When I was a senior in high school I wrote a research paper on the Underground Railroad, I was…read morepretty happy with the way it came out (I got an A or an A+). I remember that the paper was pretty popular among my friends, because a few years later it ended up being copied and made appearances at colleges in Texas and Florida. I hadn't really thought much about the Underground Railroad in a long time. But I came face-to-face with this incredible chapter of American history when I stumbled upon this monument on the grounds of the New Milford Historical Society. Litchfield County CT was a hotbed of abolitionist activity - both Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Brown lived here. There were railroad "stations" throughout the area, including New Milford, on the secretive route to Canada. This somber monument to the Underground Railroad was dedicated on November 17, 2013. That date was chosen because it represented the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It is an 18-inch high and 20-inch wide marker carved of granite with a broken chain over the marker. The marker is directly in front of a large monument honoring President Lincoln and New Milford's Civil War veterans. The broken chain sculpture was created by local artist Ray Crawford, and he entitled it "A Rough Road to Freedom". The marker contains a plaque whose inscription reads: History of the Underground Railroad This plaque is dedicated to the memory of slaves. In the middle of the 1800's, the Underground Railroad was organized with a true commitment to freedom. New Milford, Connecticut was a road to freedom used to escape into Canada. In 1865 the Civil War ends, and also the Underground Railroad. The 13th Amendment was added to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery permanently. The plaque ends with line from the chorus of an old spiritual (circa 1865) "Slavery Chain Done Broke At Last"

New Milford is the largest town in Connecticut and is located in Litchfield County; it was…read moreincorporated in 1712. There are approximately 28,000 residents. Two bodies of waters are located in this town, Candlewood Lake and the Housatonic River. Another notable spot is the Lover's Leap State Park. A Gilmore Girls festival takes place there, usually in the fall. Their town green has a gazebo that looks like the gazebo on the fictional Stars Hollow. I am a fan of GG so I was excited to explore the town. They had a great little downtown with shops, restaurants, and more. I also love the historic architecture. It's a beautiful town with tons of amenities. Yes, worth a visit!

Felt like you were in stars hollow apart of the Gilmore girls. Cute shops to visit and they had…read moreGilmore girls merch to match. Only issue is some places were closed since it was a Monday.

I love Squantz Pond State Park They do an excellent job,…read moremaintaining the grounds around the beach, the trails for walking and the huge picnic area. The water is fenced off from the picnic area for safety. There are also docks for fishing and it is a really beautiful natural scene. There's a place for canoeing kayaking, and the beach is available for the public. Had a small charge for parking . But relatively free compared to other beaches within driving distance.

Very scenic place on the shores of Squantz Pond, which empties into Candlewood Lake. In normal…read moretimes there is a beach and a couple of comfort stations, although the beaches are closed at this time. I'm not sure if the restrooms are still open. There are several barbecue pits around and trees to gather under so you could really have a nice picnic here, even if you didn't go to the sandy beach area. It's peaceful except for the jetskis that drone endlessly in circles close to shore. They are really loud so don't expect to enjoy peace and quiet in nature. But if you're there when they aren't around, you'll have a very nice time.

If you've ever seen the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., did you notice his hands? One hand is…read moreclenched in a fist, while the other is open and outstretched, resting leisurely on the arm of his chair. As a kid, I remember hearing that it showed Lincoln's tough and compassionate sides. This spectacular monument honors two subjects. The first is one of our country's most iconic figures, and the second was to the New Milford soldiers that served in the Civil War. The monument was dedicated in 1912 and was the gift of Captain Edward Marsh of the Second Connecticut Volunteers Heavy Artillery. The memorial consists of a four sided base decorated with two plaques and two sculpted panels. The base is topped with a bust of the President's head and shoulders. One of the featured plaques reads "In Loving Memory of the Soldiers and Sailors of the Union Army and Navy 1861 1865, and of Abraham Lincoln President of the United States. Besides being in many skirmishes the New Milford troops were engaged in the battles of Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Opeqvan. Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Sailors Creek". You'll also see two sculpted panels of a soldiers raising a flag and blowing a bugle, and a large oval plaque inscribed with the Gettysburg Address. That eloquent speech ends with this phrase "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Bulls Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Kent, CT. It goes over the Housatonic River and was…read morebuilt in 1842. It is still open for vehicles to drive over it. There is only one other covered bridge in the state that still allows vehicles to drive over it. There is a small parking lot nearby. You can walk on the bridge but it is very tight and there are no sidewalks, just becareful for oncoming traffic. The bridge is beautiful and the view of the river is great; there are small openings inside the bridge to view. There are trails nearby and you can even see the dam spillway. I'm a fan of history and covered bridges, so this was definitely worth a visit and a bucket list item for me. I reduced a star because it can be potentially hazardous for pedestrians. It's only one lane so vehicles from both directions would have to stop at the stop sign and let one another pass. Overall, a beautiful and well made structure!

