A great place for an afternoon outing. Walk around the extensive grounds, enjoy the art, and have a meal 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. read more

Grace Farms is a beautiful and peaceful place to spend a day. The architecture and greenery are gorgeous, and the overall space is very well taken care of. There is plenty to do there from an indoor basketball court to a complimentary tea tasting. There is also a library and plenty of common areas where people can read or get work done. Everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful. They have a lot of different free events, so would recommend checking their schedule online before going. It wasn't super busy when I went, but would suggest getting a free ticket online in advance just in case. read more

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I am OBSESSED with Grace Farms. This is the perfect day trip from NYC. It was only an hour and a half 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. read more

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It's beautiful place just spend weekend day. They have even a restaurant on site. Small coffee shop, too

I can't say enough good things about Grace Farms! My friends and I rented a car for the day to visit Grace Farms and when you spend $$$ on a rental car, you'd want the trip to be worth it. In this case, I can confidently say it was 100% worth it and we spent way more time there than we had anticipated. Designed by the Japanese firm SANAA, their buildings are a stunning architectural marvel and it was integrated harmoniously into its natural surroundings. The entire farm was so serene and peaceful and we loved walking around and exploring the grounds. From their 700 seat Sanctuary to their thoughtfully curated library to their very fruitful community garden, every space on the farm was so meticulously designed and we loved learning about the thought process behind the construction of each space. The best part? Entrance to Grace Farms is completely free and accessible to the public 6 days a week. Highly highly recommend visiting! read more

Grace Farms is a beautiful, unique place to visit. Hearing that this nonprofit supplies the coffee and tea for the hotel where I stayed in Norwalk, I decided to visit. The property consists of several architecturally fluid buildings connected by walkways. These include an art gallery that highlights Grace Farms' sustainability and social justice efforts, a subterranean basketball court, library with a carefully curated collection of books, an event space, and cafe. My favorite area, however, was the Pavilion where I enjoyed a tea tasting by their master tea blender. The buildings are surrounded by 80 acres that include walking trails. Admission is free, but online registration for the day of your visit is required. Grace Farms is a wonderful place to visit, and I plan to return to attend one of their fall events! read more

Grace Farms - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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I am in love with this place. What an absolute gem. The staff are incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and lovely. The food is sensational, we ordered the mushroom burger, soup du jour, coffee with unlimited refills, and the spicy Korean chicken sandwich. The grounds are immaculate, the architecture is unreal. Every building is wonderful in its own way. The gymnasium is fantastic with a basketball court, badminton, massive foam building blocks, ping pong table, and foosball table. The library has tons of comfy chairs, books, chess, cards, and a gift shop with lovely items such as their coffee and teas, tea pots, and double walled glass tea cups. The dining hall had MASSIVE 14 foot long tables and even though there was a decent crowd my friend and I could talk quietly and hear eachother perfectly. The acoustics in every building was sensational. Pam so kindly gave us the low-down on the 700 chair amphitheater. Each chair was modified to be in that specific spot. The sheer amount of planning and ingenuity is mind boggling. The acoustics were incredible and they had a quiet room for screaming babies with piped in sound so the person accompanying the baby wouldn't miss a beat. Come for the sustainable architecture and stunning grounds, stay for the fun, games, and delicious food. We spent 5.5 hours here and easily could have stayed longer. I greatly look forward to our return. Best cult ever. read more

It's always a pleasure to visit Grace Farms. The place is quiet so it provides a level of peace that is usually hard to get when life is busy. Everything is neat, organized and clean. They also have a basketball/badminton court. It's a great place to spend with family, friends or your significant other. read more

My friend asked our group if we wanted to do a day trip out of the city up to Grace Farms and we had no idea what to expect but decided to give it a visit. The area was beautiful, from the scenic landscape, to the River Building that seems to flow down the hill, to the apple trees and the sensory garden. I was quite impressed by the turmeric latte, the chicken sandwich, and the popcorn that came with it, all had lots of flavor! We spent some time exploring the grounds, playing sports in the rec room, and tasting tea and learning about the mission of Grace Farms to fight human trafficking. Overall it was a great day and I would recommend to friends to go there if they want a peaceful escape from NYC. read more

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Review of performance at Grace Farms: First time at Grace Farms for the Beauty &Logic discussion/performance. No assigned seating so I wasn't sure how that would work out. There were plenty of seats though even though I arrived 5 minutes before show time I was just a couple rows from the stage. The performance was in their Sanctuary space. It's a bit of a walk from the parking. I wish it were closer because it sounds like it's open and free as a working/gathering space and I loved the design, the openness and lighting. They mentioned how good the lunch was so I think you can go, work in one of the many open spaces, grab lunch, take a walk, hike (?) around the grounds, etc. As you walked in, they offered a glass of complimentary fair trade mint tea that they make there. No booze. It was tidy casual. Some ppl had their older their kids there. Others were solo like me. Others on dates. Will definitely be back for other performances. I love the Beauty and Logic offering that their musical director, Marcus Miller has put together. read more

