Take an Intriguing Tour of Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam, CT

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Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, CT is a fascinating place to visit for people of all ages. In addition to touring an incredible historic building, you can enjoy hiking and picnicking here. If you will be visiting Gillette Castle as part of a Connecticut River excursion, you can also enjoy riverside camping within Gillette Castle State Park.

Gillette Castle sits on top of a hill that is part of a chain known as the Seven Sisters. This is a very scenic area and William Gillette took full advantage of this pristine location when he built his 184-acre estate.  The Woodlands, scenic vistas and trails included in his property are all part of Gillette Castle State Park, as is the 24-room mansion.

Part of the fun of visiting Gillette Castle is learning about William Gillette, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. Gillette was a playwright and novelist as well as an actor and inventor. You will get a strong sense of his ingenuity, creativity and vision when you tour his mansion and the grounds surrounding it.

The mansion itself was created in the style of a medieval castle. It was built from fieldstone over a steel framework during the years 1914 through 1919. The inside of the castle features beautiful hand-hewn white oak. Intricate carvings, built-in couches, hidden mirrors and carved wooden light switches are just some of the features that make the castle such an intriguing building to tour.

There are also many interesting things to see along the trails on the property surrounding the Castle that speak to Gillette’s creative genius. You can follow the path of Gillette’s own three-mile railroad, and travel over stone-arch bridges and wooded trestles. Gillette’s personal railroad station can also be viewed at Gillette Castle State Park, and you can see his beautiful goldfish pond, too.

A portion of the Connecticut Art Trail is located at Gillette Castle State Park. Outdoor exhibits feature reproductions of impressionist art painted during the 19^th century, and information about the artists and their works is also displayed.

Gillette Castle State Park is a popular destination for those interested in geology. There are several interesting geological features at the Park, including folds, boudinage, and drag faults. You can see minerals such as garnet and tourmaline along the main trail at the Park, and the Hebron Formation is a particularly impressive rock formation you can view here.

If you will be visiting Gillette Castle as part of a journey along the Connecticut River, you can take advantage of primitive-style riverside campsites at Gillette Castle State Park. There is no vehicle access to these riverside sites, so camping is only available to those boating in to the area.  If primitive camping is not your thing, spend the day at the castle and then head back into East Haddam or nearby Middletown, where you’ll have a selection of hotels to choose from.   HotelsCombined.com provides several options at very affordable rates for accommodations in the Middletown area.