In the heart of Connecticut stands one of the few castles in the United States. Before I arrived, I actually knew more about Gillette Castle itself than the man who had once lived here. As it turns out, famous actor William Gillette, who was active during the late 1800s and early 1900s, built the castle in 1919. British writer Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, while Gillette became famous for bringing the character to life on stage. Though Gillette performed many other roles during his career, to much of the American public in the early 20th century he was closely identified with Sherlock Holmes. Today many people haven’t heard of William Gillette, including myself before visiting, but his castle lives on as one of his most impressive accomplishments.
His castle was built with a unique design using rough-cut stone rather than smooth walls and polished surfaces. From a distance, the castle almost looked abandoned or in ruins. As I got closer, I could see the details of the design. I’m not so proud of my first photo on this page showing the front of the castle, but this one from the rear gives a much better perspective on its size.
Touring the castle is easy, and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone in the area! You can basically guide yourself through the building, but there are plenty of staff members around to answer questions. The living room photographed above is the largest room in the house. In the photo below, you can see some of the paintings Gillette collected over the years.
Gillette definitely had a love of interesting architecture and gadgets. Nearly all the doors in the house had unique designs like those pictured above and below. I didn’t get a photo of it, but one of the doors had an owl creatively incorporated into the artwork that I only noticed after a staff member pointed it out.
You might have had second thoughts about being a guest in this bedroom when Gillette was alive. One of his creations was a complex system of mirrors that allowed him to see into other rooms in the house. I’m not sure if he was up to something creepy or simply didn’t trust some of his guests. Below is one of the study rooms where he worked on his creations.
Within the castle is a library and a small museum displaying some of the works related to Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes story was published in 1887. Above you can see some of the early Sherlock Holmes works. Gillette first portrayed Holmes on stage around the turn of the 20th century, and below is a portrait of him in character.
After you’re finished exploring the inside of the castle, you can continue outside through the surrounding grounds. These two photos above and below show some of the beautiful scenery overlooking the Connecticut River from Gillette’s estate.
Less than 10 miles from Gillette Castle is Devil’s Hopyard State Park. The park covers around 1,000 acres and is a popular destination for day hikes and other outdoor activities. Part of the trail passed through this covered bridge, which was probably my favorite scene in the entire park.
The photos above and below show some of the trails in Devil’s Hopyard. Much of the state park has relatively easy trails, although occasionally you’ll come across short sections of steeper terrain like the one photographed below.
Even though Devil’s Hopyard is relatively small, there are several trails to choose from and a few points of interest along the way. This one above is called “The Oven,” a natural rock formation named for a small cave. Someone was nice enough to spray-paint “Oven” on the rock just to make sure you didn’t miss it.
The Oven was actually located at the top of an extremely steep hill, steep enough that I had to grab onto trees and plants for support as I climbed up! The Oven itself was pretty small, and I took this photo using my camera’s flash. At best it might be big enough for a single person to lie inside, but it wasn’t a true shelter like I had originally imagined.
Two of the main attractions in the state park are photographed here. Above is the Vista, an overlook roughly 150 feet (50 meters) above the surrounding woods. It’s probably no more than a 30-minute hike from the parking lot and is pretty easy to reach. The view is worth the simple hike. Chapman Falls, photographed below, is right by one of the main roads, so hiking isn’t even required. The falls drop about 60 feet (18 meters) and are one of the highlights of Devil’s Hopyard.
