My friend and I took the afternoon tour. Our guide was the grandson of the family driver. He heard…read morestories indirectly from his mother. The guide was extremely knowledgeable. He took use through the main level. The museum director took over into the servants quarters. She also was awesome. The house is well preserved and has many original and period furniture pieces. AC works well on a warm day. The church a mile away is also worth seeing.

If you like touring historic mansions, this place is superb! Our docent Midge was extremely…read moreknowledgeable and an excellent storyteller. She demonstrated a passion for the history of the mansion, the time period, and the complicated inter-relations between the involved individuals which was truly inspired and fascinating. She answered all our tour group's questions with great skill and delight. We reserved our spots online for the 90-minute noon tour today, featuring the first and second floors, the main entertainment rooms, bedrooms, and servants' quarters. On-site parking for free. The mansion has been closed for two years to renovate the electrical/HVAC system and recently reopened for public tours. They'll be opening the basement floor to show the bowling alley and vault sometime next year. If you're in the area on Dec 14, they'll be open for a festive Christmas event.

Love this place so cute and I love the verity of tea the staff is amazing by the way and if you…read moreneed recommendations just ask the staff.

I really had a great time visiting the location in Oxford,CT. It was a day trip with just my MIL…read moreand I. She is very particular so I was thrilled to see the variety of teas and other tasty menu items to select from. The grilled cheese sandwiches were amazing. The staff were busy but still gave great recommendations and were warm and friendly even helping each other out. If ever I am in the area again I would like to visit for dinner.

Came here with family on a 2 hour weekday tour…read more Our tour guide Sara(h?) was very informative, clear and engaging. She made the experience great. She also made sure guests who needed to take breaks and sit were accommodated. The compound itself is incredible. The buildings, vision, art collections - all very interesting. Even if you're not super into art, I bet you would enjoy the diversity of things to see here. Highly recommend!

I recently spent a long weekend in Connecticut with my husband and some friends. The impetus for…read morethe trip was - in part - to visit the Glass House. It definitely lived up to my pretty high expectations. So what is the Glass House? Also known as the Johnson House, it's a house designed by American architect Philip Johnson for use as his own residence. Johnson lived at the house (and the rest of the property, more on that below) on weekends for over 50 years. The house is one glass-enclosed room, which includes a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and living space (as well as one bathroom that is contained within the black cylinder in the right side of the structure. Because the house is almost entirely of glass, you can see through it to the landscape beyond, making it blend in to its surroundings and beautiful but different in each season. The house is an important piece of American architectural history and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. Now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can sign up for a tour to visit the home - you cannot visit or even see the house without signing up for a tour (the house is not visible from the street!). Tours are available April-December, typically, so check dates before you book a tour. They offer several different tour options: a 1-hour "Glass House Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House and the Brick House; a 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House, the Brick House, the Painting Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, outdoor sculptures, and Da Monsta, a visitor center and exhibition space); an extended tour lasting 2.5 hours; a self-guided tour (currently offered on Sundays only); group/private tours; and an in-depth 3-hour tour. The website has all of these options spelled out so you can choose the option that is right for you. We selected the 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," and I'm so glad we did. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the painting and sculpture galleries! You meet your tour at the visitor center (there isn't parking there, but there are paid lots nearby) - you cannot drive yourself to the property. Then you board a little shuttle bus with the rest of your tour and you're on off on a very short drive to the property. We walked down a path, while our guide pointed the studio and a few other notable things on the grounds (a Donald Judd sculpture that is enormous and very cool, just in front of the house, being one). Then you're at the Glass House. First a view of the outside while the guide explains the architecture and context of the design. Then you can wander through the interior of the space. It's minimalist (duh), but it's also incredibly beautiful. I found it an inspiring design. (FYI - no air conditioning in the house, so in the summer, it can be quite steamy in the house.) Since we were there for the Glass House, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed touring the other spaces! Then we were off to the Brick House, the Glass House's opposite, just a few steps away. The Brick House was such a pleasant surprise; it has a bedroom, reading room, and bathroom, connected by a skylit corridor. The design of the Brick House is so different from the Glass House (bright, colorful, lush - that bathroom with all its marble, that colorful reading room, and the vaulted ceiling and Fortuny-covered walls of the bedroom!?), but I loved it entirely. I could certainly see why Johnson would have spent quite a bit of his time in the Brick House. Then our guide pointed out a few more features and sculptures on the grounds before we visited the Painting Gallery. The gallery contains works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and more, so it's worth a visit to see what they have on exhibit. But it also features some amazing design features! The exterior of the gallery is a grass-covered mount, and the gallery's art is displayed by use of a rotating "poster-rack," which is operated manually (Johnson preferred to view six works at a time, but the system allows for the storage of 42 paintings). Then it was time for a visit to the Sculpture Gallery - another incredible building (this one inspired by the architecture of the Greek isles). Because I'm running out of characters (I have a lot to say about this experience), I will just say that the our tour ended at Da Monsta. Then it's back to the visitor center via the shuttle bus, where you can do some shopping at their very cool design shop. Our tour guide was lovely - informative, interesting, incredible well-versed in everything Glass House-related. It was a hot day, so I got a bit sweaty and overheated at times, but it was worth it to visit this bit of American architectural history. It was an American travel bucket list item for me, and I'm so glad to have made it there finally. I'd go again!

