What's Open, What's Closed in Darien Around Christmas

Here’s what’s open, what’s closed and what’s closing early on Christmas and the days before and after for Darien and nearby:

Wednesday, Christmas Eve

See also: “Attention Darien Procrastinators: Store Closing Hours for Christmas Eve”

OPEN (normal hours)

• Darien town government
• Darien Recycling Center and Transfer Station

CLOSING EARLY

• New Canaan town government offices close at 1 p.m.
• “Most Post Offices will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon on these holiday eves.”
• Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk closes at 3 p.m.
• Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk closes at 3 p.m.

CLOSED

• Darien Public Schools (on holiday recess since early dismissal on Tuesday, classes resume Monday, Jan. 5, 2015)
• Darien Library (reopens on Friday)
• Darien YMCA (reopens on Friday)

Thursday, Christmas Day

CLOSED

• Darien town government
• Darien Public Schools (on holiday recess since early dismissal on Tuesday, classes resume Monday, Jan. 5, 2015)
• Darien Library (reopens on Friday)
• Darien Recycling Center and Transfer Station
• Darien YMCA (reopens on Friday)
• U.S. government offices
• Post offices
• Connecticut state offices
• Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles offices
• Connecticut Lottery headquarters (but the high-tier claim center at Crossroads Cards & Gifts in Norwalk will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
• New York Stock Exchange
• Every bank we know about is closed on Christmas. Banks in Connecticut have the option of remaining open on state holidays if they announce that fact to their customers. Even TD Bank branches in the state, which remain open for more holidays than nearly any other bank will close.
• Norwalk Community College (classes resume Dec. 29)
• University of Connecticut-Stamford (classes resume Jan. 20)
• Maritime Aquarium (one of two holidays per year that the aquarium closes)
• Stepping Stones Museum for Children

OPEN

• Crossroads Cards & Gifts in Norwalk, a high-tier claim center for the Connecticut Lottery, will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (although the Connecticut Lottery headquarters will be closed).

MAYBE OPEN

You’ve got a good chance of finding a CVS or Walgreen’s open (particularly if they’re normally open 24 hours a day). Christmas Day is, according to SavingAdvice.com, the busiest day of the year for 7-Eleven, which has a store at 247 Main Ave. in Norwalk. All of these stores may stock items you could use as gifts in a pinch, including gift cards. (Sorry, Darien Patch didn’t have time to call all these places, and we didn’t find anything online — some of this work you’ve gotta do on your own, Dear Reader.)

Friday, “Boxing Day,” Dec. 26

OPEN

• Darien town government
• Most stores — see StoreBusinessHours.com for holiday hours of major retailers
• Darien Library
• Darien YMCA (reopens on Friday)
• Darien Recycling Center and Transfer Station
• U.S. government offices
• Post offices
• Connecticut state offices
• Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles offices
• Maritime Aquarium
• Stepping Stones Museum for Children

CLOSED

• Darien Public Schools (on holiday recess since early dismissal on Tuesday, classes resume Monday, Jan. 5, 2015)

Picture: The world’s first Christmas card, from 1843 (according to Wikimedia Commons)