Opening Days
Our historic house museums are emerging from their winter hibernation to welcome you back to explore all of Connecticut's history!
15 events found.
Preserving Historic Main Street Hartford | Jane’s Walk CT
Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United StatesLeaving from the Butler-McCook House & Garden, this walk will proceed north up Main Street to the G. Fox Building along the east side, and return to Butler-McCook along the west side with a collaborative stop at the Ancient Burying Ground. This walk is a variant of our “Discovering Main Street Hartford” walk, discussing changes to Main Street and encouraging participant discussion about what has been saved and why, as well as inviting participants to share their recollections about Main Street and its importance.
Free
Butler-McCook Open Tour Saturday
Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United StatesVisit the Butler-McCook House & Garden, the only 18th-century home remaining on Hartford’s Main Street, for a guided tour to learn about the McCook family, who loved music, art, and travel through explorations of the museum’s collections which include paintings, Japanese samurai armor, furniture, and toys.
Free – $16
Historic Hartford Walking Tour: Hartford Women
Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United StatesJoin us on this new walk for 2025, as we cover what may seem like familiar geographic ground of Main Street, only with new stories to tell as we celebrate the lives of Hartford Women. Learn about Hannah Bunce Watson, Caroline Hewins, Elizabeth Colt, Beatrice Fox Auerbach, Ann Uccello & Carrie Saxon Perry, Ella Grasso, Katharine Houghton Hepburn, Mary Townsend Seymour and CT Suffragists, the Beecher sisters, and more.
$10 – $15
Mother’s Day Tea with Chef Renee
Phelps-Hatheway House 55 S Main St, Suffield, CT, United StatesWelcome spring with the return of Phelps-Hatheway’s Mother’s Day Tea in the historic Pine Room! Chef Renee Scharoff from Blonde on the Run Catering has prepared delectable savories and sweets to mark the occasion–accompanied by steaming pots of tea. After the celebration, join interpreters in the museum to hear of the women who called this place home and who continue to dedicate their lives to preserving this Suffield landmark.
$45 – $50
Lilac Walks
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United StatesWhen you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Woolsey Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Walk the grounds and garden with our guide to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
$10 – $15
Lilac Walks
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United StatesWhen you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Tour the gardens to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
$10 – $15
Featured
A New Page with Martha Hall Kelly: The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club
Winvian Farm 155 Alain White Road, Morris, CT, United StatesThe serene grounds of Winvian Farm in Morris will set the scene as best-selling author Martha Hall Kelly discusses her newest unreleased novel, The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. Attendees to this intimate event will enjoy a talk and Q&A from the author herself over delicious light refreshments and tea service. Tours of Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden available as add-on.
$130 – $200
Suffield Garden Club’s 47th Annual May Market
Phelps-Hatheway House 55 S Main St, Suffield, CT, United StatesHello spring! A variety of vendors offer potted plants, trees, and shrubs, as well as practical tools and garden supplies. The ever-popular Collectibles and Member Plant booths have something for everyone! New this year are additional vendors adjacent to the Hatheway garden and in the Summer House! The Market is held rain or shine. A special garden-themed tour of the Phelps-Hatheway House will be available hourly from 10 am–2 pm with regular admission. Stop into the visitor’s center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition opening for artist, Gina Trusiewicz. With a longtime interest in art, Trusiewicz developed her craft in an online class during the pandemic. Her interest in nature, animals, and plants, combined with her certification as a Master Gardener, has inspired her work–capturing everyday moments, and the feelings they evoke, in West Hartford or right from her own backyard.
Hartford Art & Monuments Walk
Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United StatesPublic art and monuments create a shared understanding of the events, people, and ideas that a city values. Set out from the Butler-McCook House to explore the artistic treasures and monuments of Hartford along Main Street, in Bushnell Park, and at the State Capitol Building.
$10 – $15
Lilac Walks
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United StatesWhen you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Woolsey Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Walk the grounds and garden with our guide to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
$10 – $15
Lilac Walks
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United StatesWhen you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Tour the gardens to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
$10 – $15
Isham-Terry Open Tour Sunday
Isham-Terry House 211 High Street, Hartford, CT, United StatesExplore this beloved family home to learn about the booming industries and culture of Hartford in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, understand medical practice and public health at this time, and learn more about the Isham and Terry families through the items they owned.
Free – $16
Forest Bathing
Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South St, Coventry, CT, United StatesTurn off your cell phones, breathe deeply, and observe nature using all your senses through the practice of shinrin yoku, also known as forest bathing. Guests will learn the art of forest bathing with Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Professor Suzanne Hudd.
$10
Garden Talks: Roses
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United StatesIn 1915, Eliza Ferriday established a formal parterre garden on the Bellamy-Ferriday House’s west side. Over a 70-year period, Eliza and her daughter, Caroline Ferriday, created a garden showcasing their love of roses, lilacs and peonies. Join former Bellamy-Ferriday Horticulturist George McLeary for a discussion of the history of our roses, their types, and how we care for them.
$15 – $20