Love it here! I love…read morethe lattes, artwork and the food. This space is so cool. They have limited parking and a nice outdoor space too. Inside, they have a coffee bar with amazing breakfast and lunch items. They have fresh pastries and coffee drinks. There is artwork throughout their space. I highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a good brunch or coffee spot.

We encountered this cool place while waiting for our tour of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion to start…read more It's a great space with dual purpose of art gallery and cafe. Currently, the gallery space showcases "Being Seen" featuring 45 local artists' work, conceptualizing self-perception in multimedia artistic expression. We ordered mochas which were mild, very chocolatey but not overly sweet. If we lived here, we would definitely visit here regularly. They offer art classes on site as well.

This was such a hidden gem on a hot Saturday in Stamford. After eating lunch downtown and doing a…read morelittle shopping, we decided to see what nature trails might be nearby. This arboretum popped up, and so we went in search of quiet and nature. It was super easy to find and very convenient in terms of parking/access. We walked through all the gardens and listened to the birds for quite some time, spotting some other wildlife along the way. It was truly a peaceful experience that we hope to repeat.

Lovely Arboretum and Gardens. Free to enter…read more Located right off of Merritt Parkway (Route 15). Lots of food options nearby along High Ridge Road. There is a large parking lot close to the main area nearby the visitor's/welcome center. There is also a smaller space which accommodates about 5-6 vehicles as soon as you enter...this eaves you closer to the pond trail. Lots of walking paths on the well-maintained grounds. There are garden areas throughout .... be sure to take a photo of the map and/or follow the signs to explore each area. Bring comfortable and hike-ready footwear...especially if you plan on walking on some of the trails. The few staff members I encountered were very friendly and helpful.

This is a hidden gem. PepsiCo headquarters are surrounded by a beautiful sculpture garden that is…read moreopen to public on weekends and is free. This is a great way to spend 1-1.5 hrs walking around meticulously landscaped garden with some nice sculptures. About half the sculptures are modern art which i don't care about. But plenty are actually pleasant to look at. Totems were great looking. Some sculptures are funny like Personage ( aka ET with erection) Overall very enjoyable afternoon here

The sculpture gardens are free and open to the public. When you arrive at the PepsiCo campus, you…read morehave to give your name and phone number to security and then they direct you to the parking area, which is also free. There was a food truck in the parking lot with Pepsi themed dishes. They closed at 2pm on a Saturday, so we didn't try anything. The grounds are well maintained and easy to walk. The main path through the sculpture gardens has gravel. We had no issues pushing a stroller. The grass is lush and immaculately mowed. It's perfect for laying out a blanket. The sculptures are unique and eye catching. The printed map doesn't have much detail about the art beyond the name of each piece and the sculptor. There are no placards with information either, so it's not very educational. Some of the trees and plants are labeled, so you get a bit of a botanical gardens experience as well. There were a few benches along the path, but most were not shaded. Great place for a stroll. You can easily get through it in an hour.

The ultimate printmaking center! Art gallery, residency house, and studio space this place has it…read moreall. Extremely well run facility was very helpful staff and interns. The classes and workshops are the best!

I have visited and toured this historical house several times, and it's always an enlightening,…read morecultural, and fun experience. The docents know their subjects, and contribute much to. The visit.