Gillette Castle State Park
Gillette Castle State Park straddles the towns of East Haddam and Lyme, Connecticut in the United States, sitting high above the Connecticut River. Its home town is Lyme. Records date it to 1943.
A state park inside Lyme
East Haddam is the nearest base
East Haddam is 4 miles northeast, with 7 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–83°. When to go ↓
Established in 1943
Gillette Castle State Park dates from 1943. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Below are typical highs and lows near Gillette Castle.
Gillette Castle State Park
Gillette Castle State Park straddles the towns of East Haddam and Lyme, Connecticut in the United States, sitting high above the Connecticut River. The mansion was designed and built by William Gillette (1853–1937), an American actor most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on stage. Gillette lived here from 1919 until his death in 1937. The State of Connecticut purchased the property in 1943 for $29,000.
- Type
- State park
- Established
- 1943
- Area
- 122 acres
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1986)
- Wikipedia readers
- 27K a year
Where to sleep near Gillette Castle State Park
Lodging nearby is in East Lyme (16) and Southold (50).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Gillette Castle | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyme | in town | — | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 2,424 | $630K | — |
| East Lyme | 12 mi southeast | 15 min | 16 6 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 19,223 | $413K | A |
| Southold 30% vacation homes | 21 mi south | 30 min | 50 18 hotels · 3 motels · 21 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 24,260 | $859K | B+ |
| East Haddam | 4 mi northeast | 5 min | 7 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 9,043 | $353K | — |
| Old Saybrook 21% vacation homes | 9 mi south | 15 min | 11 7 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 10,680 | $538K | B |
| East Hampton 47% vacation homes | 29 mi southeast | 45 min | 97 53 hotels · 12 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 8 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds | 29,400 | $1,179K | — |
| Madison | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 11 2 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 17,734 | $584K | A+ |
| Waterford | 16 mi east | 25 min | 15 13 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 20,435 | $356K | B |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Worth adding to a visit
Also within 69 miles are these.
Big draw52 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw59 mi MuseumThe Breakers
118 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
228 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
57 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
48 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
327 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank Arena
68 mi MuseumUSS MassachusettsPhoto credits
Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain
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Before visiting Gillette Castle
Is Gillette Castle State Park in Lyme?
Yes. It’s inside Lyme, CT.
When is the best time to visit Gillette Castle State Park?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 64–83°.
How far is Gillette Castle State Park from Brookhaven and Islip?
About 48 miles southwest of Brookhaven and about 63 miles southwest of Islip, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Gillette Castle State Park?
Tweed New Haven (HVN), about 26 miles away. The nearest big hub is Bradley (BDL), about 38 miles.
Where should I stay near Gillette Castle State Park?
East Lyme (12 mi, 16 places to stay), Southold (21 mi, 50 places to stay) and East Haddam (4 mi, 7 places to stay).
Ask a local in Lyme
Start the conversation in Lyme’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.