The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Local groups take part in Open House Day
More than 225 attractions across the state — including more than 20 in Middlesex County — will offer free or discounted admission or special offers to Connecticut residents in celebration of Connecticut Open House Day, Saturday, June 9.
Participating attractions include: Adam Stanton House, Clinton, Black Hall Outfitters, Westbrook, Blackkat Leather, Chester, Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park, Portland, Buttonwood Tree Performing Art Center, Middletown, Clinton Art Gallery, Clinton, Company of Fifers & Drummers Museum, Ivoryton, Connecticut River Museum, Essex, East Haddam Historical Society Museum, East Haddam, Elisha White House, Clinton, Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Essex, Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, Hamden, Ivoryton Playhouse, Ivoryton, Jonathan Dickerman House, Hamden, Museum at the Mill, Chester, Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort, Middlefield, Pratt House, Essex, RiverQuest, Haddam, Ruth Callander House Museum, Portland, Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, Old Saybrook, Spectrum Gallery & Artisan Store, Centerbrook, Staehly Farm Winery, East Haddam, and the Thankful Arnold House Museum, Haddam.
Connecticut residents will receive free or discounted admission or special offers at more than 225 destinations across the state — including attractions, historical sites, museums, galleries and restaurants, in celebration of Connecticut Open House Day.
The one-day statewide event is designed to showcase Connecticut’s diverse mix of history, art, culture and tourism. Participating properties span the entire state, and range from wellknown destinations to hidden gems.
To view the complete list of participants, visit www.CTvisit.com/CTOpenHouseDay.
This year, 32 new properties are taking part for the first time, including 11 businesses at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and seven businesses in the town of Stratford, as well as Saybrook Point Inn, Marina and Spa in Old Saybrook, Leroy Anderson House in Woodbury and Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort in Middlefield.
Other special activities throughout the state include farm and house tours, antique car, boat and train rides, scavenger hunts and crafts, hearth cooking demonstrations, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and food and beverage tastings.
“Open House Day is a perfect opportunity for residents to become tourists in their own backyard and experience what makes Connecticut such a prime New England destination,” said Randy Fiveash, director, Con-
necticut Office of Tourism, in a written statement
Connecticut’s $14.7 billion tourism industry directly supports nearly 83,000 jobs — and over 121,000 jobs in total. Last year, many Open House Day participants reported receiving more visitors on Open House Day than a typical Saturday — sometimes two to four times as many.
For Connecticut Open House Day updates, visit www.CTvisit.com/CTOpenHouseDay; RSVP to the Facebook event; and, follow #CTOpenHouse.