Ridgefield, Connecticut, with its scenic Main Street and rich selection of public parks, seems like something from a Norman Rockwell painting. Dating from 1708, when settlers purchased the site from Ramapoo Indians, this gem of a colonial town in the Berkshire Mountain foothills offers much. Visitors can choose from a selection of attractions, including outdoor facilities, historic sites and arts venues.
Clubs, Wheels, Water and Workouts
- The Ridgefield Golf Club, located just 7 miles from the town's historic center, contains a Fazio-designed course. Visitors who pay an admission fee can enjoy 18 holes set amid green hills and lush, tree-lined fairways. Ridgefield’s SPIRIT Skate Park welcomes skating enthusiasts to an outdoor facility with a full-time staff. Located on Prospect Street, the skate park contains a selection of concrete ramps and half-pipes. The Ridgefield Recreation Center serves as the town’s central fitness and recreational facility. Guests who pay a small membership fee enjoy month-long access to an indoor swimming pool and fully-equipped workout center. A variety of programs, including yoga classes and guitar lessons, are available at no extra charge.
New England Nature
- Ridgefield takes full advantage of its scenic New England setting with a variety of outdoor areas. Ballard Park, located in the center of town, showcases 5 acres of tended gardens and majestic trees. Martin Park Beach, located on the shore of Great Pond, a spring-fed lake, welcomes visitors with four sandy areas, a playground and bathhouse. Bennett’s Pond State Park, 4 miles north of town on Bennett’s Farm Road, invites nature lovers with 460 acres of wilderness. In addition to the pond itself, visitors enjoy hiking trails and engage in bow hunting.
- Art Old and New
- The centrally located Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is Connecticut’s only dedicated contemporary art museum. The museum schedules rotating exhibits along with special events like artist talks and studio tours. The Ridgefield Playhouse on East Ridge Road is the community’s premier performance venue, with a full schedule of film screenings and concerts in addition to performances by the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. The Weir Farm National Historic Site, located 4 miles from the town center, preserves the property of American landscape painter Julian Alden Weir. As the only site in the National Park Service devoted to American painting, Weir Farm serves as both a natural preserve and visual arts center.
Beautiful History
- The Ridgefield Center Historic District comprises one of the most picturesque Main Streets in New England, with historic buildings strung along a high ridge for an impressive panoramic streetscape. A variety of structures, some of which date to the 18th century, present examples of Colonial and Greek Revival architecture. Of particular note is the Keeler Tavern, a 19th-century home that contains a local history museum and gift shop. The Peter Parley Schoolhouse on West Lane preserves the site of an 18th-century schoolhouse. The current structure dates from the early 1800s and contains the school's original pre-Civil War blackboards.
