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Impressive and worth the visit

The castle and the grounds are impressive. the view is awesome as it sits above the Connecticut... read more

Reviewed 25 October 2023
annamaryec
,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
via mobile
Glad we went

Gillete Castle was excellent. Very informative. Definitely glad we went. Alot of interesting facts... read more

Reviewed 10 October 2023
Good4utoo
,
Holland, Pennsylvania
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All reviews sherlock holmes gillette castle connecticut river day trip visitor center beautiful grounds snack bar self guided ferry stone admission structure pond essex
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Reviewed 15 August 2008

This is a wonderful site. Our family took the ferry across to see it. The castle is wonderful. William Gillette designed this spectacular castle. No two doors are alike, no two windows are alike. All hand crafted. Secret passages, stained glass. Beautiful views!

2  Thank mom2boysanddogs
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 July 2008

I am a CT resident, and have seen most of the tourist attractions in the State. I feel that G. C. is the best. The day begins with a car ride up a winding, narrow road. At the summit, you will witness beautiful scenery, including the CT. River. The tour of the Castle is special in itself. The builder, Mr. Gillette was a bit eccentric, and built the castle with a lot of little surprises, intricacies and quality woodwork. There is a nominal admission charge, which entitles you to the castle tour as well as access to the grounds. It will be a day enjoyed by all accept children. Afterwards, a trip to Old Saybrook will enable you to have dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants located right on the river (Old Saybrook is at the intersection of the CT River and the Long Island Sound). My favorite is Dock and Dine seafood restaurant.

3  Thank Richard-From-CT
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 12 April 2008

Gillette Castle is located in East Haddam in Connecticut, and I can thoroughly recommend a visit. This is a truly amazing place and was originally built not as a castle, but as a home for William Hooker Gillette, an actor who was most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. He was, in fact, the person who made the Holmes look famous, with the deerstalker hat and pipe, etc. The state of Connecticut purchased the property in 1943, several years after his death, and opened it to the public.

Gillette designed every part of this strange house, and you really have to see it to believe it. It is built overlooking the Connecticut River and looks at first sight like an old castle which is in the process of falling down, but it was built to look like this.

The external of the castle is built in grey stone and looks really unusual, but it is the interior that really makes you take a second look. There are 24 rooms in total, but not all are open to the public. You enter the property through the living room, which is a large room with a huge fireplace. There is a guide who begins the self-guided tour with a history of the castle and an overview of the man himself. It is very interesting.

After the living room, you go through the conservatory area and into other parts of the property. You can see into the bedrooms, which are quite small considering the size of the house, although most are en-suite, which was unheard of in the time the house was built. There are lots of doors throughout the house; they are made of oak, and every door is designed differently. You really need to pay attention to the doors and windows, as they are intriguing. This whole house is fascinating, and you end the tour in his art gallery.

The grounds of the castle are also open to the public, and they comprise of wooded areas, lakes, bridges, etc. There are nature trails you can hike and picnic areas. The visitors' centre is modern but built in a style that fits in with the rest of the property and has information about the house and nearby sights. The whole estate is now a state park, and I would definitely recommend that anyone in the area visit it. Even if you are not into looking around old houses, believe me, this is not just any old house!

5  Thank CanadaJane
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 March 2008

My husband and I visited the Gillette Castle last summer. We took the 'Gillette Castle Connection' on the Essex steam train (which is a great thing to do in itself). You enjoy about 1/2 train ride in an old parlor car and then they drop you off about 5 minutes from the Chester/Hadlyme ferry crossing over the Connecticut River. The ferry leaves pretty frequently and it costs $1 per person (you buy tickets on board). It takes under 10 minutes to cross the river. The ferry is open so you get to see the river and the surrounding wooded areas - it's a breathtaking sight. Afterwards, you climb up a trail to the castle - it took us about 1/2 hour, longer if you need to take breaks. Good shoes are a must. It's a pretty walk and you have a great view of the river and the valley as you go up. Docents dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Gillette in period costumes talk to you before the tour which is neat. The tour is very comprehensive and the guides extremely knowledgeable. The castle's stone exterior is absolutely amazing - I am European and this rivals some of the best medieval castle ruins I have seen, albeit in a slightly quirky, "American" way. The interior and the inventions Mr. Gillette introduced to the house are fascinating and we felt greatly educated after the tour. There is a beautiful garden where you can relax (and I suspect picnic too) and I saw a restaurant of some sort on the grounds which overlooks the river. The castle is open seasonally so your best bet is to go spring to early fall (especially if you plan to take the ferry, which, by the way, takes cars too). It reopens for a brief period before Christmas when the house is decorated for the holidays and is great for families with kids (my friend took her 2-year old and they loved it too). Definitely a great day trip, especially if you combine it with the steam train, just make sure you get tickets that allow you enough time to take the ferry both ways and to tour the castle.

6  Thank stelienka
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 26 May 2023 via mobile
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Date of experience: May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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