"They took all the trees put 'em in a tree museum And they…read morecharged the people a dollar an' a half just to see 'em" (Joni Mitchell) The Fairfield Museum is undergoing renovations and we could just see two exhibits. The admission fee was accordingly waived for us. One exhibit was on quilts. The exhibits were drawn from their extensive textile collection. These colorful scenes of early New England life were gorgeous. If you ever wanted to know how quilts are pieced and stitched together or if you're just a quilt lover, you will enjoy this exhibit. The second exhibit was a biggie -it drew a TV crew (Cable Connecticut 12) into the room to film a segment. Guess who made a 2 second guest appearance in their piece? Ever seen those childrens books abiut "Busytown" by Richard Scarry? He was a Fairfield native and quite a few of Fairfield's businesses and landmarks ended up in those books. The exhibit is an immersive experience that allows you to select one of his animal cartoon figures and walk through the colorful streets of Busytown. You can teach your kids how communities work, what jobs people have, learn about transportation and all kinds of interactive exhibits- think opening doors and reading things inside the door. This has got to be a blast for kids or a nostalgic visit for anyone who grew up on Scarry's books.

Great local history museum! The front desk had great resources and the exhibits were wonderful.read more

So you and five buddies survive fighting in a war, what do you do to celebrate? How about pooling…read moreyour money, buying some waterfront land from the Indians and establishing bustling communities? Fairfield was one of them, a hotbed for American independence, and at one time or another, a host to visiting dignitaries such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette all, and John Hancock. The radicalism in Fairfield so infuriated the British, that they burned the city to the ground in 1779. These are some of the fascinating facts I learned from this marker. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on a grassy area in front of John J. Sullivan Independence Hall. . The marker was dedicated in 1981 and is in pretty good condition. The blue paint and white lettering are bright with no peeling. There is a small amount of discoloration on the top right corner of the front side. The full inscription reads: Marker front: In 1639 Roger Ludlow and five companions, after serving in the Pequot War, purchased from the Indians a rich and abundant expanse of land which they called by the Indian name "Uncowaye." Shortly thereafter the name "Fairfield" replaced "Uncowaye." Originally this land consisted of present-day Fairfield, Greens Farms, Weston, Redding, Easton, and the western section of Bridgeport. The following years brought rapid development, and Fairfield with its fine harbors became the leading town in western Connecticut. Fairfield had a substantial influence upon the United Colonies of North America during the Revolutionary War. Because of its strong support for independence, the town was burned to the ground by British forces in 1779. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette all, on occasion, visited Fairfield. John Hancock of Boston, a close friend of Thaddeus Burr, deputy from Fairfield to the General Assembly, married his fiancee Dorothy Quincy here in 1775. Marker back: After the destruction of the Revolutionary War period, with renewed vitality and strong determination Fairfield gradually rebuilt its homes, town buildings, churches, and schools. The years that followed produced many noted educators, statesmen, and businessmen. Gideon Tomlinson was elected Governor of Connecticut in 1827, and later to the United States Senate. Roger Minott Sherman, outstanding lawyer served on the Supreme Court of Connecticut in 1839. William Webb Wakeman in 1860 owned one of the largest shipping fleets in America. Timothy Dwight, a leading educator, went on to become president of Yale College. In 1981 Fairfield, Connecticut, with a population of 55,000, has retained, as can be viewed from this marker, much of the priceless charm and character which reflects its rich historic and architectural heritage. Erected 1981 by the Town of Fairfield and the Connecticut Historical Commission

Bridgeport honors the local men who served in the Civil War with this elaborate monument in Seaside…read morePark https://www.yelp.com/biz/seaside-park-bridgeport?hrid=VuI9YRr0wFJzrDzQoIr4BA. The monument features a large, granite base with several decorative elements that narrows into a shaft topped by a bronze allegorical figure representing the United States. The monument's side feature bronze statues depicting an infantry soldier and a sailor. The plaque on the southeast face reads, "Dedicated to the memory of the heroic men of Bridgeport who fell in the late war for the preservation of the Union. July 1876." The plaque also features the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address. Plaques on the other faces list approximately 180 local residents killed in the war, along with their unit, as well as their date and place of death. [Review 15155 overall, 657 of 2021, number 12 in Connecticut.]

With my family and I were doing on North East trip we stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut and we saw…read morethis wonderful monument for soldiers and sailors. I've noticed that a lot of cities that I've visited have the same soldiers and sailors monument on this trip. It looks a little different but it's always titled soldiers and sailors so curious might look that up. But anyway there's a nice looking Memorial monument and it just really represents the respect and love for soldiers and sailors and people that have fought for our country and have passed away it's just a nice tribute

Yay Chris Wright and Joesph Piccillo --- great show! Their opening was fun and brought in a…read morerefreshing crowd. It wasn't "hoppin" like the gallery across the street that was bringing people into their opening with Heinikens, but rather a crowd of art enthusiasts (young and old) that were all up for mingling and good conversation. This place isn't ideal as far as galleries go, but they know how to use their space even though the layout is a bit weird. It felt crunched during the opening so I do suggest going during normal hours (Tues-Sat, 11-6) to view the artwork. As I said - Chris Wright, Joseph Piccillo, and Robert Hendrickson (?) are all on view currently. I think the next includes Michael Rich.... it'll be up March 25th-April 26th....and the opening is March 29th. Check out their website for current/past/ or future artists!! www.georgebillis.com

The current exhibition at the George Billis Gallery is a replica of scenery and a play on real life…read morephotography. Stephen Magsig and David Lyle both paint with oil their visions. Magsig focuses on landmarks of NYC while Lyle mixes the nonsensical with everyday life. I love being in New York. I love watching NYC in the movies. I love talking about NYC. I love how Magsig depicted the streets of NYC. One could almost hop right into his paintings. It was like a tour of the city in a confined space. Lyle had a guestbook. I signed in and wrote to him that his art made me feel normal for wanting to eat the soap at Bath & Body Works. If you love NYC and all of it's eccentricities, then you will love the George Billis Gallery.

Ms Norma is amazing! This was our first time as a family…read moreusing a chauffeur and it's the best decision- so much less stressful than us driving paying for parking/renting a car for a day. Ms Norma is prompt, helpful, polite and a smooth driver. So smooth she lulled our one year old to sleep (who hates sleeping in a car). She picked us up at 3am with smiles and positivity. She is extremely receptive to any of your needs if you want a quiet ride etc. Her vehicle is extremely spacious and clean, she has water there for you as well as reading materials. The seat reclines if you fancy a snooze. There was even an accident that happened right in front of us and she avoided it with ease and handled it amazingly. We travel every year for work and to see family and plan on using her for all our future travels! Book her now you won't regret it I promise!!

Absolutely quality service. Norma's attention to detail such as transit time, weather, car…read moredetail/cleanliness, communication. She provides assurance for a traveler for both safe & comfortable transport.

Two thousand enemy troops are marching through your town on a mission to destroy a nearby storage…read moredepot. Your fellow townsmen organize a resistance and inflict heavy casualties against the invaders. Welcome to an important battle of the American Revolution, the 1777 British sacking and burning of Danbury, CT. The Westport militia did their best to stop the British and inflicted heavy casualties on the Redcoats. One hundred of Westport's Patriots were killed This spectacular monument is located in a traffic island where Compo Road South intersects with Compo Beach Road. You'll see a steely-eyed young minuteman man in colonial dress, kneeling on one knee with his musket at the ready. How awesome is that statue? A plaque in the fieldstone base reads: TO COMMEMORATE THE HEROISM OF THE PATRIOTS WHO DEFENDED THEIR COUNTRY WHEN THE BRITISH INVADED THIS STATE APRIL 25TH, 1777 GENERAL DAVID WOOSTER , COLONEL ABRAHAM GOULD, AND MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED CONTINENTALS FELL IN THE ENGAGEMENTS, COMMENCING AT DANBURY AND CLOSING ON COMPO HILL ERECTED BY CONNECTICUT SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION-1910 H. DANIEL WEBSTER SC.

For the most part I don't make it a habit to review historical spots but this one is local and a…read morelandmark worthy of comment. The Minutemen were formidable in terms of turning the tide of New England history and I think Westport should get some credit for putting this statue out there. The historical society in town is knowledge on Puritanical lore and even with a little pressing can go past the English settlers into First People world views. The best part of this statue is the seasonal shift in appearances. Locals go wild with bunny ears, Santa hats and even a nice flag cape now and then. It draws serious attention and despite the massive costs to restore this statue the homage carries on - local neighbors consider it blasphemy so beware if you're thinking of getting cheeky with the statue. Likely you'll see the barrel of a gun like you'd not thought prior...

