Palmer-Warner House in East Haddam Announces Seasonal Open Tour Days
Beginning this month, the Palmer-Warner House in East Haddam will be open for tours on the second Saturday of each month, May-October, from 1 pm-4 pm, as well as by advance registration. Visitors can plan a tour of the house in conjunction with a visit to any number of attractions in the beautiful East Haddam area, including the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam Historical Society, or Gillette Castle State Park. The museum’s Open Tour day on September 14th coincides with the first ever Summer Pipes & Cider event at the House featuring a bagpipe led trail walk, local hard cider and bourbon tasting, and Celtic-themed pub trivia.
On tours, visitors will experience the home Frederic Palmer and Howard Metzger made together in what they called “the wilds of Connecticut.” Learn about the collection of letters and diaries, photographs, historic furnishings, and decorative arts used to reconstruct their lives together. When the weather permits, explore the 50-acres of grounds and trails to see the constructed landscape Metzger and Palmer created.
On September 14th from 11 am–2 pm, tour the museum and celebrate Scottish culture on the grounds of what Frederic Palmer named “Dunstaffnage” during Summer Pipes & Cider. The prefix “dun” means “fort” in Gaelic, which perfectly captures the sense of protected sanctuary Frederic created for his LGBTQ friends, neighbors, and family to gather and live unhindered by societal norms. This event features bagpipes by Coreyanne Armstrong and Portland & District Pipers and local cider tastings from Yankee Cider Co. including a signature “Dunstaffnage” bourbon that will transport you to the Scottish Moors through hints of Highland peat smoke. Bring your friends to test your knowledge in a round of Celtic-themed pub trivia, with prizes for first- and second-place teams. For event tickets, please visit ctlandmarks.org/pipes. Tour registration is available online at ctlandmarks.org/properties, but walk-ups are welcome for tours as space permits.
New exterior signage and freshened-up interiors will also support the shift to a seasonally-operating historic house museum. Additionally, Connecticut Landmarks’ collections team continues their documentation work throughout the house, and infrastructure improvements and capital investments are in progress at the site.
“This is an important new phase of the operations of this site that complements the slate of innovative public programming already taking place,” said Director of Public Engagement & Marketing ShaelynAmaio. “I am so grateful for Site Administrator Lynette Fisher’s vision, initiative, and care in seeing this through.”
Discover the history of the Palmer-Warner House and book your tour here.
Share your East Haddam experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here for the latest news in East Haddam
Click here for the upcoming events in East Haddam
Click here for the latest news in Middlesex County
Click here for the upcoming events in Middlesex County
••••• Message center •••••••
Connecticut business owners:
Connecticut with us! Are you a local business owner in Connecticut looking to boost your visibility and reach more customers? Look no further! Our platform provides a unique opportunity to showcase your business to an engaged audience of people who love and live in Connecticut. By partnering with us, you can reach potential customers who are actively seeking things to do, places to dine, and local merchants and service providers to support. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow your business and connect with the local community!
Connecticut with us!
Get our news straight into your inbox daily for free!
Stay connected with us on social media
Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Tiktok • X
Join our Reddit community
Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page
Looking for the latest news by region, topic and events
Latest news by region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • Middlesex County • New Haven County • New London County• Tolland County • Windham County
Latest sports news by team
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns •
2024 schedules
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns
Events my region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • New Haven County • New London County • Middlesex County • Tolland County • Windham County
Events by interest
Art • Sports • Family Friendly • History • Concerts • Farmers’ Markets
Events by the month
May 2024 • June 2024 • July 2024 • August 2024 • September 2024 • October 2024 • November 2024 • December 2024
Events by venue
College Street Music Hall • Space Ballroom • Westville Music Bowl • District Music Hall • Hartford Stage • The Bushnell • Goodspeed Opera House • Mohegan Sun