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This place is pretty cool. The serpentine style path makes it aesthetically pleasing from every angle and the architectural elements of the structure create a very tranquil experience. You can spend as little as an hour to walk the path, check out the library, recreation center, and cafe or you can spend the day. It's open and free to the public. You just have to show ID and sign in upon arrival. read more

Grace Farms - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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Really loved checking this place out and had a good lunch. There was a kid event at their indoor playground. I could've sat forever there to read .. but that's impossible with a little one. Definitely checking out. Someone talked to me about joining the church since I guess the event was put on by Grace Church. All very nice ppl but told them I'm Catholic and that was that! read more

More than just a community and events center, Grace Farms defies the notion that a space should have one defined purpose. For those in need of an escape from reality and a dose of nature, the grounds at Grace Farms offer beautiful outdoor spaces, architecture that is intentionally designed to fit into the landscape, and various rooms for use. From its tea tasting room to the quiet library space and cafe, you'll find yourself at peace and able to unplug from daily stressors. I was extremely impressed with this non-profits emphasis on sustainability and global welfare with their Design for Freedom project. I highly recommend checking out their events calendar for yoga, arts, and visiting lectures --- and be sure to take a tour to learn more about the architectural elements of the site. read more

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Exquisite property that blows my mind every time I make a visit. Love the curation, the experience and the good zen vibes. The Library, the basketball court/gym and just the beautiful windy walk that resembles a river makes the perfect day with family or friends or solo. And absolutely love the cafe/restaurant. The food choices are always extremely fresh, diverse and so unbelievably tasty. You must stop for a meal when you are there! Bravo to the menu creator and the chef! read more

Grace Farms - Made it to the top! - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

Amazing program!! Celebrated with The Latin Heartbeat Orchestra. What a performance by Carlos Rodriguez!!! Food was outstanding....Neena Perez!!! read more

Grace Farms - Latin Heartbeat Orchestra - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

Came here for the architecture but the food is pretty good too. Impressive design and nice environment read more

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View: The architecture of this place is absolutely mesmerizing. You can essentially take a picture anywhere along the river belt or the entire site for that matter and have amazing shots. Things to eat/do: There are 2 spots you can leverage while you are at this sanctuary: the bakery or the tea shop. The have one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. My girlfriend and I were basically fighting for the last bite. As for their tea selection, we decided to go with jasmine pearl tea from Fujian, China. Probably one of the best jasmine teas I've tried. Parking: Last but not least, there is a whole parking lot dedicated to this site and for people to just come and enjoy a nice hike or get some work done at their library. Last Remarks: Best part is that all of this is free and it's a wonderful thing that Grace Farm does to empower the local community. I highly recommend taking a visit and supporting them and their many causes. read more

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I have visted a few times over the past few months and each time there is a disgusting smell in the air like septic. It was really gross and the last time i went it made me gag. It seems like they are having issues with their plumbing and it didnt get fixed yet. The smell starts around the the "church"/library. I couldn't go to a service and come out and smell poop I just couldn't do that and I don't understand how people are tolerating it. Each time I visted I thought it would have been fixed, sadly no. I have decided to not go back. read more

Everything about this grounds was beautiful. The hours I spent here were very tranquil, I enjoyed it a lot. The food was good too. Wish I lived closer so I can visit more often. read more

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Wish we had a chance to stroll around the grounds more. Though was super satisfied with lunch - wife and I had the salad with grilled watermelon. Then our group headed down to the partially submerged court so the kids could romper around and have fun. read more

If you're looking to go somewhere with the most rude, self-entitled staff I've ever seen, then this place is great. Our drive was long, our stay was short, and we won't be coming back. read more

Beautiful grounds and architecture. The coffee is great and the people are friendly. Great place to walk around and take photos.

I live visiting this place it's so pretty and peaceful. I love the Japanese architecture design and the color. Over all it's a great place to stop by read more

Grace Farms - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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I don't know how it took me soooo long to discover the existence of this place, but this has got to be one of the best kept secrets in the area. Not gonna lie, I was shocked that a place like this could exist north of the city, but I would describe this place as a complex of separate, glass-enclosed pavilions that are all connected by one common, winding roof. There's a gym with a basketball court, a tea pavilion, a cafe, a library, and an amphitheatre-like space, with walking paths encircling the entire area. The complex was designed by a Japanese architect firm (SANAA Architects), and this blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design allows for an incredibly cathartic day trip, whether you be touring the area with family, studying, or attending an event. In order to enter Grace Farms, you have to drive past a booth where they take your ID and give you a ticket (that I've never had to use). The cafe is VERY reasonably priced -- coffee is super cheap ($1 iced coffee, $1.60 regular coffee), and food will run you around $10 for a meal. The tea pavilion stocks high quality teas from various places in Asia and can run anywhere from $5-12 for a pot (with a free resteeping!). One last thing -- free wifi and outlet access in the library ;) Good study spot, and there are a good number of people doing work in the cafe after it closes after 3pm. read more

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Peaceful space and a great cafe for a lunch or tea time. Also, the library is thoughtfully stacked and a great place for reading and study.