My boyfriend and I went for a mini vacation in Norwalk, CT and I booked the Sunset Harbor…read moreLighthouse Tour which we went on this past Sunday evening from 6:30-8:30, on 8/10/25. This tour was definitely a highlight of our trip! Captain John and Charlie were great and all the passengers aboard had a great time! We passed three lighthouses-Peck Ledge LH, Sheffield Island LH and Green's Ledge LH. Charlie, co-captain of Captain John, had just toured the inside of Green's Ledge LH the day before which is listed on Airbnb for $6,000! He went around the ship showing everyone the floor plan. It especially exciting to be on the Long Island Sound and to see the red and white towers from Northport, since I live on Long Island!! We were able to see several different viewpoints of the sunset and osprey nests as well. Definitely recommend to residents of Norwalk AND tourists alike!

Like a lot of other dork type middle age dudes I'm a sucker for a good lighthouse. Actually I've…read morebeen to a few clinkers which says that I'm apparently I'm also a sucker for a bad lighthouse as well but there's no need to worry about that at Sheffield because it's all good here. So if you want to come you've got two legal options. 1. Show up via kayak (or I suppose boat then taking a short swim) during hours when they are running tours and you will be met on the shore by a volunteer who will ask you to pay a few dollars for the privilege of taking the lighthouse tour/hanging out on the island. 2. Or, you come via the regularly scheduled boat that runs from the dock on North Water Street in Norwalk from late May until the end of September. There are various public & private decks for parking all around the area so it shouldn't be too hard to find a close space. I don't remember what the price is for option #1 but for option #2 the below currently apply: Adults: $22.00 - Children 12 & Under: $12.00 Senior / NSA Member $20.00 Active Military with ID $10.00 Children 3 & Under: $5.00 Family 4 Pack (2 Adults, 2 Children) $55.00 A few random facts: Boats depart weekends only every year over Memorial Day weekend and eventually go daily from July until Labor Day and then back to weekends only until the end of September. Check seaport.org for the current schedule and for special events such as their clambakes. Once you get to the island you get to take a brief tour of the lighthouse which was built in 1868 (downstairs only for now as the upstairs tower portion is being worked on and hopefully tours will be allowed there in the not to distant future once they get the stairs in better shape along with figuring out a way to dissipate the heat which we were told was well over 100 degrees the day we were there in August) and you can also walk through the nature trail via the Stewart B. McKinney Wildlife Refuge. If you are going to walk on the nature trail or along the beach that fronts Sheffield Island Harbor just know that things are "wild" and that you will get eaten alive by flies, mosquitoes and I wouldn't be shocked if the trees had lots of ticks. The lighthouse was relit in 2011 for the first time in 91 years. Why Sheffield Island? The island was named after Revolutionary War veteran Captain Robert Sheffield who bought the island in 1804. He married Temperance Doty, a Mayflower descendant and such started the current lineage of the island's name. The 47 acre island is private property that is primarily owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the Norwalk Seaport Association depending upon the website owning only three or four of those acres. You will be reminded a few times of where you can and cannot walk. Speaking of an area you can't walk by it would be the dilapidated house on the right near the dock. That house is still owned by the Stabell family who sold the island to the Norwalk Seaport Association in 1986 for 700K. I forget the exact story we were told but it's something along the lines of the "home" (more of a dilapidated shack) cannot be renovated because of Fish and Wildlife Service rules and if they raze the structure they lose the land so the shack stands as is. The island itself is around a mile and half from the dock in Norwalk and the boat is kept at a country club pace in both directions which equals about 40 minutes to make the trip in each direction. This is fine as one of the crew did a fairly good job or telling everyone about some of the various islands & lighthouses & birds in the area and about the local shellfish industry. Past that it's just sit back and relax on some of their picnic benches and have a picnic or don't do a damn thing except the enjoy the beautiful view. Either way it's awesome.

What's the largest city in Connecticut?…read more Did you say Hartford? Nope. New Haven did you say? Wrongo. How about Bridgeport? Yes Bridgeport. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It can be found on a grassy area right in front of Town Hall. It has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1981 and is in pretty good condition. In fact, the front side looks pristine, and the reverse side is just showing some evidence of fading. Important milestones in the history of the Nutmeg State's largest city are all here; farmers, Indians, the railroad, steam power, shipping, manufacturing, a booming sewing industry, P. T. Barnum, and Tom Thumb. It's a pretty interesting marker with lots of valuable information. Show some love for Brideport, would ya?