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Your Home for History
Connecticut Landmarks is a state-wide network of historic house museums sharing 400 years of New England history. Our museums are starting points for deeper exploration and greater appreciation of the Connecticut experience. Our real-life stories, as told through our houses, collections, and programs, make history matter. Plan your visit today »
Museum Tours Snapshot
Historic Halloween Happenings!
While “Things That Go Bump in the Night”, our perennially popular Halloween program at the Nathan Hale Homestead, is SOLD OUT for 2026, there are still plenty of ways to get in the spirit of the season at Connecticut Landmarks’ museums with our special Halloween events!
In October 1816, the Year Without a Summer has left Hartford cold, dark, and uneasy. An elegant masquerade brings together Lord Byron, Mary Godwin, Percy Shelley, John Polidori, and their Hartford hosts for an evening of poetry, philosophy, storytelling, and revelry. But as the night unfolds, strange behavior, missing memories, and inexplicable occurrences begin to suggest that something has followed the guests into the house.
Something is missing at the Manse … and the spirits know where it is! Join this a one-of-a-kind house tour where history, mystery, and a few friendly ghosts come together! As you make your way through the Manse, you will encounter some familiar—and not-so-familiar—spirits, each with a clue to help solve the mystery of the missing artifact. You will follow the clues, uncover the secrets, and see if you can figure out where the artifact has gone!
Explore the burial customs, traditions, and superstitions around death in New England from colonial times through the 19th century with Dean Massey, an urban planning researcher from Northeastern University. Following the talk, a short walk to the Warner Cemetery will offer provide an opportunity to examine epitaphs and iconography up close, and engage in a discussion about the rich diversity of New England’s remembrance practices.
Experience the city’s oldest house at twilight as you meet the ghosts of New Londoners who have ghoulish stories to tell. Talk with them—if you dare! Participants are welcome to come in costume, though we ask that they refrain from extreme gore, masks that cover the whole face or head, tripping hazards, weapons, or using cultural identities as costumes.
Join Traci Boiselle, a paranormal investigator with 18 years of experience with The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), for a discussion of theories, tools, and methods used in paranormal research. Explore the history of the Hempsted Houses, including her family connection to the property, and see paranormal evidence from New London County investigations. VIP ticket-holders will then join a 45-minute guided paranormal investigation of one of New England’s oldest dwellings: the 1678 Joshua Hempsted House.
What’s New?
“Wilde Weekend” at Palmer-Warner House Postponed to Spring 2027
The Oscar Wilde events at the Palmer-Warner House this Friday and Saturday have been postponed for the safety of our staff and visitors. The nor’easter in September caused damage to several trees on the property that makes them vulnerable to higher winds such as those forecasted. We will be closely monitoring the developing situation over the next few days. Ticketholders have been refunded to the cards used to purchase their tickets. Connecticut Landmarks is working with our partners to reschedule, and will announce the new date for Spring 2027 as soon as possible.
Operations Update: September 26th & 27th
While we love opening the doors of history to you, our primary concern is always for the safety of our visitors and staff. The potential for severe weather this weekend has impacted operations at several Connecticut Landmarks sites.
- The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden will be closed on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.
- The Lilac Girls event scheduled for Saturday has been postponed until Spring 2027. More information will be coming in the next few weeks.
- The Nathan Hale Homestead will be closed Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.
- The Coventry Farmers’ Market is canceled for Sunday, September 27th. Cheese Day and the Buzz About Honey will take place on October 11.
- The Charter Oak & Coltsville Walking Tour planned for the morning of Saturday, September 26th has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 3rd. Limited tickets are available for the rescheduled event.
We apologize for the disappointment, and hope to see you at one of our historic house museums soon.
Preservation Updates
Preservation Work Underway at the Nathan Hale Homestead
We look forward to welcoming you to the Nathan Hale Homestead. This year, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the house’s construction. For several months beginning in April, the house and outbuildings will undergo significant preservation work led by Valley Restoration LLC, including window restoration, exterior painting, roof repairs, and more. Our team is working hard to ensure that the visitor experience will not be negatively impacted. Programs will continue as planned, but you may see work vehicles and scaffolding on site, and tradespeople may be working during your visit. Our primary concern is for the safety of our visitors, and all precautions are being taken to ensure that. Thank you for your patience as we undertake this important preservation work.
18th-Century Réveillon Wallpaper Conservation Techniques with Studio TKM Associates
Last week, Connecticut Landmarks’ Marketing & Communications Manager, Olivia, met with the conservators from Studio TKM Associates to discover more about conservation techniques used on the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden’s 18th-century Réveillon wallpaper. In this video, the conservation team shares insights into 18th-century wallpaper-making techniques, discusses the importance of using the electromagnetic spectrum and digital microscopes along with their work with Dr. Erin Mysak from Harvard University, and explores a brief history of the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden!
With support from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and generous donors, we have reached 90% of our fundraising goal for this conservation project and hope you will consider a donation this giving season to help us reach the final 10%!
Discover more about the wallpaper conservation project and support the work »