The town of Tolland got its name in 1715 and is the seat for Tolland County, which takes up a big chunk of northeastern Connecticut. In the past Tolland was vested with administrative and judicial roles, signs of which are still here on the picturesque Town Green. Tolland has an active historical society, opening centuries-old …
This agricultural town in north-central Connecticut is on the eastern lip of the Connecticut River Valley. In Ellington you can hike up Soapstone Mountain in Shenipsit State Forest for vistas that cover a whole tranche of southern New England. The town has its own airport, which is licensed for skydiving and just the place to …
Killingly is a town in quiet Eastern Connecticut in a landscape of ponds and woodland that was once humming with industry. Brooks tumbling through Killingly supplied energy to iron furnaces and textile mills, and you can visit the places where these factories stood at state and town parks. In the borough of Danielson there’s a …
This little town in New Haven County is on the banks of two important rivers, the Housatonic and the Naugatuck. Tracked by the Naugatuck River’s Ansonia-Derby-Shelton Expressway, Seymour has a small but animated downtown, with independent shops and a retro cinema playing classic movies. There’s a historical society in Seymour putting on edifying events, and …
In the town of Stonington you’ll need to divide your time between two old maritime settlements, both charming and brimming with history. Huddled onto a narrow peninsula, and still home to a small commercial fishing fleet, Stonington Borough will win your heart with its clapboard houses, local shops, old lighthouse and a museum at the …
This agreeable little town is between Bristol and New Britain in Hartford County. While Plainville isn’t a tourist hotspot, there’s a lot going on both in the town and close by. At the end of August Norton Park is the scene of a hot air balloon festival, a riot of colour that you have to …
This little town in Hartford County is on a bend in the Farmington River and takes its name from the River Avon in England. The land was first settled by Europeans as long ago as 1645, and was incorporated as a town in 1830. In the east rises the elongated mass of Talcott Mountain, belonging …
This small town of just under 20,000 is on Fairfield County’s posh Gold Coast. True to its location, Wilton blends plush residential areas with the headquarters of international corporations like Deloitte & Touche, Breitling, Sun Products and ASML. There’s more than 300 years of history to investigate at the Wilton Historical Society & Museum, which …
Only 15 miles east of New Haven, Madison is a historic oceanfront town with centuries-old architecture and miles of public shoreline. At Hammonasset Beach State Park you can lie back by Long Island Sound or spot wildlife along trails in protected woods and marshland. Madison is much more than its shoreline, and has an authentic, …
This adorable little central Connecticut town is in rural landscapes that will take your breath away, all somehow within six miles of the state capital. Ever-present on the western horizon is Talcott Mountain, belonging to the 100-mile Metacomet Ridge. This peak is 13 miles long and its highest point is crowned by the Heublein Tower …