Is Harkness mansion open?

Harkness is open to the public year-round. The gardens, grounds, picnic area, and waterfront are open 365 days a year. Visitors are welcome until sundown.

Can you get married at Harkness park?

Eolia – The Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park Eolia is available for weddings, private parties, seminars, conferences, luncheons and teas.

Who is Harkness park named after?

Edward and Mary Harkness
History. The 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.

Can you swim at Harkness park?

No swimming. Once a magnificent summer estate on Long Island Sound, now offers 42-room Italian mansion (tours available), formal gardens, picnic areas, fine beach for combing and fishing. No swimming. Dates of Operation: Year-round, 8 a.m.-sunset.

Is there a fee at Harkness Park?

From Memorial Day to Labor Day (and a few weekends before and after those dates), there is a fee to park at Harkness. As Connecticut residents visiting on a weekday, the fee was $6 (cash only). Weekday rates for non-residents are $10 and weekend rates are $9 (residents) and $15 (non-residents).

Are dogs allowed at Harkness Park?

Dogs must be leashed and are allowed only in the lawn and picnic areas, not on the beach or in the formal gardens and you must pick up after them.

Do you have to pay to go to Harkness Park?

Can you get married at Gillette Castle?

Unfortunately, no weddings (or wedding photographs) are allowed inside Gillette Castle. You can, however, take a tour inside of the Castle. Pets on leashes are allowed in the picnic areas and on hiking trails, but not inside the buildings.

Who inherited the Harkness fortune?

In 1888, Stephen Harkness died without a will, leaving a $150 million fortune. His wife, Anna, inherited a “widow’s third,” which was administered by two of her sons, Charles and Edward.

What did the Harkness family do for a living?

His father, Stephen Harkness, came to Ohio as a young man and worked as a harness-maker before expanding his business interests in livestock, grain and distilling, and banking. A few years before the birth of his youngest son, he became a silent partner in the fledgling oil refining business established by John D.

Is there a fee at Harkness park?

How much does it cost to get into Rocky Neck Beach?

Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state vehicles after 4:00 pm $7. Weekends/Holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state after 4:00 pm $7.