Things to Do in Old Lyme, CT: An American Art Colony, a Historic Lyme Street, and a Coastal Nature Preserve
Old Lyme's first market page on things to do covers what is actually documented here: the Florence Griswold Museum, the boardinghouse-turned-museum that anchored the Lyme art colony beginning in 1899; the Lyme Art Association Gallery next door, a 1921 Charles A. Platt-designed building now connected to the Griswold Museum by a 1997 footbridge; the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, a real, ongoing art school housed in the 1817 John Sill House; the Old Lyme Historic District along Lyme Street, an NRHP-listed corridor of early 18th- through late 19th-century buildings; the Old Lyme Congregational Church, an 1816-17 Samuel Belcher design rebuilt in 1908-09 after a 1907 fire; Rogers Lake, a 265-acre lake stocked annually with trout; Great Island, Griswold Point, and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Area Preserve, part of Connecticut's first National Estuarine Research Reserve; the closed-but-notable Nut Museum as a historical footnote; and Old Lyme Marina and River Landing Marina as real, currently operating boating access points. This page does not have current museum hours, admission prices, tour-operator names, or event-calendar dates for any venue below, and none of that is invented here - confirm those details directly with each organization before visiting.
Florence Griswold Museum: The Boardinghouse That Became an American Art Colony
The house at the heart of the Florence Griswold Museum was built in 1817 in the Late Georgian style and was purchased by Capt. Robert Griswold in 1841. It operated as a girls' school from 1878 to 1892, then became Florence Griswold's boardinghouse starting in 1899 - the same year Tonalist painter Henry Ward Ranger arrived and boarded there. In 1900 a group of fellow artists followed Ranger to the house, founding what became known as the Lyme art colony.
Florence Griswold herself, born December 25, 1850 and died December 6, 1937, never married, was educated at the Perkins School in New London, and was fluent in French. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 2002. The Florence Griswold Association formed on July 16, 1936 to preserve the house; the museum opened in 1947, initially only in summers; it merged with the Lyme Historical Society in 1955; and the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993. This page does not have current museum hours or admission prices, and none is invented here - check the museum's own website directly before visiting.
Lyme Art Association Gallery: A 1921 Charles A. Platt Building Linked by Footbridge
The Lyme Art Association traces to an organizational meeting held June 26, 1914 at Florence Griswold's house, where Judge Walter C. Noyes was elected the group's first president. Its gallery building was constructed between September 1920 and August 1921, designed and donated by architect Charles A. Platt and built by New London contractors Canning & Leary for $20,000. The gallery was unveiled on August 6, 1921, and a Goodman Gallery wing was added in 1938.
In 1997, a footbridge was built physically connecting the Lyme Art Association building to the neighboring Florence Griswold Museum, so today visitors can walk directly between the two sites. This page does not have current gallery hours, exhibition schedules, or admission prices, and none is invented here - confirm those directly with the Lyme Art Association before visiting.
Lyme Academy of Fine Arts: The Art Colony's Legacy, Still Teaching Today
The John Sill House, built in 1817, was purchased in 1986 to establish the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. It carries the Lyme art colony's legacy of art education forward as a real, ongoing institution rather than a historical remnant - a working art school on a site nearly as old as the Florence Griswold house itself. This page does not have current course offerings, gallery hours, or admission details, and none is invented here - confirm those directly with Lyme Academy of Fine Arts before visiting.
The Old Lyme Historic District: Lyme Street's Early 18th- to Late 19th-Century Corridor
The Old Lyme Historic District runs along Lyme Street and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Its architecture spans the early 18th century through the late 19th century, and the district includes the Old Lyme Inn, the Florence Griswold House and Museum, the 18th-century Peck Tavern on Sill Lane, the town hall, and the library - a genuine walkable cluster of dated, named buildings rather than a single isolated landmark.
The Old Lyme Inn is a confirmed real historic building within the district. This page does not have current dining details, menus, or room rates for the Old Lyme Inn, and none is invented here - dining specifics belong on this destination's dining page, not here.
Old Lyme Congregational Church: An 1816-17 Samuel Belcher Design and Three Childe Hassam Paintings
The Old Lyme Congregational Church's current building was designed by architect Samuel Belcher and constructed in 1816-17, and it faces the green at the south end of Lyme Street. The building burned on July 3, 1907, and was rebuilt in 1908-09 with help from artists at the Old Lyme art colony.
Painter Childe Hassam produced a documented series of three paintings of this church between 1903 and 1906. Two of the three are held today at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, and at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. This page does not have current service times or visiting hours, and none is invented here - confirm those directly with the church before visiting.
Rogers Lake: 265 Acres of Stocked Trout Water on the Old Lyme/Lyme Line
Rogers Lake covers 265 surface acres straddling the Old Lyme/Lyme town line, feeds a 4,833-acre watershed, and holds five small islands. It is stocked annually with brook and rainbow trout, giving it a genuine outdoor-recreation draw for anglers and paddlers.
The lake also carries local folklore of a lake monster nicknamed "Roger," with one source citing more than 200 reported sightings dating back to 1878. That is a piece of local legend, not a documented fact, and this page presents it only as folklore. This page does not have current boat-launch access details or fishing-regulation specifics, and none is invented here - confirm those directly with the Town of Old Lyme or the State of Connecticut before visiting.
Great Island, Griswold Point, and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Area Preserve
Great Island, Griswold Point, and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Area Preserve sit within Connecticut's first National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 52,000-acre, multi-town designation made January 14, 2022. The reserve supports more than 200 bird species, with nearly a quarter of those state-listed under Connecticut's Endangered Species Act, making this a genuine birding and nature destination.
