When 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.
Stop into Phelps-Hatheway's Visitor Center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition by 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 the work for this exhibit–capturing everyday moments, and the feelings they evoke, in West Hartford or right from her own backyard.
When 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.
Explore 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.
Turn 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.
Help us plant the seeds for the future of the Bellamy-Ferriday Garden with our special zinnia seed campaign! Sponsor a zinnia seed for $10 and a garden stake with your name will be placed next to the spot where the seed is planted. Your sponsorship comes with a garden pass to return to see the plants in bloom.
Connecticut Landmarks is proud to honor the LGBTQ+ community by welcoming visitors to explore “TRANSPARENT: Creating Advocacy Through Art” by Samuel Avery Giardina. This exhibition is free to the public and is open during the Palmer-Warner House's open hours through June 28. Located in the Palmer-Warner Barn, this exhibition explores personal identity, transformation, and the profound impact of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history.
In 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.
In collaboration with the Suffield Historical Society and Kent Memorial Library, join staff to learn the stories of individuals who resided on Suffield’s North and South Main Streets who have long been erased from memory. A reception will follow in the Visitor Center.
On view during open hours, this exhibit will celebrate the power of written communication in shaping LGBTQ+ identity, activism, and community. From love letters to zines and personal diaries to protest flyers, these artifacts tell the stories of resilience, connection, and creativity that have sustained LGBTQ+ communities across generations. Using the Palmer-Warner House’s collection and loaned items, this exhibit will weave together your stories with the stories of the house’s previous residents, Frederic Palmer and Howard Metzger, who created a safe space together in East Haddam. This exhibit aims to not only showcase the power of the written word in building community, but also celebrate the resilience, love, and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community.
Visit 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.
Join an easy 1.5-mile walking tour on the sidewalks of Hartford’s historic Main Street from the Butler-McCook House & Garden to the G. Fox Building to learn how the city has evolved through its significant structures: City Hall, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Travelers Tower, the Old State House, Center Church and the Ancient Burying Ground.
Step inside the museum to be transported to the 18th and 19th centuries and learn about the lives of those who built, lived in, and preserved the house. Understand the role of Connecticut in the American Revolution, examine colonial era trade and commercial exchange, consider land and real estate speculation and Indigenous people’s land rights, and observe the ways we display wealth and status in our homes. Stop into the visitor’s center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition by artist Gina Trusiewicz.
Interested in learning more about the history and importance of preserved plant species known as herbaria? Stop in the visitor center to pick up a signed copy of In the Herbarium and meet its author, Maura C. Flannery. Flannery is professor emerita of biology at St. John’s University and research affiliate in the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina.
Join us as we kick off another summer of great music in our historic garden! Bring a lawn chair and a picnic dinner while you enjoy music in the lovely setting of the Butler-McCook House & Garden. Plus, be sure to take a free tour of the Butler-McCook House's first floor! Concerts happen rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, the concert will move indoors to the Amos Bull Community Room.