There are not a lot of surviving covered bridges in the northeast (only three in Connecticut!) so…read moreit was pretty awesome to be able to visit this one that carries Bull's Bridge Road over the Housatonic River in Connecticut, very close to the New York border. The bridge was completed in 1842 with a Town lattice design. The bridge is a single lane and remains open to vehicular traffic. I opted to park the Sprinter van in a nearby parking area that acts as a trailhead. The bridge can be walked as a pedestrian but is not designed for such, so be on the lookout for cars and be sure to make your presence known. There was originally a 6 cent toll here but that is obviously long gone. The other two bridges are the West Cornwall Covered Bridge and the Comstock's Bridge. [Round number review 1700 of 2024 - 103 in Connecticut - 22723 overall]

Beautiful castle Visited over the winter. Worn down and decrepit. Amazing pictures with an eerie…read morefeeling.

Nothing much to see at this moment. A stone castle left in ruins, now adorned with fences,…read moregraffitis and boards. Just a short walk from nearby park where you could park your car.

This Uncle Sam stands in the parking lot of the Danbury Railway Museum. At 38 feet tall, this Sam…read moreis claimed to be the world's tallest, and at 4,500 pounds, I'm guessing he is also the heftiest. The statue was built for a chain of Ohio restaurants in the 1950s named Uncle Sam's. He was clear-coated in 1992 and today he's looking good, patriotic and colorful. His past homes include the state fairgrounds in Danbury, Connecticut, and Lake George, New York, where he stood in the parking lot of the fairy tale Magic Forest theme park.

I love the stone tower! The first time I came here the place seemed enchanted, covered with…read morethousands of ladybugs flying around and all over the actual tower. They were also bees and other things buzzing around dragonflies and such. That was in October of 2024. We went back yesterday (April 7th 2026) there wasn't anything flying around, but it still was a magical place to go. lol. It's a great place to go for people who don't really wanna do a huge hike. Very easily accessible and pretty.

"All along the watchtower Princes kept the view…read moreWhile all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too" (Bob Dylan) Want to take a very cool and very short hike that ends at a spectacular water tower? If so, you'll love this 15 minute hike that runs about .6 mile out and back. There's a fascinating history behind Camp Columbia State Forest. Between 1885 and 1983 Columbia University held engineering and surveying classes on the property. In fact, a summer program at the camp was mandatory for engineering students. I also learned that Columbia University President Dwight Eisenhower spent time at the camp watching football practices and hunting. Some important stuff was invented and created here. Want an example? Sure you do. Well how about the concrete roof over Madison Square Garden? That engineering breakthrough was pioneered here. World War I saw the US Army train their officers and hold mock infantry assaults here. Student interest in the "Camp Experience" fell in the 1960s and combined with changes to the engineering curriculum, Columbia ended their use of the Camp. For the next 20 years or so, they used it on special occasions but eventually closed it in 1983. By 1989, many of the camp buildings had deteriorated so badly that the town declared them as public hazards and they were demolished in a controlled burn training exercise. In 2000, the state of Connecticut bought the property for $2.1 million. The outbound trail has a very slight incline, and be careful of the tree roots and rocks, or you may end up on your face. Also, be careful of a few downed trees that rudely block the trail. We saw two very cool things on the trail. The first was an old abandoned building, probably a camp meeting house. The roof was partially open from wear and tear, The front door was wide open, and we saw there was quite a bit of spray painted graffiti inside. The other cool thing we saw was a 60-foot cylindrical water tower with an observation platform, a gift of Columbia's Class of 1906. The front door to the tower was open as well, and if you're more adventurous than we were, you can walk up those stairs to another door that leads to an exterior cylindrical staircase. The scenery along the trail is very pretty with lots of wild flowers and berry bushes. (The park is on West St in Morris, CT. I submitted the address correction to Yelp)

This is a very inconveniently positioned marker. At first I thought it must be on the New Milford…read moreGreen, which isn't great for parking but usually you can find a spot within a reasonable walking distance. Ah, no! This sign is off the Green, in front of what I believe may be the historical society, uphill, resting on a grassy knoll. There is side street parking, if you can grab a spot. (Full disclosure - as a traumatized driving student who learned to drive on stick, I still don't care for parking on hills so I have a bias) But alas, the spots were all full. It looks like there may be a road or parking lot in the back, but after driving around twice I'm no closer to finding it. I settled for admiring the sign from the road before driving away for approaching cars. For anyone who knows the area and wants to know why I didn't park on the Green - between the Green and the sign is the intersection from Hades. Usually the turn taking at a four way intersection is an automatic cultural thing, but people kept on driving like there were no other cars but theirs. A thought for New Milford city planning - THERE is a spot for a rotary, the drivers coming from 202 are already treating it like one.

Want some New Milford history nuggets? Sure you do!…read more In 1703 some businessmen from Milford, CT bought this land from the Potatuck Indians, and cleverly named the land "New Milford". The first white inhabitant of the area was a gent named Zachariah Ferriss. I wonder if he was a big wheel? After the shootings at Lexington and Concord, a very impressive total of 285 men of New Milford enlisted in the Continental Army. A bridge over the nearby Housatonic River was built way back in 1737 This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the sloping lawn of the New Milford Historical Society. The marker was dedicated in 1976. The front side is showing quite a bit of fading and streaking on the white lettering. The reverse side is in pretty good condition.