Open Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m.  -  4 p.m.

{Exterior of the Henry Whitfield Museum}

Thirty-two years after the founding of Jamestown and nineteen years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, a group of English Puritans journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean. Their goal was to establish a community in the New World free from religious persecution. They were led by their minister, Reverend Henry Whitfield.

The Whitfield family home also served as a fort for the community. Its massive stone walls and chimneys, steeply-pitched roof, and casement windows reflect the style of post-medieval domestic architecture found in England – rare in 17th century America and unique today. Through the years, the "Old Stone House" has undergone many changes and many families have called it home. Today, it is Connecticut's oldest house and New England's oldest stone house.

Since 1899, the Henry Whitfield State Museum has been owned and operated by the State of Connecticut. Restored by noted architects Norman Isham and J. Frederick Kelly in the early 1900s, the house is an important example of Colonial Revival restoration work. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997, and the site was named a State Archaeological Preserve in 2006.

Today, visitors may tour two buildings on the site. At the Visitor Center, you can pick up travel information in the lobby, browse through the gift shop, view changing exhibits in two galleries, or use the research library. In the Whitfield House, you can take a self-guided tour through three floors filled with 17th-19th century furnishings and artifacts. The introductory exhibit, The Old Stone House, details the house's history, and museum staff is available to answer questions. Educational game sheets are offered to children (but they're so interesting that many adults take them through the museum as well!). A stroll around the landscaped grounds, featuring extensive stonewalls, a bronze statue representing Henry Whitfield, and a ship’s cannon from the War of 1812, completes the tour. Please allow approximately one hour for your visit. The Visitor Center is wheelchair-accessible.

{Table near a fireplace inside the Henry Whitfield State Museum}

Admission Rates
$8 adults
$6 seniors (60 years +) and college students with ID
$5 youth (6-17)
5 and under free

Discounted admission for schools and groups by appointment.

Contact Information
Henry Whitfield State Museum
248 Old Whitfield Street
Guilford, CT 06437
203-453-2457
whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov
Michael McBride, Curator, 203-453-2457
Karin Peterson, Museum Director, 860-256-2760 or karin.peterson@ct.gov

Directions
From I-95, take Exit 58.  Go south on Route 77, cross Route 1 to the Guilford Green.  Right onto Broad Street then immediate left onto Whitfield Street.  Continue past the Town Green.  Bear left at the fork and turn left onto Old Whitfield Street.  The museum is on left.