Celebrate Connecticut Open House Day in New London County 2025

Connecticut Lyric Opera is thrilled to present the powerful and historically resonant opera 
“Amistad” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis. This extraordinary collaboration between Harlem Opera Theater, Discovering Amistad, and Connecticut Lyric Opera will offer a compelling and timely exploration of racial justice and the triumph of the human spirit. The New London Cultural District is proud to offer this unique opportunity to experience this unique work at the original site where the Amistad was brought to port.

“Amistad” is based on the 1839 Amistad Uprising, a historic slave rebellion that led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the rights of enslaved individuals. Through Anthony Davis’ masterful composition and Thulani Davis’ powerful libretto, ”Amistad” intertwines historical narrative with themes of dehumanization, resistance, and justice, which continue to resonate today. The opera was originally commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago and has garnered critical acclaim for its relevance and emotional depth.

The performance starts at 7 p.m. Those attending should arrive early and bring your own chairs, as there is minimal seating provided at the waterfront location.
 

Artreach, Inc.'s gallery offers A Printed Peace, featuring recent printmaking works from its members.

Each featured artist has transformed their visions of personal peace into drawings and developed them through the art of printmaking. There are elements of watercolor, painting and collage peppered throughout the pieces. We have taken printmaking to the next level led by personal style and inspired by the cohesiveness of a creative group.

Historic house museum offering free self-guided tours, scavenger hunt and games for children, craft demonstrations, and Revolutionary War soldier's tent to visit. 

Three acres of dog-friendly grounds to walk and explore.
 

10% OFF ALL PADDLE RENTALS! Come relax and enjoy a scenic paddle through our beautiful estuaries and inlets on the Connecticut shoreline. Choose from single kayas, tandem kayaks, paddle kayaks, pedal kayas, SUPs (stand up paddleboards), eclipses, canoes, or THE MEGALODON (for group paddles on one gigantic paddleboard!).

See you Saturday!!

Join us for an inspiring presentation by Dr. Jennifer Rycenga as she shares the powerful story of Prudence Crandall, the courageous Black women of the Canterbury Female Academy, and their ties to southeastern Connecticut’s abolitionist movement. Explore the newly restored 1845 Christian Freeman newspaper, connect with local history, and reimagine the Brookside Farm Museum's role in telling these vital stories.

Join us as historian Tom Schuch uncovers the long-overlooked story of Amos Watous, an 8-year-old boy of African descent who lived at Brookside in 1850, shedding light on his life, his place in the history of the Brookside Farm Museum, and the broader experience of children of color during the abolitionist movement.
 

Discover Colchester's rich history at the Colchester History Museum!  Five family friendly exhibits illustrate Colchester's history with images and amazing stories.  While in Colchester, take a short walk to visit the replica of Colchester's historic School for Colored Children.  A one-room schoolhouse that educated African and Native American students from 1803-1840.

Local  Friendly  Authentic

The Custom House Maritime Museum - your local, independent, community museum. We're open year-round - telling the stories of New London's waterfront! We'll be open on June 14th from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission will be by donation.

Free museum entry and Meet Our Resident Animals, a family-friendly event: Hear our resident animals' stories and learn how we can help their species in the wild. Join us at the Nature Center for a presentation including some of our most popular resident animals.

Come dine at Flanders Fish and say "CT DAY!" to get a free cup of clear or creamy chowder with your meal or fresh fish purchase (dine in or takeout, no substitutions).

Enjoy everything the Museum has to offer FOR FREE on this special statewide Open House Day. Explore the permanent collection and the special exhibition "Their Kindred Earth: Photographs by William Earle Williams," visit the historic Griswold boardinghouse to see where artists of the Lyme Art Colony lived and worked ca. 1910, or just enjoy a stroll along the Robert F. Schumann Artists' Trail and through our blooming gardens.

Docents will offer a tour of the Monument House Museum, with its many artifacts from the Revolutionary War, as well as a guided tour of the historic Battlefield while telling the story of the Battle of Groton Heights. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

The Fort Trumbull Museum and Fort will be open to the general public at no charge on June 14, 2025, 9am-5pm (Last ticket 4:15pm). Come learn about the unique history of this area dating back to revolutionary times.

Free tours of the house and stable. Learn about CT's first governor and his family, producing homespun in the 1700's, and the Wadsworth family. 12 p.m.-4 p.m.

Groton Congregational Church was built in 1902, designed by local architects Donnelly & Hazeltine. Over half its interior is made of hand-rubbed and polished oak, with original chandeliers. The church contains a Tiffany window, “The Good Shepherd,” a four-panelled, stained glass window, "Parable of the Talents," by Edward Peck Sperry, and a Moller organ with 1,381 pipes. An 18 page illustrated history of the church is provided to visitors. 

On June 14, CT Open House Day come to the Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop. Learn about life on the Norwichtown Green in the late 1700s from Kesia Jones, who lived and raised her family there. See the original forge of the silversmith and original walls from 1772. We look forward to welcoming you. Free admission, donations gratefully received. FREE Old Burial ground tour at noon. 

Hands-On History FREE Family Fun on the Second Saturday in June at the Lebanon Historical Society Museum & the Jonathan Trumbull Jr House
Saturday, June 14 from 10am to 3pm

FREE Activities & demonstrations include: riding in an antique car, turning your own wooden pen, corn grinding, spinning, rug beating ,butter churning, wood carving, chair & barrel-making demo's, Lebanon FFA kid's craft, local honey & bee crafts, and historic games. Food for sale.
Lebanon Historical Society Museum
856 Trumbull Hwy., Lebanon, CT 06249
860-642-6579 
 

Come to Leffingwell House Museum on June 14 for CT Open House Day! Starting in the pre-Revolutionary Tavern, enjoy a FREE self guided tour of the main floor. See our annual display of vintage flags and our regular displays of Norwich History. Full house tour $8 pp.

