Harkness Memorial State Park in Connecticut

Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut is a beautiful state park located on Long Island Sound. This park features Eolia mansion, formal gardens, a small beach, a tidal marsh, and sweeping lawns overlooking Long Island Sound. It’s a great spot to visit year-round!

Getting There

The park is located at 275 Great Neck Road in Waterford, Connecticut. It’s easily accessible by car. You’ll take I-95 to get here. Depending on where you’re coming from, you can get off the highway in New London or Waterford.

If you’re coming from out-of-state, you will have to pay to park. If you’re a Connecticut resident, you’ll be able to park for free if you have a registered vehicle in Connecticut. There’s plenty of parking. If the paved parking lot is full, there’s also parking available in the grass. This park can get quite full on a nice day.

History of the Park

Harkness Memorial State Park has a rich history centered around the estate of Edward and Mary Harkness, prominent philanthropists of the early 20th century. They were renowned for their immense philanthropic contributions, donating an estimated $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion today) to various charitable, educational, and health organizations. They donated to buildings to Connecticut College, Yale University, and Trinity College in Connecticut.

Upon the death of Mary Harkness, the Harkness Estate was given to the people of the State of Connecticut. In 1952, it became a Connecticut State Park. Today, this park is a local favorite. In addition to being a state park, it is also a wedding venue.

Things To Do

There’s something for everyone at this state park. Whether you’re interested in history, architecture, nature, or wildlife, this park has something for you!

Explore The gardens

There are three different gardens to explore on the grounds. There’s the West Garden, the East Garden, and the Cutting Garden. However, off of the grand West Garden are two smaller gardens: the box garden and the rock garden. You can read more about the gardens and their designs here.

The gardens are well-maintained and they each have different things blooming as the seasons change. I think the fan-favorite is the West Garden, but my personal favorite is the East Garden. However, at the end of the summer I love seeing the dahlias in the Cutting Garden next to the carriage house.

the West Garden

the East Garden

the Cutting Garden

Daffodils

In early spring, Harkness has a lot of daffodils. The daffodils aren’t in the main gardens, but you can find them outside of the East Garden overlooking the sound, in the field by the Carriage House, and in the Cutting Garden.

Tour The Mansion

If you’re interested in touring historic homes, you can tour the Eolia Mansion that’s in the park. Eolia was one of Edward and Mary’s seven homes and it was said to be their favorite. They resided in the mansion from May until September.

I’ve lived in this part of Connecticut my entire life and I only found out last year that you can actually tour the mansion. It came as a shock to me because I have been going to this state park my entire life! So, last year I took my very first tour of the mansion.

The tours are done by the Friends of Harkness and they’re free (although donations are accepted). Check their website to see when tours are available.

I really enjoyed the tour when I went. The docent was extremely knowledgeable. I was initially shocked that the first floor was empty, but then I remembered that it is a wedding venue. Despite the first floor being empty, there are a lot of details in the building to enjoy. I think my favorite part of the first floor was the sunroom.

Upstairs, it feels a bit more like a house museum. There were rooms that were actually staged with furniture. It felt a bit more like stepping back in time up here, which is personally one of my favorite things about touring house museums.

Walk The Beach

While there are coastal views from the lawn, the West Garden, and the East Garden, there’s also a beach where you can enjoy coastal views as well. While there is a beach, there’s no swimming allowed at the beach. You can take a casual stroll along the beach or set up chairs to sit back and relax by Long Island Sound.

To get to the beach, you’ll take the boardwalk. At the end of the boardwalk there’s also an observation deck to enjoy the views.

Birding At The Tidal Marsh

The Niering Walk that takes you to Goshen Cove is a great spot for birding. You can see a little bit of everything such as song birds, ospreys, and waterbirds like egrets and blue herons. However, it should be noted that parts of this trail can flood when there’s been a lot of rain. Even if you’re not into birding, this is a pretty walk to take in the park.

Picnic

There are numerous picnic tables and grilling stands on the lawns. This is a very popular place to picnic, which makes sense given the gorgeous views in the park. There are plenty of picnic areas that are shaded by trees to help keep cool in the summer months.

Since there is a lot of lawn space, you can also bring a blanket and set up your own picnic on the lawn or on the beach.

Other Points of Interest

As I said earlier, this park has a lot to see. Below are some other points of interest to check out during your visit.

The Water Tower

Another feature of the park is the water tower. The water tower is 35 feet tall and it was topped with a 22,000 gallon water tank and a windmill to pump water to the mansion from the 7 wells located on the property.

The Carriage House

The first floor of this building housed the family’s cars, stables, and dog grooming areas. The carriage house was able to hold five cars, three limos, and a truck. In the main garage, there was a huge turn table that allowed chauffeurs to turn the cars by hand and back them against the garage wall. The turntable also had an overhead hose and surface drainage to wash the cars before putting them away.

There was also a separate wing of the carriage house that was known as the “sports complex” on the south side. It had a billiard room, a bowling alley, a swash court, and marble lined shower rooms and toilets.

The Farm House

The farm house was originally a part of the Roger’s family farm. The farmhouse was built in 1840 by David P. Rogers and it’s a typical example of the rural interpretation of Greek Revival architecture. It was used during the Harkness era as the house for the Estate Manager, Celeste LaMere, and his family.

Is Harkness Memorial Park Worth Visiting?

Harkness Memorial Park is absolutely worth visiting. This park has a lot to offer. It has coastal views, estate gardens, a mansion, and wildlife. It’s a great spot to visit year-round. In the summer months it gets a lot of visitors. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds in the summer, try and go in the early morning or in the evening. In the colder months, you’re more likely to avoid crowds.

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