Gillette Castle Interior & Visitor Center open daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Memorial Day - Labor Day, and weekends through Columbus Day.
Advance purchase of tickets is highly recommended. Tickets are sold by the state, not the Friends.
Grounds are open daily, year-round, from 8 a.m. until sunset.
Please note that the East Haddam Swing Bridge is undergoing a major multi-year renovation (see the link for schedules and webcam links). The bridge closure schedule outlines days the bridge is scheduled to be completely closed. Alternatives are the bridges through Middletown or Old Saybrook, and the seasonal Chester-Hadlyme ferry.
Listing | Calendar
The Annual Meeting is for members only; members will be emailed with the meeting details.
The Board meeting is open to board members only.
If you would like to join any of our committees or would like to attend any noted activity, please contact us.
If you are adding these meetings to your own calendar, they are generally scheduled as follows. Please confirm with the full list below, as meetings are occasionally rescheduled. We do our best to keep this listing current:
Board meets the first Wednesday of the month (board members only)
Programming Team meets the second Tuesday of the month, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Communications Committee meets the third Tuesday of most months, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
2024 CALENDAR
January
1st: First Day Hikes at Gillette Castle State Park, 10 am - 1 pm
3rd: Board Meeting
6th: Sherlock Holmes’s 168th birthday
9th: Programming Team
16th: Communications Committee Meeting
February
7th: Board Meeting
12th: William Hooker Gillette was born in Hartford in 1853
13th: Programming Team
March
6th: Board Meeting
12th: Programming Team
19th: Communications Committee Meeting
24th: Volunteer at the Castle! Informational Meeting
April
3rd: Board Meeting
9th: Programming Team
16th: Communications Committee Meeting
27th: Ferry Celebration - the Selden III is 75 years old! (Rain date April 28)
May
1st: Board Meeting
14th: Programming Team
TBD: Annual Meeting 2024
19th: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday - Author book signing, guided hikes, the Castle is OPEN and more!
21st: Communications Committee Meeting
25th: Castle Tours Resume. Visit the Connecticut DEEP site for details and to purchase tickets.
June
1st & 2nd: Train Trail Hikes for Connecticut Trails Day weekend!
5th: Board Meeting
11th: Programming Team
15th: William Gillette's "The Astounding Crime on Torrington Road" returns to print!
18th: Communications Committee Meeting
July
3rd: Board Meeting
7th: The Society for Creative Anachronism: Medieval Calligraphy Demonstrations
9th: Programming Team
10th: Weeding Wednesdays
14th: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
16th: Communications Committee Meeting
17th: Weeding Wednesdays
21st: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
24th: Weeding Wednesdays
31st: Weeding Wednesdays
August
4th: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
7th: Board Meeting
13th: Programming Team
17th: Train Trail Hike 11 a.m. Meet at Grand Central Station
17th: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
20th: Communications Committee Meeting
September
4th: Board Meeting
8th: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
10th: Programming Team
15th: Festive FOOD TRUCK Weekends! Serving from 11:30 a.m. until sunset or the food runs out!
15th: Train Trail Hike 11 a.m. Meet at Grand Central Station
17th: Communications Committee Meeting
29th: Train Trail Hike 11 a.m. Meet at Grand Central Station
October
2nd: Board Meeting
5th: 1920s Photography Event during the Golden Hour at the Castle!
8th: Programming Team
13th: Train Trail Hike 11 a.m. Meet at Grand Central Station
15th: Communications Committee Meeting
18th: William and James – A Ghost Story 7 p.m. show - Tickets on sale for all shows now!!!
19th: William and James – A Ghost Story 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows
20th: William and James – A Ghost Story 2 p.m. show
25th: William and James – A Ghost Story 7 p.m. show
26th: William and James – A Ghost Story 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows
27th: William and James – A Ghost Story 2 p.m. show
27th: Train Trail Hike 11 a.m. Meet at Grand Central Station
November
Join the Gillette Castle holiday helpers! Details here
6th: Board Meeting
12th: Programming Team
19th: Communications Committee Meeting
Holidays in the Park 2024! Join us in celebrating the season! Friday Nov 29, and weekends from Thanksgiving weekend through Dec 22. Guided hikes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. ( register here), hot cider, musical entertainment! See all the details here!
December
4th: Board Meeting
10th: Programming Team
17th: Communications Committee Meeting
2025 CALENDAR
January
1st: First Day Hikes at Gillette Castle State Park, 10 am - 2pm