A curving path (some of which is paved, and some which is packed gravel) leads to the back terrace and first floor of the Castle, allowing you to avoid stairs as you travel from the main parking lot. As you can see, there is a small rise to get to the Castle itself. The Visitor Center is accessible to wheelchairs also.
Park Accessibility
Gillette Castle Interior & Visitor Center open daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Memorial Day - Labor Day, and weekends through Columbus Day.
Advance purchase of tickets is highly recommended. Tickets are sold by the state, not the Friends.
Grounds are open daily, year-round, from 8 a.m. until sunset.
Please note that the East Haddam Swing Bridge is undergoing a major multi-year renovation (see the link for schedules and webcam links). The bridge closure schedule outlines days the bridge is scheduled to be completely closed. Alternatives are the bridges through Middletown or Old Saybrook, and the seasonal Chester-Hadlyme ferry.
Even those with significant mobility issues can experience many of the Castle and ground’s interesting aspects. A picture is worth a thousand words, so we have included a variety of images below to assist in your planning. We have showcased several areas that are particularly accessible, including the Castle and Visitor Center, the Goldfish Pond, and the ferry landing, and have included some information about the trail system. Each image below correlates with a key on our annotated map.
We hope you will enjoy a visit to Gillette Castle State Park. If you need additional information, or if you have visited us and would like to share your thoughts and experiences, please contact us. This page will be expanded as we gather more information and images in an effort to answer your questions. If there is something we have missed, please let us know!
The CT State Parks - Gillette Castle State Park site contains additional information.
CASTLE AND VISITOR CENTER
The drive into the park includes a lovely view of the Castle as you approach the main parking lot. While this road is one-way, you can continue through the parking lot and circle around for another peek if you wish. The first floor of the Castle, the Visitor’s Center, the Concessions building (which is located beside the Visitor’s Center and is open when the Castle is open) and the Castle terrace are all fully wheelchair-accessible. The Castle terrace has a gorgeous view of the Connecticut River. All of this is accessible from the main parking lot adjacent to the Visitor Center.
VC1. The Visitor Center includes a wheelchair-accessible concrete path leading to a wooden deck.
VC2. The Visitor Center includes a lovely long covered deck along the back which is directly connected to the open deck by the Concessions building, including benches and a great view of the Castle, all wheelchair-accessible.
C1. Path to the Castle - wide and clear with a hard-packed base. While not completely flat, the incline is gradual.
C2. A walkway without stairs is available to/from the back terrace of the Castle, with a hard-packed gravel base, again with a gradual incline. This walkway is accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, or anyone who wants to avoid stairs. When approaching the Castle from the main parking lot, you will see this ramp circling around the left side of the Castle (the further end of the Castle as you are approaching the Castle).
C3. Back terrace of Castle, which includes access to the main floor of the Castle when it is open, and a spectacular view of the Connecticut River. The terrace itself has a flat hard-packed surface.
When the castle is open for tours, the handicap entrance is accessible by going up the ramp to the terrace, around to the other side of the building and to the first french door under the covered part of the terrace (not the door facing the river).
The goldfish pond
We also have some satellite parking lots. One is near the Goldfish Pond, one of two ponds in this area, and another one is down at the Chester-Hadlyme ferry landing on the riverbank. These are both pleasant, photogenic areas that are accessible via automobile. These satellite parking lots are not paved, but the surfaces are fairly stable and clear from obstacles. Additionally, there is parking available for the upper picnic area located just northwest of the main parking lot. People can drive through the main parking lot, out the exit road and turn left onto the gravel road that goes to the picnic area. This is accessible, and is hard-packed dirt.
The Goldfish Pond includes a pond, and some lovely shaded areas. You will also find a number of recently planted cherry trees in this area!
GFP1. Goldfish Pond parking lot has a hard-packed dirt base, and is flat.
GFP2. Goldfish Pond area as seen from parking lot. A grassy area, there is a gradual incline down to the pond.
FERRY LANDING
There is a satellite parking lot near the Chester-Hadlyme ferry landing, below the Castle. A trip on this historic ferry, while not part of the park, is a fun extension to any trip to the Castle during the warmer months when the ferry is running, and you can bring your car on this ferry. Ferry fees and a short history of the ferry are described by the state of Connecticut which runs this historic ferry; please bring cash for the ferry fee at this time.
FL1. Drive-up access to the Chester-Hadlyme ferry, from the ferry landing below the Castle on the Hadlyme side of the river.
FL2. The parking lot at the ferry landing is flat, hard-packed dirt.
FL3. A beautiful view of the Connecticut River, along with benches to sit and rest a while, at the ferry landing.
FL4. Cross the end of the parking lot, past the kayak/canoe launch, to the lawn.
FL4. Grassy area with dirt path - look for the Castle at the top of the hill between the trees! This area is generally flat, and you can see the outside of William Gillette’s valet Osaki’s home as well.
Trails
You can follow the paved roads around the property, which provide views of the Castle, the Goldfish Pond, and grounds including our recently planted cherry trees! You will see walkers, bicyclists and cars on these roads. Roads are plowed and well-maintained in the winter, but trails are not cleared of snow and ice.
Many of the trails were hold-overs from Gillette's train system, and are fairly wide and level to accommodate the train. However, most of them simply are not workable for those with mobility issues. None of them are paved, so even the more workable ones are weather-dependent (a good storm that softens the ground makes it very difficult). If you are using a motorized wheelchair with wide tires, the trails which have the best potential are the White trails (see our annotated map) near the Goldfish Pond, but note that these do include some gradual elevation changes. A push wheelchair would only be able to go a short distance in this area. Please exercise caution as the ground on the white trail can be uneven at different parts.
T1. Trail over bridge between Goldfish Pond and Frog Pond. The Goldfish Pond is located by the road which passes through the property, while the adjacent Frog Pond is located past the Goldfish Pond, and has a path that leads to the main parking lot.
T2. Trail from Goldfish Pond area to Frog Pond
T3. A section of the White Trail to give you an idea of the ground in that area.
T4. Trail from Frog Pond along rock wall towards the woods, headed away from the main parking lot. Please note that sections along here include some raised tree roots which, while picturesque, do make travel a little bumpy.
T5. Trail from Frog Pond back to the main parking lot is dirt, with a small hill at the end to go up to the main parking lot.
Did this page help you in planning your visit? Is there additional information that you would find helpful? We’d love your feedback!