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Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford, CT

Photo: PostMan1107, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

Harkness Memorial State Park

Coastal state park on Long Island Sound centered on Eolia, a former summer mansion with formal gardens.

275 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT 06385 · Waterford, CT

About Harkness Memorial State Park

Harkness Memorial State Park sits on the shore of Long Island Sound in Waterford. Its main draw is Eolia, a 42-room Renaissance Revival mansion built as the summer home of the Harkness family, set among lawns, trees, and gardens. Visitors can tour the mansion and its gardens on weekends and holidays in summer, when volunteer guides lead the way. The grounds also offer a shoreline fishing spot, birding along marshes and dunes, a short loop trail, and picnic lawns with water views. Swimming is not allowed. Vehicle access is limited north of Great Neck Road, where visitors must walk in.

  • #mansion
  • #gardens
  • #Long Island Sound
  • #birding
  • #fishing

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