Harkness Memorial State Park

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Description

Harkness Memorial State Park is a 230acre Connecticut state park and botanical garden located on Long Island Sound in the town of Waterford, Connecticut. The state park comprises Eolia, a 42-room Renaissance Revival mansion with formal gardens and greenhouses.HistoryThe park was the former summer home of philanthropists Edward and Mary Harkness, who inherited the fortune created by Edward's father, Stephen V. Harkness, who was a substantial investor in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. The mansion was designed by the New York architectural firm of Lord & Hewlett and constructed in 1906-1907. From 1918 to 1929, landscape designer Beatrix Jones Farrand made extensive improvements to the grounds, adding numerous formal gardens. The estate was left to the state by Mary Harkness in 1950 and became part of the state park system in 1952. Eolia—The Harkness Estate was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as a 220acre historic district with 15 contributing buildings and two other contributing structures.

Address: 275 Great Neck Road, Waterford (Connecticut) 06385

Phone: (860) 437-1523

Parking: Lot

State: CT

City: Waterford

Street Number: 275 Great Neck Road

Zip Code: 06385

categories: city, sports & recreation, state park

Reviews

It was a pretty area.  We checked out the cutting garden/dog cemetery that are on the grounds the gardens are beautiful, then sat by shore and watched the waves and the ferry.  We met a nice man who let me fly his kite and told us about a man John Rose? who organizes kite flying events throughout the year so we're going to try to go down for that whenever he organizes another one.

This park is beautiful . Got something for everybody. I came to walk around . To look at the mansion. But ended up spending four hours here.the trails are awesome. Beach is gentle. It clean. The rangers are great, respectful, there bathrooms. There tons of stuff to do here.

One of the most beautiful parks I have been to. The park is large and well maintained. The gardens are absolutely beautiful and it is incredibly easy to access the ocean. It’s a wonderful place to walk around and enjoy nature. On the Fourth of July numerous people were bbqing, fishing, and having picnics. Definitely a great place to check out!

Lots of space, perfect for cookouts, grilling, picnics. Plenty of beautiful spots to get pictures. Lots of trees to stay cool under. Beach is nice. Ct plates are free. Out of state pays, but they have a couple parking spots before entering, that out of state uses and doesn't pay to enter. They have bathrooms and porter potties. Little gift shop. Lots of people with dogs, people riding bikes, kite flying. Check the place out.

Awesome setting.  Room to roam for the kiddos.  Great beach.  The gardens were not in bloom while there but that's okay it was still pretty neat.  The main house was  closed but that's okay I still saw a creepy picture thru a window.  Just a wonderful area for the kids.  Picnic tables galore and small grill pits.  Highly recommend it.

Beautiful park. Lots of wide open space. Great place to have a picnic, walk your dog, fly a kite, bird watch and a great place to enjoy the sea breeze. There are a bunch of beautiful flowers gardens to walk through. Highly recommend visiting this park.

Amazing place to spend time with your family, incredible view, beautiful house with a magical garden that takes you back to the Harkness era. There is also a picnic area where you can eat and relax while playing with your children. Access to the water, with  a wonderful view of the ocean.

The park is expensive and has lots to offer, from public beaches, large fields to hold outdoor parties and picnics, to the mansion itself and it's gardens.  I would love to go back in the future to look inside the mansion because it seems beautiful!  Restrooms: They have male and female public bathrooms and  Porter potties.  Picnic area: There is plenty of space for picnics.

Lots of parking on the fields. Even on busiest days. No cost to enter for CT residents. The porto-potties are close to parking a walk from the main estate building. Do the loop. Drop your blankets and chairs and walk to the lookout near beach south west area. Then walk along beach heading East. All the way to end till it brings you back into grass area south of estate main building and formal gardens. Head to main building and visit the gardens on East side and hen head to West side and Italian gardens and tea house stone gazebo. Walk around to front of main building for a view of the main house and the trail to the barn or head back round through tea house gazebo down past the wishing well and to your blankets. BYOB! Dogs allowed but not on beach if breeding season.

I love visiting this park. It has so much to offer. The  park rangers are also great people. Never aggressive, never mean but they do encourage people to keep order and be respectful. Good people. I personally love taking photos here.

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