HADDAM, CT — You don't need a packed calendar for a good weekend along this stretch of the Connecticut River. A new musical is playing on the Goodspeed stage, the rooms of Gillette Castle are open for tours on weekends only until Columbus Day, and a Haddam house museum more than 200 years old tells the story of one early American widow. Here's where to spend Thursday through Sunday.
This Weekend's Arts & Entertainment
- "The Snow Goose" — Thursday, Sept. 24, and Friday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 27, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Goodspeed's world-premiere musical is set on the windswept English coast. It follows Philip, a reclusive artist, and Frith, a resilient young woman, who form an unlikely bond after rescuing a wounded snow goose. The show runs 2 hours 20 minutes with an intermission and is rated PG-13 for language and depictions of war. It plays through Oct. 18, and $15 student rush tickets are available. Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam.
- Gillette Castle Interior Tours — Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, tours every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After Labor Day the castle's interior opens on weekends and holidays only, through Columbus Day. Tour tickets are limited, and the state recommends booking ahead through Reserve America. Admission is $6 for ages 13 and up, $2 for ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under. The park grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Gillette Castle State Park, 67 River Road, East Haddam.
- Thankful Arnold House Museum — Thursday, Sept. 24, noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 25, noon to 3 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 to 4 p.m. The Haddam Historical Society's house museum, built in stages between 1794 and 1810, explores the life of the widow Thankful Arnold and the limits English common law placed on women's property rights in early America. Sunday hours run June through September only, so this is the last Sunday of the season. Adult admission is $10, seniors pay $8 and ages 5 to 17 pay $5. Thankful Arnold House Museum, 14 Hayden Hill Road, Haddam.
This Weekend's Restaurants & Bars
- Sunday Brunch on the River — Sunday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The inn next door to the Goodspeed serves Sunday brunch from both a brunch menu and a "Boozy Brunch" menu, with views of the Connecticut River. It's also a natural stop before the 2 p.m. matinee. Lunch and dinner are served Wednesday through Saturday, until 8 p.m. Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Gelston House, 8 Main St., East Haddam.
A weekend here can mostly stay on one bend of the river. Take a Saturday castle tour high above the water, then head up River Road to the Goodspeed for "The Snow Goose" that evening. On Sunday, start with brunch at the Gelston House and catch the matinee next door, or drive up Route 154 to the Thankful Arnold House before its summer Sunday hours end.
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