We were visiting Weir farm and decided to check out this place since it was nearby and free. To our pleasant surprise, it is not a farm but more like an ultra modern well maintained sanctuary with "do not touch mattress" by a Danish artist /Architecture showcase /library for design enthusiast/ practice your slam dunk in sleek setting/playground for uber rich/great spot for selfies or whatever. It is designed by Japanese SANAA design firm, mimicking a meandering river on beautiful landscape. The architecture is open, minimalist with in and out space. It is nice although you feel you have seen it all in one visit and there is no mystery left waiting to be explored. A must place to visit if you happened to be in the area! read more

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Beautiful architecture, serene landscape, soothing cups of tea- Grace Farms has all you could want for a lazy Sunday afternoon trip in Connecticut. The hubs and I had a lovely time admiring this community center and exploring the little trails. It also is houses a church, garden, and basketball court. It is a delightful space to spend time with people of all ages. My husband and I left feeling much more centered and are looking forward to our next visit. read more

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Truly a beautiful place! I've been there twice, and their food is really good too! Their menu does change from time to time, so please do keep that in mind! The grilled cheese is surprisingly the best, I probably would have never imagined myself saying that! A great study, and date spot as well, they got a large eating area, as well as a little library where you can study. read more

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Very bad experience this past Sunday 5/29 at 12pm. We (family of four) registered few days ago on 5/25 to visit this place. We drive there from Long Island NY and by the time we got there one and half hours later the park closed due to last minute event happening that moment. We were told to leave. Our kids are so sad and disappointed after a long ride. Not sure why management team not reaching out to people registered by email for advance notice???? read more

Don't come here if you only have cash. They only accept credit cards/ digital payments; which - for a self-proclaimed welcoming space - excludes the most normal of citizens. I asked the front desk person if there was any other way to get some food, but apparently not. And rather than agreeing to inform her manager of the issue, she just apologized, which is nice but ineffective. Hopefully they will correct this for future visitors. read more

Absolutely fantastic! Multi dimensional, other worldly, beyond fabulous experience combined with wonderful food. I had no idea this GEM was here! Everyone we encountered was so nice, friendly and talkative, it contributed to our wondering whether we were in another reality. Like some portal into where there's beauty, kindness and all that is good. read more

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Visited recently with my best friend from another country, for her AIA Convention in NYC. Having been very faithful Kazuyo Sejima (the chief architect) fans, we both knew that we're here for a treat but still were so blown away by the entire complex. The most amazing fact I learned from the visit is that in order to ensure the custom curved glass panels installed properly to avoid any settlement issues, they had a land surveyor on site everyday during the glass installation. And because it is such a site-specific project, nearly every glass panel is unique (with only a handful of exceptions). Yes, that is exactly what you'd expect from Ms. Sejima of that kind of rigor and precision. In addition to the beautiful landscape and architecture, it has a wonderful cafeteria on site so you get to enjoy the produce from the farm. I tried a tapas sampler and every item was delicious (organic chicken salad sandwich, quinoa salad and cauliflower burger!). And the price was so reasonable beyond my comprehension. We had a great time here and I will likely bring more friends and family back when they visit New York. Definitely one of the nicest easy day trip / getaway from your daily sorrows in NYC. read more

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Incredibly beautiful blend of architecture and nature ... very peaceful place .... Cute hiking trail ... worth to visit . I would suggest to combine 2 amazing architectural treasures within 10-15 minutes from each other Grace Farms and Glass House by genius architect Philip Johnson . Grace Farms just go in anytime and it's free . With Glass House go on there website to set up your showing and get your tickets . read more

