walks-fall-2026

Groton Bank Walking Tour

Date: Sunday, October 25, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Meet the Whaling Captains, Shipbuilders and People of Influence who made their homes on the Groton Bank of the Thames River. Tour the community where they lived and prospered; hear the stories of the achievements that made them legends in their times.

Please Note: This tour will begin and end at Fort Griswold. The streets of Groton Bank are steep and require some challenging climbs.

Hosted by: Thames River Heritage Park Foundation
Tickets: $25; must be purchased in advanced due to limited spaces available
Parking: is available on both Monument Street and Park Avenue at Fort Griswold.

Ghosts of Groton Bank

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM

The chill in the air means Halloween is approaching. Tour the Avery-Copp House Museum and explore some history of the macabre. Discover the origins of Halloween traditions, then visit our parlor all set for a Victorian funeral. Our guide will take you for a stroll on Thames Street, telling haunted tales of the neighborhood along the way.

Notes: Street component is approximately ½ mile on city sidewalks. There are stairs to enter the museum.

Hosted by: Avery-Copp House Museum
Tickets: General Admission – $20, ACH Members – $15. Reservations are required. For tickets call 860-445-1637, email [email protected] or visit averycopphouse.org/events-new/
Parking: is across the street at Puffins Restaurant 169 Thames St, Groton, CT 06340

Mamacoke Island Hike

Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Explore the cultural and natural history of Mamacoke Island and the surrounding landscape. The rocky, wooded, 40-acre island is actually a peninsula that juts out into the Thames River. It is connected to the mainland by a 4-acre tidal salt marsh. The shoreline area is known to have been a settlement site by Indigenous people going back 5,000 years and the salt marsh was farmed during the first years of colonial times in New London. Now a natural area within the Connecticut College Arboretum, the tidal and upland areas are designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.

Please Note: This will be a rugged 2-mile walk along a trail on uneven terrain; participants should dress in long pants and wear appropriate shoes. No facilities at site. Meet and park at the east end of Benham Avenue, Waterford/ Quaker Hill, just before railroad tracks.

Hosted by: Connecticut Sea Grant and led by Maggie Redfern, Director of the Connecticut College Arboretum
Tickets: $25; must be purchased in advanced due to limited spaces available
Parking: 56 Benham Ave, Quaker Hill, CT 06375-1702

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