Historic House Museums in Southeastern Connecticut

Visiting historic house museums in southeastern Connecticut offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s colonial and maritime past. Many of these well-preserved houses showcase period architecture, antique furnishings, and stories of early American life. Touring these sites allows visitors to connect with the area’s deep history while enjoying the charm of New England’s coastal and countryside settings.

Avery-Copp House

The Avery-Copp House in Groton was built on the banks of the Thames River. This house tells the story of life in Groton from just after the Revolutionary War through the early 20th century. They have various events throughout the year, with my favorite being the annual holiday open house. Be sure to explore the backyard while you’re there to get some nice views of the Thames River.
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Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House

The Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House in Stonington was built by two brothers, Captains Nathaniel Brown Palmer and Alexander Smith Palmer. The house was built in 1853 in a Victorian style. The inside of the house features exhibits about Nathaniel’s discovery of Antartica and the brothers’ adventurous lives. While the entire house is gorgeous, my favorite part of touring the house is going up to the cupola where you can enjoy some great water views.
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Denison Homestead

This historic house in Mystic was built in 1717 and it was home to six generations of Denisons. It’s not often that homes of this age are able to stay in a family for hundreds of years. The house became a museum after the last Denison living in it, Ann Borodel Denison Gates, passed away in 1941. The museum features five distinctly furnished rooms that reflect different periods of American and Denison history.
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Florence Griswold Museum

The Florence Griswold House is not only a gorgeous house on a scenic property. It also has a ton of history. The house served as a boarding house for artists, and it was the center of an art colony in Old Lyme. In fact, it is known as the Home of American Impressionism. The first floor of the house serves as a house museum, and the second floor serves as more of an art gallery. Be sure to also explore the gardens and other galleries on the grounds.
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Leffingwell House museum

The Leffingwell House in Norwich has a lot of history attached to it. It was built as a simple house in 1675. It evolved into a pre-Revolutionary tavern and by 1765 it was an elegant home. This house does a great job of demonstrating how houses were often expanded back then by adding existing homes to the structure. They have a lot of different events throughout the year like reenactments, ghost hunting, and a colonial Christmas event!
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Nathan Lester House & Farm Tool Museum

This house in Gales Ferry was built in 1793. The docents of this house are very knowledge about the details of the house as well as the history. It’s such a charming farmhouse and worth touring. There are also hiking trails on the property that you can explore during your visit.
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Thomas Lee House

The Thomas Lee House is right up the road from the entrance to Rocky Neck State Park, but I don’t think many people know its there. Built in 1660, this house is one of the oldest wood frame houses in Connecticut that’s in its primitive state. In addition to the house, there’s a barn on the property that has some great exhibits about Nehantic Indians and Ezra Lee who was the pilot of the Revolutionary War Submarine the Turtle.
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Shaw Mansion

This is a granite mansion in New London was built in 1756 by Captain Nathaniel Shaw. It’s one of the few structures near the harbor that survived Benedict Arnold’s burning of New London. Today it houses the New London County Historical Society, which offers a deep dive into the region’s rich maritime and colonial history.
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Samuel Smith House

This house in East Lyme is a great example of a simple colonial era farmhouse. The house is unique in that is has been maintained and restored with accuracy to its beginning in 1685. During our first visit, we actually spent hours inside the house learning about the architecture from a very knowledgeable docent. They’re always having events during their season and you can even go there to take your own holiday photos!

Smith-Harris House

The Smith-Harris House at the Brookside Farm Museum in Niantic is a beautifully restored Greek Revival farmhouse. The house was built in 1845 and it’s on the National Historic Register. The house museum features mid-19th century life and later through the story of the Avery, Smith, and Harris families. They often have events here during their season and they also have some hiking trails to explore on the property.

Governor Jonathan Trumbull House

The Governor Jonathan Trumbull House in Lebanon, Connecticut, was built in 1735 and served as the home of Connecticut’s Revolutionary War governor, Jonathan Trumbull. During the war, it became a key meeting place for patriot leaders, including George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. A visit to this house museum is really like stepping back in time. You can also visit the Wadsworth Stable, which was moved to the property from Hartford in the 1950s.

Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House

If you’re visiting the Governor Jonathan Trumbull House, you should also check out his son’s house, the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House. It’s very close, just on the other side of the town green. Jonathan Trumbull Jr. served as the first governor of Connecticut after the American Revolution. Built in the 1760s, the house is an excellent example of Colonial architecture and reflects the prominence of the Trumbull family in early American history.