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Lewis Walpole Library Fellows' Guide: Local Activities

Information about Visiting Fellowships and Travel Grants at the Lewis Walpole Library

Farmington Walking Map

Online directories of local Events, Places, and News

Farmington Calendars of Events

Also look at web pages for individual Farmington-based cultural heritage organizations for site-specific programming.

Farmington Valley -- Calendar of Events

Farmington Heritage Alliance

The Farmington Heritage Alliance is a group of local non-profit heritage- or cultural-related, site-based organizations.

Farmington Historical Society P.O. Box 1645, Farmington 860-678-1645

Farmington Land Trust, 128 Garden Street, #C, Farmington 860-674-8545

Hill-Stead Museum, 5 Mountain Road, Farmington 860-677-4787

Farmington Libraries 

   Main Library: 6 Monteith Drive, Farmington  860-673-6791 x1

   Barney Library: 71 Main Street, Farmington 860-673-6791 x2

The Lewis Walpole Library, 154 Main Street, Farmington 860-677-2140

Miss Porter's School, 60 Main Street, Farmington 860-409-3500

Stanley-Whitman House, 37 High Street, Farmington 860-677-9222

The Univionville Museum, 16 School Street, Unionville 

The Unionville Village Improvement Association, P.O. Box 587, Unionville 860-577-0246

Local Farmington History

Local and national farm animal and wildlife webcams

Music and Entertainment

Hill-Stead Museum located on Mountain Rd, Farmington, offering programs throughout the year including the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival in summer

The Hartford Stage One of the leading resident theatres in the United States.  860- 527-5151

Trinity College, Hartford (summer series and open-air carillon concerts on Wednesday evenings during summer) 

The Bushnell Performing Arts Center Connecticut’s premier performing arts center. Home of traveling Broadway shows, the Connecticut Forum, the Hartford Symphony  and the Connecticut Opera 860-987-5900

(Yale) Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Nestled among northwest Connecticut's pastoral LItchfield hills, the village of Norfolk has hosted the summer programs of the Yale School of Music and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival since 1941. 

Yale School of Music on the Yale Campus in New Haven. Professional and student performances during term. 

Yale Repertory Theatre, on the Yale Campus in New Haven 

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven

International Festival and Arts and Ideas, New Haven, held each summer in June in New Haven and on the Yale campus. 

Cinemas

AMC Loews Plainville 20, 220 New Britain Avenue, Plainville. For listings call, 860-793-6661 Guest Services: 860-747-1071

CineStudio, Cinestudio is an independent film theater located on the campus of Trinity College in Hartford. The fare varies from independent and foreign films to second-run major studio pictures. The theater is a single-screen venue with a seating capacity of approximately 500. at Trinity College, Hartford. 860-297-2463

Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square, 42 South Main Street, West Hartford. 860-236-4111

Cinema City at the Palace, presenting the finest independent and foreign film on 5 screens. 330 New Park AveHartford. 860-549-0030

Palace 17 and BTX Theater330 New Park Ave., Hartford. (860) 236-6677

Outdoor Activities

Antiquing:

Brimfield Antique Show is held for a week in May, July, and September each year in Brimfield, MA, about an hour's drive east on 84 then west on 20. 

Antiquing in Connecticut  

Antiques Trail in Woodbury 

Bicycling:

*The Library has two bicycles from which to choose. For details see the Accommodations page.

Bicycle trails. Farmington Valley Greenway, a non-profit organization founded to promote public awareness of the conversion of the abandoned Canal Railroad into the central Connecticut portion of the multi-use Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT) and the Farmington River Trail. 

Hiking/walking:

Farmington Land Trust maintains land in Farmington. A map of FLT property and trails is available in the Root House. 

Hill-Stead Museum, offers self-guided and guided tours along outdoor trails across the 152-acre property in Farmington.

Talcott Mountain State Park and Heublein Tower, located in Simsbury, the Tower Trail is 1.25 miles long and leads to the Heublein Tower, an observation tower on top of Talcott Mountain; a walk to the Tower takes approximately 30 - 40 minutes. Also running through the park is a section of the Metacomet Trail, developed and maintained with volunteer assistance by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. For more info see Friends of the Heublein tower  and Connecticut state DEI site .  

Horseback riding:

There are a number of stables in the area offering adult riding lessons; however none offers trail rides. 

Avon Valley Show Stables the closest stable that offers single adult lessons

Golf:

Tower Ridge Country Club, 18-hold public golf course: 

Tunxis Plantation Country Club, 45-hole public golf course

Miniature golf: 

Farmington Miniature Golf and Ice Cream Parlor,  

Other:

Clatter Ridge Farm Local farm neighbor of the Hill-Stead Museum; raises sheep, pigs & chickens & sells products online.

Farmington River Tubing,  2.5 mile tube ride down the Farmington River: 

Polo:

Farmington Polo Club. Play or watch. Games most Sunday afternoons from late spring through late September.

Wine trail:

Connecticut Wine Trail, including nearby Rosedale Farms and Vineyard, the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association’s blue wine trail signs will help guide you to the 25 wineries comprising the Connecticut Wine Trail.

Indoor Activities

Archery

Hall's Arrow Indoor Archery Range

Bowling and Miniature Golf

Lessard Lanes

Ice Skating

Newington Arena

Summer Camps for Children

Among the many activities Visiting Scholars who have stayed in Farmington with their families have found for their children are the following week-long summer camps: