A great place for an afternoon outing. Walk around the extensive grounds, enjoy the art, and have a…read moremeal in the glass-walled café surrounded by nature. We've attended a couple of their scheduled events. The beautiful, modern, minimalist auditorium incorporates the surrounding landscape seamlessly. Excellent acoustics and high-end electronic equipment help the speakers and performers give their best. A recent sold-out lecture by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer was inspiring, challenging and warmly entertaining. It was followed by a marvelous chamber music concert featuring a collection mostly contemporary works influenced by a connection with nature. Grace Farms' mission is to support nature, arts, justice, community and faith. It's a much-appreciated place to refocus and refuel in these difficult times.

I am OBSESSED with Grace Farms. This is the perfect day trip from NYC. It was only an hour and a…read morehalf by train to New Caanan and a 15-minute car ride to Grace Farms from the train. We had an amazing experience here. It was amazing to be surrounded by nature and gorgeous architecture/ interior design as well! Obviously loved the food as well and would recommend Grace Farms to everyone.

I took my little almost 3 year old here one summer weekend. Apparently, I wasnt the only one that…read morehad that idea cuz it was packed! There was plenty of parking throughout the park, including some improvised parking near the tennis courts. We headed for the nature trails which were well-maintained. There were SO MANY BUGS in the trails so come prepared! After spending a bit of time in the trails, we hit the playgrounds. There is one gated area for smaller kids and a bigger playground for big kids. They also have public restrooms near the little grill they have by the baseball fields. The bathroom was clean.

Amazing park- large walking routes, outdoor Tennis courts, dog park, pool, carriage house, ice rink…read more and public theatre.

Came here with family on a 2 hour weekday tour…read more Our tour guide Sara(h?) was very informative, clear and engaging. She made the experience great. She also made sure guests who needed to take breaks and sit were accommodated. The compound itself is incredible. The buildings, vision, art collections - all very interesting. Even if you're not super into art, I bet you would enjoy the diversity of things to see here. Highly recommend!

I recently spent a long weekend in Connecticut with my husband and some friends. The impetus for…read morethe trip was - in part - to visit the Glass House. It definitely lived up to my pretty high expectations. So what is the Glass House? Also known as the Johnson House, it's a house designed by American architect Philip Johnson for use as his own residence. Johnson lived at the house (and the rest of the property, more on that below) on weekends for over 50 years. The house is one glass-enclosed room, which includes a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and living space (as well as one bathroom that is contained within the black cylinder in the right side of the structure. Because the house is almost entirely of glass, you can see through it to the landscape beyond, making it blend in to its surroundings and beautiful but different in each season. The house is an important piece of American architectural history and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. Now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can sign up for a tour to visit the home - you cannot visit or even see the house without signing up for a tour (the house is not visible from the street!). Tours are available April-December, typically, so check dates before you book a tour. They offer several different tour options: a 1-hour "Glass House Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House and the Brick House; a 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House, the Brick House, the Painting Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, outdoor sculptures, and Da Monsta, a visitor center and exhibition space); an extended tour lasting 2.5 hours; a self-guided tour (currently offered on Sundays only); group/private tours; and an in-depth 3-hour tour. The website has all of these options spelled out so you can choose the option that is right for you. We selected the 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," and I'm so glad we did. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the painting and sculpture galleries! You meet your tour at the visitor center (there isn't parking there, but there are paid lots nearby) - you cannot drive yourself to the property. Then you board a little shuttle bus with the rest of your tour and you're on off on a very short drive to the property. We walked down a path, while our guide pointed the studio and a few other notable things on the grounds (a Donald Judd sculpture that is enormous and very cool, just in front of the house, being one). Then you're at the Glass House. First a view of the outside while the guide explains the architecture and context of the design. Then you can wander through the interior of the space. It's minimalist (duh), but it's also incredibly beautiful. I found it an inspiring design. (FYI - no air conditioning in the house, so in the summer, it can be quite steamy in the house.) Since we were there for the Glass House, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed touring the other spaces! Then we were off to the Brick House, the Glass House's opposite, just a few steps away. The Brick House was such a pleasant surprise; it has a bedroom, reading room, and bathroom, connected by a skylit corridor. The design of the Brick House is so different from the Glass House (bright, colorful, lush - that bathroom with all its marble, that colorful reading room, and the vaulted ceiling and Fortuny-covered walls of the bedroom!?), but I loved it entirely. I could certainly see why Johnson would have spent quite a bit of his time in the Brick House. Then our guide pointed out a few more features and sculptures on the grounds before we visited the Painting Gallery. The gallery contains works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and more, so it's worth a visit to see what they have on exhibit. But it also features some amazing design features! The exterior of the gallery is a grass-covered mount, and the gallery's art is displayed by use of a rotating "poster-rack," which is operated manually (Johnson preferred to view six works at a time, but the system allows for the storage of 42 paintings). Then it was time for a visit to the Sculpture Gallery - another incredible building (this one inspired by the architecture of the Greek isles). Because I'm running out of characters (I have a lot to say about this experience), I will just say that the our tour ended at Da Monsta. Then it's back to the visitor center via the shuttle bus, where you can do some shopping at their very cool design shop. Our tour guide was lovely - informative, interesting, incredible well-versed in everything Glass House-related. It was a hot day, so I got a bit sweaty and overheated at times, but it was worth it to visit this bit of American architectural history. It was an American travel bucket list item for me, and I'm so glad to have made it there finally. I'd go again!

Great place for a hike. My son and I really enjoyed the trail. It wasn't that easy to follow but…read moreit was a nice work out going up and round. Will definitely go back!

No. Dogs. Allowed…read more Nothing indicates this until you actually drive into the parking lot. A beautiful day for a hike but had my dog along so it was a no-go. Doubt I'd try to return since it's not dog-friendly.

What a fantastic little gem! This little park was previously just open fields and woodland, with no…read moreimprovements at all, but if you pull your car in and park off of Davenport Ridge Rd, you will find a newly built trail system here! The trails aren't super long, and this isn't a destination park by any means, but if you live within a short drive, this is definitely a place to go check out. There are boarded paths along the wetter areas, and well blazed trails. It's a nice spot to take your pup for a nice little walk.

Such a lovely garden and place to visit! The flowers were so amazing to see bloom. It's a peaceful…read moreplace for a stroll to enjoy the nature around you. A few fairy houses were spotted around the garden. This location would be a great place to disconnect and enjoy the day! Please support! This place is such a hidden gem!

I am amazed that there isn't a Yelp listing for this!…read more I've been visiting New Canaan for the past 7 years, and it was only during my recent trip in May 2014 that I heard about this garden. I was chatting with one of the guys in the wine shop on Elm Street, and when he found out I was a visiting all the way from Singapore, he recommended I check this place out. Word on the street was that the azaleas* were going to be in full bloom that weekend. Sadly, I couldn't wait until the weekend as I had to be in Boston by then. I ended up going a few days before, but I was still amazed! The garden is about a 7-10 minute drive from the center of town. I seriously think it's one of the most peaceful spots in New Canaan. There are lots of benches to sit around. I can imagine that on a lovely spring or summer day, it's an awesome place to read a book, or just admire the landscaping (if you don't have allergies, I guess.) I recently bought my first DSLR, and the garden was the perfect venue to practice my shooting skills. I wish I had a companion with me, as I really wanted pics of myself next to these beautiful blooms! There was an overwhelming amount of plants and flowers; if you want more information on what's there I think it's best to set up a tour with the New Canaan Beautification League. The contact information, along with additional background info about the garden can be found here: http://www.newcanaanbeautification.org/#!lee-garden/c1z49 This garden is open year round, so rain or shine, warm or cold, there's always something to see. Can't wait to visit again next time! -- *Not the Iggy kind... just the regular kind.

Lovely park along the Norwalk River with some great walking/jogging trails. A few steps and lots of…read morehills for those looking for a bit of a challenge. The park's paths are long enough to get in a decent workout. Childrens playground in the front of park near the parking lot. Park is clean and well kept. The free parking lot accessible from North Water Street accommodates about 25 vehicles. Walking distance to/from the Maritime Aquarium...great stop before or after your visit there.

This is a fantastic little park, adjacent to the Norwalk Aquarium on Water Street…read more There's a small free parking lot and a playground, which is kind of in a difficult spot right now because unfortunately construction workers nearby are using it as their parking lot to avoid the parking fees, but there's street parking along Water Street, or you could park in the garage for the Aquarium. Anyway, like I said there's a nice little playground structure, and there were kids having a fun time when I visited. Beyond that, there are a couple of trails that lead out into the park itself, which is a large mound. This mound was, once upon a time, the town garbage dump. But as so often happens around the country, yesterday's garbage dump is today's cool park, and that's definitely the case here. There's a path that goes around the bottom, and another trail that links to that, going up the top of the mound. There's a lot of interesting art sculptures from the top, and views of the Norwalk River and surrounding area. There's another trail that links into and is cosigned as both the Norwalk River Valley Trail and the Norwalk Harbor Loop Trail. Both of those trails link this park to the Pine Island Cemetery, Matthews Park, and the Stepping Stones Children's Museum, on the other side of 95 and the RR tracks. This is definitely a great park to visit and to work off some energy if you have kids that just haven't been tired out enough by the Aquarium.

My 1st time here after a snow storm, worth the drive from eastchester, 30-36min. Free parking…read moreduring the winter seasons, there's a fee for parking during the warm weathers . I can see it's a place to be for hiking/trailing / biking/ exploring nature. I came here for tubing/sledding, a lot of snow/fresh snow. Not crowed , this place is a gem, hidden secretly. The fam had fun, good work out, alot of hills. Portable potty everything . A lot of history in this park.

This is our favorite place to do (very) early morning birdwatching. We come here in all 4 seasons.read more

We haven't been in years because the place became a huge liberal venue for events that are far from…read morefamily-friendly and are completely inappropriate for children, despite the kids-specific atmosphere with the playground and children's museum. Prior to ending our visits, the playground was beginning to really show its dire need for maintenance and revealing some significant safety concerns.

This park is pretty big. There are two playgrounds. One for the little kids 2-5 and one for the…read moreolder kids. There is also a splash pad. The nautical theme is present throughout the playground. We enjoyed our stay. While we were here, it rains a bit, but there was enough shelter to prevent us from getting wet.