Ok, please raise your hand if you already knew how awesome Old Wethersfield is?! Our Day Tripping in Old Wethersfield adventure – in Connecticut’s largest historic district – was everything! If you love history as we do, that check box will be well and truly checked. And you’ll also be able to check off cute shops, excellent restaurants, coffee, nature, & picturesque moments, all within close proximity. ✔
Grab your pals, it’s Day Tripping season!
Day Tripping in Old Wethersfield is sponsored
About town
All of the places we visited were on Main Street and within walking distance. Only our quick jaunt to Wethersfield Cove was about a 5-minute drive away. Enjoy!
We mean this – we fell in love with this idyllic CT town. To add to the already charming Main Street, their annual Bicycles on Main event was going on for National Bike Month (May 1 – May 31).
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, right in the center of town, is THE quintessential New England history experience! We felt like we’d been whisked back in time to the 18th century. So fascinating!
Our tour brought us around 3 authentically restored 18th-century homes, including the 1752 Joseph Webb House, where General George Washington met with French General Rochambeau to plan the end of the Revolutionary War. The 1770 Silas Deane House, which was built for America’s first diplomat to France. And the 1788 Isaac Stevens House, depicting life in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Museum’s Colonial Revival Garden was designed by Amy Cogswell, one of the first female landscape architects in the United States, in 1921.
Circa Antiques & Collectibles
Just down the road, we popped into Circa Antiques & Collectibles. We loved it from the moment we walked through the doors and heard Fleetwood Mac playing on the record player. Melinda’s carefully curated vintage shop offers classic vintage finds with a little pop culture sprinkled in. She’s got over 2,000 classic rock albums in inventory, WWII memorabilia, vintage clothing & accessories from the early 1900s to the 70s, and more. It’s a 😍 fest!
Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre
Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre is a must-visit! We’ve loved their IG account for a long time so it was awesome to finally stop by. Heirloom is not just a market and cafe, but also a coffee shop, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed retailer, and a beautiful event space for baby or bridal showers, and birthday parties. Their food is not only seed to plate and locally sourced, but it’s also extremely pretty! See our toasts below!
Drumroll Coffee Roasters
Make sure you stop at Drumroll Coffee Roasters on Main Street and say hi to Vincent & Siobhan Federici who started their business in 2020. They focus solely on roasting small batch, specialty grade, organic coffee. All of their beans are from single-origin farms around the world. They’re a delightful one-stop shop for all things coffee! Try their snap chilled cold canned coffee if you get the chance!
Wethersfield Historical Society
The Wethersfield Historical Society turns 90 this year! Since 1932, its mission has been to preserve and promote Wethersfield’s history & culture to inspire people today & tomorrow. Mission accomplished we say – the exhibits are impressive, fun, and thought-provoking!
We started in The Keeney Memorial Cultural Center to see 3 exhibits, Legendary People, Ordinary Lives, focusing on the history of Wethersfield’s architecture, agricultural heritage, and historic preservation. Castle on the Cove explores the evolution of the CT State Prison system while it was in Wethersfield from 1827 to 1963! And River, Land, and Sea: Wethersfield’s Maritime History.
The Hurlbut–Dunham House Museum
Next door to the Keeney Center is The Hurlbut-Dunham House Museum. We only visited the gorgeous porch for a pic, but if we’d had more time, we would have enjoyed seeing inside this 1790s Georgian-style home.
Old Wethersfield Country Store
Pop into the Old Wethersfield Country Store and appreciate perusing fun old-school & new-school items side by side! This New England general store carries gifts & specialty food, including a robust cheese menu, Cross Culture Kombucha on tap, and fine chocolates. You can order incredible charcuterie boards and even sign up for cheeseboarding school! 🧀
The Cove Warehouse
On your way out of town, visit the Cove Warehouse located on the waterfront of the Wethersfield Cove. It’s another Wethersfield Historical Society offering. There, you’ll learn the significance of the Red Onion trade, shipbuilding, privateers, fisheries, and early yachts. Open Saturdays and Sundays, May through October.
And if you’re lucky, you might spot a heron, too!
What a beautiful relic of maritime trade!
The Cove Warehouse is located in Cove Park at the north end of Main Street. Park in the Cove Park parking lot.
Ancient Burial Grounds
One last stop if you enjoy peaceful walks around really old cemeteries 🙋♀️🙋🏻♀️.
The village cemetery is filled with headstones with poetic inscriptions. The earliest one – Leonard Chester’s table stone – dates from 1648.
Thank you for a beautiful recap. This is quintessential Wethersfield.