Connecticut Travel

The Naugatuck Historical Society is offering two Cemetery Tours on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

The “Tour and Pour” event on Oct. 19 will run regularly from 5:30 to 7:00pm, starting at Linden Park. After the tour, guests (and actors and actresses) will go to the AOH Pub in Naugatuck for a sandwich (burger, hotdog, corned beef, etc) and a drink of their choice (anything but top shelf) The last tour starts promptly at 7:00pm. Tours last approximately 45 minutes.
The Tour and Pour is $25 per person and includes the tour and the sandwich and drink.

On Saturday, Oct. 20 join the Society for their matinee tour, with special family pricing. Tours will run regularly from 1-2:30pm, starting at Linden Park. Enjoy cider and donuts while you wait for your tour to begin. The last tour starts promptly at 2:30. Tours last about 45 minutes.
The Matinee Tour is $5 for students or children under 18. Adults are $10 each. Bring the family for $20.

Advance tickets are available at the Naugatuck Historical Society Museum or at the Naugatuck AOH Pub (104 Water Street). Tickets will also be available at Linden Park during the event.

Come for a hoot of a Halloween at The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Enchanted Forest on Friday evening, October 26. An alternative, nature-themed Halloween celebration, the Enchanted Forest also introduces fascinating, entertaining and educational information about nocturnal animals in their natural habitat.

Children are encouraged to wear costumes for this unique and fun – not scary – event. Experience the Larsen Sanctuary at night while being escorted along the luminary trail by volunteers who light the way with flashlights. The festivities also feature fall-themed craft making, Halloween snacks and a chance to meet some of the Center’s creepy, crawly critters. The Enchanted Forest is held rain or moon shine.

The Center at Fairfield is located at 2325 Burr Street in Fairfield. The guided walks leave every fifteen minutes beginning at 5:15 p.m.; the last walk leaves at 7:30 p.m. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Ticket prices are: CAS members–$10/child, $2/adult; non-members–$15/child, $2/adult. To purchase your tickets online visit: www.ctaudubon.org/fairfield-home/, or call 203-259-6305 ext. 109. Be sure to sign-up early to reserve your walk time of choice.

Visit The Connecticut Audubon Society’s website at www.ctaudubon.org to learn about fall programs and special events around the state.

The Torrington Historical Society will host a FREE program on Wednesday, October 17th in the Carriage House Gallery of the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street. The speaker will be Lucianne Lavin Ph.D., Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT. Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint program, titled, “Our Hidden Landscapes: Stone Cultural Features & Native American Ceremonial Sites” will begin at 6:30 p.m. This presentation is sponsored by the Torrington Chapter of UNICO National. Admission is free; donations are welcome.

This program will explore the topic of stone features, many of which can often be seen as we hike through the woods. Although some of these are the remains of abandoned farmsteads and industrial mill sites, many others represent Native American ceremonial sites. Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint presentation will illustrate the various kinds of European-American and indigenous stone structures found on our Connecticut landscapes. Although State regulations support the preservation of sacred Native American sites, these sites are often not recognized for what they are and subsequently, have been destroyed by development and suburban sprawl. Even on protected lands, destruction is possible through logging, landscaping, or building placement. This program will help individuals and organizations learn more about these Native American stone features so that we can identify them and help aid in the preservation of these significant indigenous stone features.

Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, a museum and research and educational center in Washington, CT. Dr. Lavin is an anthropologist and archaeologist who has over 40 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology, including teaching, museum exhibits and curatorial work, cultural resource management, editorial work, and public relations. She has owned and operated an archaeological firm for over 25 years. In addition, Dr. Lavin is the author of over 150 professional publications and technical reports on the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Northeast. Her award-winning book, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History and Oral Traditions Teach Us About Their Communities and Cultures, was published by Yale University Press (spring 2013). She is a founding member of the state’s Native American Heritage Advisory Council and Editor of the journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.