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Architect, lovers, humans - GO HERE! What a beauty! Grace Foundation has done a tremendous job of taking over which otherwise would have been a typical development and converting an equestrian into a community space. I am a fan fan fan of #SANAA and their design so this has been on the list since a while now! They have events - bird watching , architecture sustainability tours so make sure you watch your calendars and grab one of those opportunities. Getting there : No reservations, no entry fee just take your peace with you and you'll do great! Parking : 2. FREE on the site. There are 2 - North which is a t an upper level and the other one which starts at a visitor center they call it. We totally missed since the visitor center didn't really look like one (lol). But its your choice if you want to start at the top and walk down or at the bottom and walk up. Its a terrain! Experience : I have always loved Japanese Architecture for their ability of minimalist yet bold design sense. The organic, free flowing spaces maneuver you to their different spaces in no time. Take your time to absorb their curvy spaces. Their library has those SANAA designed bunny chairs- too cute! Food: Oh give it a try! YOU MUST! You would think its going to be at a premium cost, but there will be a receipt which will bring you to reality. We ordered a special tapas bowl - chicken quesadilla, caramelized walnuts and soy pineapple salad, pancakes; and a 4 slice pizza. Both the orders - soooooper tasty! and of course a lemon ginger hot tea in a glass mug. Perfect for the weather and all in for $23 WOW! Total value for money and such a beautiful, colorful platter. We spent about 2 hours here. Totally skip-able visitor center I guess. Spend time on the site sitting quietly at their auditorium looking outside the windows which get the nature inside! read more

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Exquisite architecture and landscape. One of my favorite places to visit. Also the food from the cafeteria and the tea from the tea room are delicious. Such a gem read more

Beautiful architecture, stunning landscape, calming, relaxing and serene. Came for a Saturday afternoon in late October, and it's a must visit during the fall. There's a cafe where you can order lite snacks: teas, coffees, assorted beverages, and small pastries. Sit and enjoy a latte in the "Commons" while viewing a beautiful landscape through floor to ceiling windows. There is a sanctuary with room at the front for meditating, and a quiet room where you can sit and take in the view peacefully. Nearby is a library with quiet, soothing music and chairs adjacent the windows to sit and work, read, write, create, and be inspired by the scenery. There is also a basketball court and athletic field for recreational use. There are walking trails and small ponds surrounding the buildings, which make for the perfect outdoor stroll with coffee. The buildings curve as does the landscape on which they sit. The materials used are mainly wood and rocks, which match the surrounding landscape and are minimally elegant. The reason I have to give it 4 stars is because when we arrived, the guy that sat at the front gate asked for our ID's and then said "or are you Latino" and laughed. I'm not sure if we took it the wrong way, but it certainly felt uncomfortable. Seemed weird for a place that's "for people to experience nature, pursue justice and foster community." read more

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Grace Farms--where nature and building infrastructure unite. If you're interested in architecture and/or nature, you need to go here. I went here in October with my boyfriend and his parents, and it was a great day adventure. The River Building opened recently, and the pictures simply do not do it justice. Every single detail for this building was constructed with a purpose. As their website suggests, "The walkways, courtyards and glass-wrapped volumes that form beneath the roof are remarkably transparent and invite people to engage with the expansive natural surroundings." The building was created with nature in mind. It is completely free to enter. There is a cafe where you can purchase food or drinks, but we brought our own lunch and had a picnic outside. It might be a bit chilly in the cooler months, but when we went, it was beautiful. I definitely recommend going in the fall to see the fall foliage. The colors were absolutely breathtaking, and it was fantastic to be surrounded by nature no matter which part of the building you entered. Within the connected buildings there is a theater/sanctuary, library, basketball court, eating area, various rooms to hold conferences, an underground big screen TV, and more. There are also plenty of places to explore outside. We didn't make it to the ponds, but apparently there are some. Perhaps we will venture back on a spring day to see them. read more

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Otherworldly beautiful place (architecture and nature) that serves its community with green grounds, a library, meeting places, a beautiful auditorium, and even a sports court, where we saw kids playing basketball in what must be one of the most beautiful court around! Everyone we interacted with was so welcoming and seemed genuinely happy to work or volunteer here. We were there for earth day activities and were treated to the best falconry demonstration I have ever participated in. The master falconer Brian Bradley brought several owls and hawks and shared his love of the animals and training for over an hour. It was educational (the importance of predators and their unique characteristics, but also how animal training works) and awe inspiring. His love and enthusiasm for these birds was infectious and he was very engaging but not "actor-like" and genuine. Both of our kids (under 10) and us adults loved it, despite an unusually cold weather and a lot of wind that day. read more

This place is amazing!!! Came here for a quick visit with my girlfriend (she's an architect and helped work with sanaa on this project). The buildings look very unique and do blend into hills! The library has some amazing books, they even had Dan barbers new book! I just wanted to grab it and sit by the window and read. The commons had some pretty good food and very well priced! For a "community center" this cafe had some pretty tasty choices. Grilled cheese... Superb, creamy with thinly sliced tomatoes. And the beef empanadas are a great snack! Came in March when it was cold out, would love to come back when it's warmer. read more

Grace Farms - Grilled cheese and beef empanadas - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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Words can't describe the sheer beauty of both the exterior and interior of the complex. Walking around the grounds, you feel as though you've been transplanted to another world. The swooping architectural features reminds me of the new Apple campus in California. If you're coming to visit, definitely bring something to do because the amenities here are flexible. read more

Grace Farms - Parks Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut