Gillette Castle State Park will be ready for holiday visitors again this year in what has become a weekend holiday tradition for many Connecticut residents. The century-old mansion of William Gillette will be festooned with holiday decorations, and there will be plenty of free outdoor offerings on the 122-acre park grounds.

Volunteers from the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park and other local organizations are planning to bedeck the interior and exterior of the late actor's eccentric home with festive cheer and offer a broad selection of free activities at the state park.

“The decorated Castle will always be the centerpiece of the holiday program,” said Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends. She added, “We think that combining the Castle interior visit with some outdoor adventure in the crisp wintry air is an extra-special benefit at our beautiful state park.”

The Castle will be open for self-paced tours from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday on Thanksgiving weekend and every following weekend through Tuesday, Dec. 17. Each day's final tour starts at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 and may be obtained at the Visitor Center on the day of visit. To guarantee a slot, advance purchase is highly recommended. To reserve, guests can use the Reserve America website (tinyurl.com/4ty5e59p) under “Gillette Castle State Park Tours.”

At a cider station just off the main path to the Castle, volunteers will provide free hot cider from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. Visitors also will have a chance to congregate around the warmth of a nearby fire pit. Kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt and creating colored images of the historic Castle, and there is even a trivia challenge about William Gillette.

The Visitor Center will host weekend appearances by local musicians, and volunteers will lead interpretive hikes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. along William Gillette’s historic narrow-gauge train trails. Information about the timing of these free activities are posted on the Friends website at www.gillettecastlefriends.org.

Though the mansion itself is closed to the public on weekdays, the park at 67 River Road in East Haddam remains open and visitors may stroll about the grounds to view the external decorations during regular hours (8 a.m. until sunset daily year-round). The decorations are expected to be completed by the Thanksgiving holiday and remain in place through Jan. 5, 2025.

"As in past years, several local businesses and nonprofit groups will be helping to make this happen, and we're grateful to all of them for their amazing support," Wilkinson said. “We are especially grateful to Dominion Energy, who is funding our free cider station this year.”  “We are also very grateful for MAI Capital of Madison, the Yankee Cider Company of East Haddam, and Two Wrasslin’ Cats of East Haddam for joining as gold sponsors this year.”

The park is nestled between the towns of East Haddam and Lyme. Many of its trails follow a former railroad bed created for a narrow-gauge track installed by the late Connecticut stage actor, who built his unique fieldstone home more than a century ago. Trail maps and videos of the estate may be found on the Friends website.

Gillette was the first actor to become internationally famous for his performances as Sherlock Holmes. The Hartford native died in 1937 after a long theatrical career, and the state eventually took over ownership of his home and surrounding estate.

Those interested in volunteering or sponsoring the holiday program may visit www.gillettecastlefriends.org for details or direct their questions to gillettecastlevolunteers@gmail.com or (860) 222-7850.

The organization's mission is to support and promote the preservation of William Gillette's legacy, the conservation of park grounds, and the restoration of Gillette Castle. The all-volunteer, nonprofit group works in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.  Memberships help to finance park and structural improvements while preserving the estate and Gillette's legacy.