The program will begin promptly at 6:30. For more information about the Torrington Historical Society, please visit http://www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Muzzy Field is one of Bristol’s hidden gems. The property was donated to the city in 1912 and the venue has held various events from football games to neighborhood picnics, high school games to the Big East and American Legion baseball tournaments among others. The Bristol Red Sox, a Triple-A affiliate of the Boston organization, did a 10-year stint with Muzzy Field as their home base between 1973 and1982, before relocating to New Britain. Among those playing here were future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Jimmy Rice, as well as a future American League Rookie of the Year, Fred Lynn.

On Sunday, October 14, 2018, the Bristol Historical Society in collaboration with Team Bristol will be hosting a doubleheader vintage baseball game at Muzzy Field located in Bristol on Muzzy Road. For directions click here.

Billed as “The 2018 Northeast Historic Baseball All-Star Event”, players from the New England states will compete in two separate games: the first by 1864 rules and the second by those of 1865.
The teams will be dressed in authentic period uniforms and compete with vintage equipment on a playing field without a pitcher’s mound, as was the standard of the day. The score will be posted on a blackboard and announcements made through a megaphone.

Play will begin at 12 noon and last until approximately 4 PM. Admission is free and children are welcome. Join the Bristol Historical Society to take a step back in time and see how America’s favorite pastime was played and enjoyed over 150 years ago!

Enjoy the best of Connecticut’s fall foliage and take a train ride to the Pumpkin Patch where the kids can select their own pumpkin, and everyone can savor cider and donuts. The Railroad Museum Of New England’s Naugatuck Railroad kicks off its 11th Annual “Pumpkin Patch” Train Rides kicks off the first weekend in October.

“It’s a great opportunity to fall in love with fall in Connecticut,” shares Howard Pincus. Chairman of the Railroad Museum Of New England. “Bring your cameras, capture the beauty of the season. And great memories. Where else can you combine picking up a pumpkin and a trip back in time, aboard our restored rail cars? Only at the all-volunteer Railroad Museum of New England.”

Pumpkin Patch Trains are scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays throughout October at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm. After the children select their pumpkins and families take photos, passengers re-board the train for the ride back to the historic Thomaston Station.

The fares are $18 for Adults and $16 for Seniors (age 62+) and Children (ages 3-12). Children 3 and under are only one dollar. Purchase tickets online at www.rmne.org or phone 860-283-7245 anytime. All tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Trains depart from Thomaston Station at 242 East Main St, Thomaston, Connecticut. Tickets are picked up at Thomaston Station’s “WILL CALL” window on the day of your train ride. Please arrive at the Station 30 minutes before departure time. Trains leave promptly at the scheduled times.

The RMNE, located at the historic Thomaston Train Station, is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer,, educational and historical organization that dates back to January 1968. The mission of the RMNE is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad. The museum concept is more than just artifacts; it’s also a story of the region and the development of society around the railroad.

More information about the Railroad Museum of New England can be found at: www.rmne.org.

The Glebe House Museum will be kicking off the fall season of events with a brand new program; “Witchcraft in Colonial Connecticut”. Linda Barr-Gale will present the history and origins of the witch hunts in Colonial Connecticut, told from the voice of Moll Cramer, Woodbury’s very own infamous resident witch (or was she?)! The program will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 5 pm. The cost is $12 members and $15 non-members. To register call 203-263-2855. The Glebe House is located on 49 Hollow Road in Woodbury.

The keeping room of this historic house will come alive as Ms. Barr-Gale shares stories of other notable witches and tales about those who were hung for witchcraft. She will bring to light the heroes of the time and answer audience questions; all with a touch of humor! Colonial treats and refreshments will be served. (Recipes will be available)

Linda Barr-Gale is a long time Glebe House Docent and Volunteer. Her portrayal of Moll Cramer during the Glebe’s “All Hollow’s Eve” event has made Moll one of the most popular spirits in the cemetery. Last year she presented a “one witch” show in the cottage at the Glebe during the event. While researching information to present about Moll Cramer’s full story, she became interested in the history and origins of the Connecticut Witch Trials. Her research was extensive and was much more than could be presented in such a short time during “All Hollow’s and so this program was born.