Lyman Allyn Art Museum is pleased to offer free admission for all on Connecticut Open House Day. Join us in the afternoon for a series of activities celebrating our new exhibition, China from China: Porcelain and Stories of Early American Trade. From 1-4 enjoy a Chinese tea tasting, a Chinese Brush painting activity, and a Lion Dance performance.

Head to Niantic and come have some learning fun and play by the bay! For Open House Day, on June 14th enjoy $2 off per person (adults and children 12 months and up) with proof of Connecticut residency. Last admission at 4pm. No registration necessary.

Open to the public from 10:00 to 3:00. Meet with volunteers and Board of Directors and participate in a free tour of the facility.

The Portersville Academy is Mystic's first schoolhouse, built in 1839.  Stop by from 1-4pm on June 14 to view exhibits on the ground floor and a replica of the 19th century classroom on the second floor.

Red 36 Restaurant is proud to participate in CT Visit’s Open House Day 2025. Located in downtown Mystic, directly on the Mystic River, we would like to encourage everyone to come spend the day in Mystic shopping, strolling, sightseeing and of course eating at RED 36. Just mention “CT Visit Open House” and enjoy 10% off your check. 

Tall Tales, sails three 2 hour trips daily on New London's Thames River and Fisher's Island Sound (think submarines, classic sailing vessels and historic waterfronts). We take from two to six passengers per trip...and the boat is reserved for your party (yes, romantic sail just for you and yours? absolutely); and we ain't going to break your bank..$60/person for two, $50, three to six. For Open House Day, June 14, one person in each group will be our guest.. 917/405-5044 for info or visit our website for the full scoop on our beautiful classic Tall Tales.

The Sikh Art Gallery is an inclusive space that focuses on learning about Sikh history and heritage through artwork created by various international artists.

The tour highlights the message of oneness, respect for diversity, the importance of equality, the struggles for freedom, and the challenges faced by our communities.

From 10am-4pm, visitors are invited to explore Slater Memorial Museum for free! Museum Docents will be available all day to answer questions and share with you the wonders of the collection.

On June 14, 2025, the St. Anthony Chapel Foundation will celebrate The Feast of St. Anthony at the 4p.m. Vigil Mass which will be held at St. Mary's Church 70 Central Ave. Norwich.  The original Chapel was built and blessed on July 4, 1926, razed in 2004 and rebuilt and blessed by Bishop Reilly on April 29, 2006.  Each year the Feast is celebrated and the Choir from St. Patrick Church in Roxbury MA joins us in the celebration.  For those who would like to attend the Mass, it is from 4-5p.m.

Visitors to the Chapel will take place from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and after 5 p.m.  The Chapel is listed on the State Historic Register and will be 100 years Blessed in 2026.
 

Free 8" x 10" matboard

Historical Boat Tours return to the Thames River just in time to celebrate Father's Day Weekend and CT Open House Day. Guests who purchase a historical boat tour ticket through Thames River Heritage Park will also be eligible for a same-day Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise. Choose from tours that depart out of Fort Trumbull State Park in New London or the new Nautilus Pier at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton. Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruises will also be running from 11am-6pm.  There will be no shortage of nautical fun aboard the park's naval utility boats cruising the river!

Step into the seafaring past of Stonington with a visit to the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House and the Lighthouse Museum in the seaside village of Stonington. Nathaniel Palmer was an explorer and entrepreneur who is credited with the discovery of Antarctica and who revolutionized clipper ship design and trade with China. The Stonington Lighthouse offers a glimpse of Stonington's sense of place as the only Connecticut town with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. Climb the tower for specatacular scenic views of three states! On June 14th, both the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House and the Lighthouse Museum will be offering free admission from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

15% OFF Admission on Saturday, June 14 only for any customer that mentions this promotion from "CTVISIT." Come visit The Dinosaur Place, 1650 Route 85, Montville, CT

The James Merrill House is both a writer's home and a home for writers. Named a National Historic Landmark in 2016, the building at 107 Water Street remains as charming and idiosyncratic as the late poet James Merrill left it upon his passing in 1995. That same year, his third-floor apartment and fourth-floor studio became home to an internationally acclaimed writer-in-residence program. Come explore Merrill's whimsical, color-drenched apartment in the heart of the picturesque Stonington Borough--now a literary landmark that has welcomed over 100 resident writers to date. Tours will be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Attention Boaters ... Come for a weekend of fun at the Marina! Receive a free one night transient slip rental (up to $250) at The Marina at American Wharf.  We will also include gift certificates to our onsite restaurants - These Guys Brewing ($50) and Encanto Scoops at the Docks ($25).

Located in the village of Niantic, the circa 1660 Thomas Lee House and the 1803 Little Boston School will be open for free tours.  In the barn are displays of early East Lyme including a mail wagon and a fire wagon.  The house will offer a scavenger hunt for children.

Climb and zip through the trees, or aim for a bullseye in our new axe lanes. In our main park, climbers ages 7+ discover the thrill of balancing on quirky bridges made of wood, cable and rope that span 10 to 50 feet above the forest floor. Trails are color coded by level of difficulty. Our Kid Trails attraction offers similar challenges for ages 4 - 7. We are excited for Open House Day and we will offer our visitors a free pair of gloves!