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Connecticut Tourist AttractionsGuide to roadside oddities and other weird, strange and unusual attractions in Connecticut.
And what about roadside oddities in Connecticut? Well, the castle is definitely an oddity. There’s not that many around, especially with a room in it made to resemble Sherlock Holmes’ sitting room. There’s also a huge sperm whale roadside attraction. And some frogs sitting on spools of thread. That definitely qualifies as a weird Connecticut tourist attraction. You can also visit the home of the original hamburger. And try one for yourself.
Don't drive over the bridge to see this weird Connecticut tourist attraction! Take the ferry across the river. Gillette Castle was designed by a guy named William Hooker Gillette. He's the actor who played the original Sherlock Holmes in theaters.
Photo courtesy Gillette Castle State Park. Gillette was a pretty eccentric guy. He designed the castle after some medieval ruins of a German fortress. There used to be a 3-mile long narrow gauge train running through the estate. It's gone now but lots of the trails and tunnels and trestles are still there.
The 14,000 square foot castle has 24 rooms. One of the rooms was designed to look like the sitting room at 221B Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes' place in London. Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, CT can be reached either by bridge across the Connecticut River or by the Chester - Hadlyme Ferry.
The ferry only runs from the spring through the fall. Phone number for the Connecticut Department of Transportation for ferry info: (860) 443-3856 Gillette Castle phone: (860) 526-2336
America's first hamburger was built at Louis' Lunch in New Haven Connecticut. And you can still buy a hamburger that hasn't changed much from that very first one.
They're still cooked the same - broiled vertically in the original cast iron grill and served between slices of toast.
And just so you know, cheese, tomato and onion are the only acceptable garnish. A true connoisseur would never ruin the classic taste with mustard or ketchup. Louis' Lunch is at 261-263 Crown Street / New Haven, CT. Phone: (203) 562-5507 Read about Louis' Lunch and other great Connecticut eats in Food Lovers' Guide to Connecticut: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, Events, and More
Connecticut tourist attractions include a huge sperm whale you can walk through. Conny, after Connecticut — of course - is at the Children’s Museum in West Hartford. He even sprays water out of his blowhole in the summer. The Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford, CT.
…sit on a spool of thread. Well, that old folk song has nothing to do with the frogs on Frog Bridge.
Photo courtesy Connecticut Amphibians website.
So what is with the frogs? And why the heck are they sitting on…spools of thread????
Frog Bridge is a great example of combining history with legend and coming up with a wonderful Conneticut tourist attraction.
SR 661, A.K.A. Frog Bridge, A.K.A. Thread City Crossing, crosses the Willimantic River in Connecticut. It connects Pleasant Street (Route 32) at South Street, and Main Street (Route 66) at Jackson Street in Willimantic, A.K.A. Thread City.
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They're still made the same - fresh ground beef.
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