Gillette Castle State Park

Soak in the river views and bask in the solitude with an unforgettable experience boating to your campsite along the Connecticut River — one of just four river camping sites in the state!

GILETTE CASTLE STATE PARK RIVER CAMPING

Open May 1 – September 30

Campsite Map

• One riverside campsite 
• Primitive, riverside site with fireplaces and pit toilets
• Available for overnight stops by those traveling on the river
• Campers must arrive and depart by boat (canoe or kayak only). Vehicle access is not available.
• 20-person maximum per site
• Maximum stay: 1 day
• Daily Rate: $5/person/night 

RESERVE A CAMPSITE 

• Online: Visit Reserve America
• By phone: 1-877-668-CAMP (2267)

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• No fires permitted
• No mooring or docking facilities 
• Break camp by 9:00 a.m.
• Camping in Connecticut State Parks and Forests
• Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail 
   

Gillette's artistic influence is no less visible outside the mansion on the park grounds. Many trails follow the former path of the actor’s three-mile-long, quarter-scale, narrow-gauge railroad that he used to ferry his friends around the estate. Gillette's own walking paths were constructed with near-vertical steps, stone-arch bridges, and wooded trestles spanning up to forty feet.

Train Trail (Purple Blaze) to Blue Trail (Blue Blaze) 

• 1.5-mile trail along converted railroad path and former driveway 
• Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Wind through the park along the purple trail, the original path of Gillette’s miniature railroad, over footbridges and trestles and through an abandoned 75-foot train tunnel. A word of warning – the tunnel is very dark and, depending on your idea of fun, either exhilarating or a little creepy. Then link up with the blue trail which leads to the home of Gillette’s closest confidant, Yukitaka Osaki, and the wreckage of the Aunt Polly, Gillette’s houseboat that was destroyed by fire in 1932 (best viewing is during low tide).  

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Park Trail Map | Mobile 
• Friends of Gillette Castle’s Hiking and History Map 
• Watch Archival Footage of William Gillette on his train 
• Watch “Yukitaka Osaki: William, Gillette’s Right Hand Man”
• Watch “The Aunt Polly, William Gillette’s Houseboat”
   

ART TRAIL SITE

Did you ever wonder what the Connecticut landscape looked like a century ago? Check out “Viewpoints”, a joint project of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the Connecticut Art Trail, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Outdoor exhibits reproduce works of art painted in the 19th Century, with information about the artist and the location. Visit the Connecticut Art Trail website for a preview, and look for the Viewpoint exhibits when you visit the Chester-Hadlyme ferry landing area of Gillette Castle State Park and spot where William Chadwick found inspiration for “Connecticut River: View from Ely’s Ferry Road”.

THE CASTLE

William Gillette designed his 24-room castle and most of its furnishings personally. Everything from the built-in couches, a movable table on tracks, and hand-hewn southern white oak woodwork including carved wood light switches and forty-seven distinctly designed doors, reflects his singular imagination and creative genius. Built of local fieldstone and steel framework, it took twenty men five years (1914-1919), just to complete the main structure.

Along with the mansion itself, the park is home to a trove of historical treasures including the wreckage of Aunt Polly, Gillette’s houseboat destroyed by fire and one of two underwater preserves in the state.

CASTLE TOURS

Castle tours are available daily Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend.  After Labor Day, Fall tours are held on weekends and holidays only through Columbus Day.  After Columbus Day, the castle is closed while we prepare for our Holiday Tour Program, which is offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Tours are self-guided and take approximately one hour.  Due to the limited amount of daily tour tickets, we strongly recommend that you pre-book your tickets in advance. 

• Tours are offered every 15 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., except during our Holiday Program when the last tour is offered at 3:30p.m.  
• Maximum of 18 visitors per tour (we recommend purchasing tickets in advance, especially for groups).
• Please arrive at the castle five to ten minutes before your scheduled tour time 
• We cannot guarantee entry if your tour time has passed
• Only the first floor of the Castle is ADA accessible

Bus Groups: Bus Tours are offered at 9:00 a.m. only and not permitted weekends or holidays. Please make reservations at least two weeks in advance by calling Reserve America at (877) 668-2267.

TICKETS

Purchase tickets on site at the castle or in advance at Reserve America (additional processing fee applies). 
Connecticut residents aged 65 or older are eligible to obtain a Charter Oak Pass which provides free access for the passholder (proof of residency required).
Tickets are available for purchase after April 1st for the peak and fall seasons, and after Labor Day for the holiday tour program.  

• $6 Ages 13+
• $2 Ages 6-12
• FREE Under 5
• FREE Charter Oak Passholders and Heritage Passholders

HOST AN EVENT AT THE CASTLE 

The outdoor terrace, with the Lower Connecticut River Valley as a scenic backdrop, is available to rent for small wedding ceremonies from June through September, on Saturdays only. Because our first priority is to provide for the visitors to the Castle, weddings can only be held at 10:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.
 

Snag a spot at one of the picnic tables in Grand Central Station, Gillette’s former train station converted into the Park’s picnic pavilion. The converted stone and wood structure faces the river, offering spectacular views of the Connecticut River and a dining experience like no other.