Naturalist Roger Tory Peterson died at his own home in Old Lyme in 1996; his ashes were spread near Great Island, and memorials to him stand at Duck River Cemetery in Old Lyme. Note that the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History itself is located in Jamestown, New York, not in Old Lyme - this page does not describe an "Old Lyme" Peterson institute because none exists. This page does not have current trail access, parking, or guided-tour details, and none is invented here.
The Nut Museum: A Closed Historical Curiosity, Not a Current Attraction
Elizabeth Tashjian opened The Nut Museum on April 22, 1972, at 303 Ferry Road - a museum devoted entirely to nuts. Tashjian appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and on Late Night with David Letterman, performing original songs about nuts, and the museum became a well-known local curiosity during its run.
The Nut Museum closed in 2002, and Tashjian died in 2007. Its collection is now held at Connecticut College in New London. The Nut Museum is a fun piece of Old Lyme history, but it is not a current, visitable attraction, and this page does not present it as one.
Old Lyme Marina and River Landing Marina: Real, Operating Boating Access
Old Lyme Marina and River Landing Marina are real, currently operating marinas serving boaters in the area. This page does not have current slip rates, seasonal availability, or amenity lists for either marina, and none is invented here - confirm those directly with each marina before planning a visit.
What This Page Doesn't Cover
This page covers what is documented: the Florence Griswold Museum's 1817 house and its 1899-1900 founding role in the Lyme art colony; the Lyme Art Association Gallery's 1921 Charles A. Platt building and its 1997 footbridge connection to the Griswold Museum; the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in the 1817 John Sill House as an ongoing art school; the Old Lyme Historic District along Lyme Street; the Old Lyme Congregational Church's 1816-17 building and its Childe Hassam paintings; Rogers Lake's 265 acres and stocked trout fishery; Great Island, Griswold Point, and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Area Preserve within Connecticut's first National Estuarine Research Reserve; the closed Nut Museum as a historical footnote; and Old Lyme Marina and River Landing Marina as real, operating boating access.
It does not have, and does not invent, current hours, admission prices, tour-operator names, or event-calendar dates for any venue named above. Confirm current details directly with the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme Art Association, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, the Old Lyme Congregational Church, and each individual site before planning a visit.
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Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. The Florence Griswold Museum's 1817 Late Georgian house, its 1841 purchase by Capt. Robert Griswold, its 1878-1892 run as a girls' school, its 1899 start as Florence Griswold's boardinghouse, the 1899 arrival of Tonalist painter Henry Ward Ranger, and the 1900 founding of the Lyme art colony by fellow artists who followed him are documented independently, as are Florence Griswold's own dates (December 25, 1850 - December 6, 1937), her education at the Perkins School in New London, her fluency in French, and her 2002 induction into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. The Florence Griswold Association's July 16, 1936 formation, the museum's 1947 opening, its 1955 merger with the Lyme Historical Society, and its 1993 National Historic Landmark designation are documented independently. The Lyme Art Association's June 26, 1914 organizational meeting at Florence Griswold's house, Judge Walter C. Noyes's election as first president, the gallery's September 1920-August 1921 construction by New London contractors Canning & Leary for $20,000 to a design donated by architect Charles A. Platt, its August 6, 1921 unveiling, the 1938 Goodman Gallery wing addition, and the 1997 footbridge connecting it to the Florence Griswold Museum are documented independently. The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts's 1986 founding in the 1817 John Sill House is documented independently as a real, ongoing institution. The Old Lyme Historic District's 1971 NRHP listing along Lyme Street, its early 18th- through late 19th-century architecture, and its inclusion of the Old Lyme Inn, the Florence Griswold House and Museum, the 18th-century Peck Tavern on Sill Lane, the town hall, and the library are documented independently. The Old Lyme Congregational Church's 1816-17 construction to a design by architect Samuel Belcher, its July 3, 1907 fire and 1908-09 rebuilding with help from the Old Lyme art colony, and Childe Hassam's documented 1903-1906 series of three paintings of the church - two now held at the Parrish Art Museum and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery - are documented independently. Rogers Lake's 265 surface acres, its position on the Old Lyme/Lyme town line, its 4,833-acre watershed, its five small islands, and its annual stocking with brook and rainbow trout are documented independently; its "Roger" lake-monster folklore, cited by one source as more than 200 reported sightings since 1878, is presented here strictly as legend, not fact. Great Island, Griswold Point, and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Area Preserve's inclusion in Connecticut's first National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 52,000-acre multi-town designation made January 14, 2022, supporting more than 200 bird species with nearly a quarter state-listed under Connecticut's Endangered Species Act, are documented independently, as is Roger Tory Peterson's 1996 death at his home in Old Lyme, the spreading of his ashes near Great Island, and his memorials at Duck River Cemetery; the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History itself is located in Jamestown, New York, not Old Lyme. The Nut Museum's April 22, 1972 opening by Elizabeth Tashjian at 303 Ferry Road, her Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman appearances, the museum's 2002 closure, Tashjian's 2007 death, and the collection's present home at Connecticut College in New London are documented independently; the Nut Museum is presented here strictly as a closed historical footnote, not a current attraction. Old Lyme Marina and River Landing Marina are documented independently as real, currently operating marinas. This page does not state, and does not invent, current hours, admission prices, tour-operator names, or specific event-calendar dates for any venue named above. Confirm current, date- and price-specific detail directly with the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme Art Association, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, the Old Lyme Congregational Church, and each individual site before visiting. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice.