hour from Hartford, with tons of local attractions both on the Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River.
4.2 miles from park*



Trails
- Blue Trail: A moderate 2-mile trail that winds through the park, offering views of Gillette Castle and Connecticut River; includes some steep sections.

- Yellow Trail: An easy half a mile loop near the visitor center with interpretive signs about local flora and fauna.

- Red/Green Loop: This is an approximately one-and-a-half-mile long hike combining parts of both red and green trails; features include woodland scenery, stone walls, bridges over streams.

- White Marked Trails (North & South): These are two separate paths each around 1.5 miles in length running north to south across different areas of the park providing varied terrain including rocky outcrops and dense forest coverings.

- Orange Circle Route: Approximately three-quarters-of-a-mile-long circular route located close to parking area suitable for beginners or those looking for shorter walks within beautiful surroundings.

- Purple Pathway : The shortest path at just under quarter-of-a-miles but offers stunning vistas overlooking river valley below from elevated viewpoint on castle's southern side

- Gold Track : Just shy off a mile this track takes hikers along eastern boundary line past old quarry sites before looping back towards main entrance gate via northern perimeter road

- Silver Stroll : At nearly two miles it's longest single marked pathway taking walkers deep into heartland territory where they can experience true wilderness feel amidst towering trees alongside babbling brooks flowing down hillside slopes
Area Attractions
Gillette Castle is a Viewpoint Exhibit Host 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 Impressionist Art Trail, and the Department of Environmental Protection. Outdoor exhibits reproduce works of art painted in the 19th Century, with information about the artist and the location. Visit the Impressionist Art Trail Website for a preview, and look for the Viewpoint exhibits on your next visit to the Chester-Hadlyme ferry landing area of Gillette Castle State Park and other host sites.
Things To Do in the Area
businesss listing main photo
Boating
Explore the Connecticut River aboard the R/V River Quest, an environmentally friendly 64', 60 passenger vessel docked at Eagle Landing State Park, Haddam, CT.
6.6 miles from park*

Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
January 1 The Cliffs by Shoot to thrill
park review stars; one to five If you can find it, it is well off a beaten path. There used to be a bridge near this castle that crossed the river, although it is gone now. There is still however a rock face that was part of the bridge. There just happens to be deep water there, and there are three heights of places to cliff jump. (tallest is 35 ft). Be aware though, you need to use a rope to climb back up. This makes the park amazing.
October 25 Spectacular by Dan
park review stars; one to five We were scouting this location for a film, and fell in love with the castle and surrounding area. Stunning views of the river and beautiful trails. Autumn is amazing up there.
May 3 Perfect day that ended in engagement by ctsassypants
park review stars; one to five We took a steam train to a ferry, the ferry to the base of the castle where we hiked up and picnicked with an amazing view. At the end of the picnic my fiancee proposed. It was an amazing view, an amazing day and I recommend visiting Gillette Castle state park, it's magical.
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Nearby Hotels
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Directions
From I-91S: take Exit 22. Route 9S, Exit 7, for a bridge crossing of the Connecticut River. Follow route 82E and park signs.

From I-95N or S: take Exit 69. Route 9N to Exit 6 or 7. For the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, use Exit 6. Follow Route 148 and park signs. The ferry operates spring through fall.

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Connecticut
7

Connecticut State Parks

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