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It's busy month on the Thames!
With over 20 sites and partners, there's always something to do in
Thames River Heritage Park!
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Open House Day on the Thames
Harbor Cruise / Water Taxi Season
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 11 AM - 7 PM
Thames River Heritage Park
Hop aboard the Thames River Heritage Park water taxi for a 1-hour, hop-on hop-off harbor cruise to visit the festivities on both sides of the Thames. Start on the east or the west side of the river; enjoy the sites, sounds, and programs; then hop on the water taxi and continue the fun on the other side of the Thames.
The City of New London and the City of Groton are offering complimentary shuttle service to the historic sites and festivities. See below for information on Open House Day on the Thames events.
Board the water taxi from any landing:
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Fort Trumbull State Park in New London - on the hour
- City Pier in New London - 20 minutes after the hour
- Thames Landing in the City of Groton - 40 minutes after the hour.
Special Ticket Price on Opening Day: $5
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New London Eat in the Street
Golden Ticket, Chocolate & Fireworks
Thursday, June 2, 2022 | 6 PM - 9 PM
Bank Street & City Pier
Make a purchase valued at $25 from a participating business, like cruise or tour tickets from Thames River Heritage Park, and receive chocolate bar. If your chocolate bar contains a golden ticket, trade-in the ticket for a $25 gift certificate to a local business AND be entered into a drawing for a for a limo and overnight stay at Foxwoods and dinner at Studio 33 for 2.
Thames River Heritage Park purchase for Eat in the Street may be made one City Pier.
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New London Eat in the Street
Fireworks Cruise on the Thames
Thursday, June 2, 2022 | 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM
City Pier, NL Waterfront Park
Enjoy a 1-hour harbor cruise on the Thames shortly after sunset and take in the first fireworks on the Thames. Each purchaser will receive a chocolate bar as part of the Eat in the Street Golden Ticket event .
NEED TICKET LINK
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CT Trails Day
Peninsula Walk
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 10 AM
Fort Trumbull
On this walk, you learn about the peninsula’s trees and other plantings (old and new), as you explore the 16-acre park and its surroundings, discuss its history, and share ideas for rejuvenation of the Fort Trumbull neighborhood.
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CT Trails Day
Fort Griswold
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Fort Griswold
The Friends of Fort Griswold Battlefield look forward to welcoming you to the Fort on CT Trails Day. Climb 166 steps to the top of the Groton Monument, tour the Monument Museum, or enjoy a guided tour at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. Do some shopping for great books, mugs, patches, and other Fort Griswold memorabilia.
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CT Trails Day
Hempsted Historic District
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 2 PM - 3:30 PM
Hempsted Houses
Explore the Hempsted Historic District, one of New London’s first African-American neighborhoods, which developed around the house that Joshua Hempsted built in 1678. Residents included slaveholders, civic leaders, abolitionists, Revolutionary War Hero, and enslaved people. Hear their stories and learn how the neighborhood has evolved over time.
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Early Delights
A Gracious Gathering on the Green
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 6 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
This year’s fundraising gala represents a breath of fresh air as supporters gather outdoors as community to celebrate the power of art in our lives and support the Museum. LAAM also celebrates its 90th anniversary and unwrap plans for the future Lyman Allyn Park, a 12-acre open space for all to enjoy!
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First Free Saturday
Make your Own Pan Flute
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 11 AM - 1 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Artmaking takes place in the studio. Come ready for fun artful learning (be sure to dress for mess!).
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New London Tales
Saturday, June 9, 2022 | 7 PM
Garde Arts Centre
Join us for a screening of short films highlighting New London influencers with addresses from Mayor Passero & Tony Sheridan of the Chamber of Commerce
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Outdoor Spring Story Time
Mondays | 10 AM / Rain Date: Wednesday
Bill Memorial Library
Outdoor Story Time with Miss Mary-Jane is suited for ages birth to 5, but all ages are welcome. Outdoor Story Time features stories, fingerplays and songs with live music. Bring your own chairs or blankets or sit on our benches.
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United Through Excellent Art
New London High School Exhibit Opening
Friday, June 10, 2022 | 3 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The opening reception for the New London Public Schools: United Through Excellent Art exhibition for the Elementary and Middle Schools celebrates students' learning and artistic excellence and showcases student talent, creativity, and critical thinking. Come see the great artwork by students form Winthrop Elementary and Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School.
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Poetry of the Wild Installation
Unveiling Ceremony
Friday, June 10, 2022 | 5 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Celebrate the unveiling of the new Poetry of the Wild sculpture installation on the grounds of the Lyman Allyn. The ceremony will feature readings by the three contributing poets, Jose B. Gonzalez, Michael Bradford, and Rhonda Ward. Attendees are invited to respond to the pieces and add their own writings to the poetry boxes.
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Juneteenth Celebration
Film Screening & Campfire Discussion
Friday, June 10, 2022 | 6 PM - 8:30 PM
Hempsted Houses
Gather around the campfire for a community conversation to hear more about the work of the Slave Dwelling Project. Free, donations welcome.
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Open House Day on the Thames
Special Harbor Cruise / Water Taxi Fare: $5
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New London Open House Day
Visit Historic New London on the Thames
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Enjoy free events on the historic New London at the CT Landmarks' Hempsted Houses, New London Old Town Mill, Le Amistad at NL Waterfront Park, along with complimentary shuttle service.
Complimentary Shuttle Service Stops:
- Juneteenth Celebration at the Hempsted Houses
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Le Amistad, NL Waterfront Park | Nathan Hale School House, Parade Plaza
- NL Custom House
- Lyman Allyn Art Museum.
LEARN MORE
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New London Open House Day
La Amistad
Saturday, June 11, 2022
NL Waterfront Park
The Juneteenth celebration in the City of New London continues with a visit from the Amistad at City Pier. Board the ship and go back in time to 1839 to when the Mende captives from Sierra Leon revolted, took control of the ship, which was towed to New London harbor.
Complimentary New London Open House Day Shuttle Stop.
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New London Open House Day
Juneteenth 2022 Festival
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 11 AM - 4 PM
Hempsted Houses
Celebrate Juneteenth with the City of New London and highlight the African-American history of the Hempsted Houses and the surrounding New London neighborhood with our partners. The celebration will feature music, dance performances, and a dash of history, with activities and crafts for children.
Complimentary New London Open House Day Shuttle Stop.
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New London Open House Day
Old Town Mill Open House
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 12 PM - 4 PM
Old Town Mill
Originally built in 1650 by John Winthrop, Jr., founder of New London, and rebuilt after the burning of New London by British troops advised by Benedict Arnold, the Old Town Mill's water-powered wheel turns the gears that turned 2 gigantic sets of grinding stones for ground corn, wheat, and other grains for the early colonists.
Complimentary New London Open House Day Shuttle Stop.
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Groton Heights Open House Day
Explore Historic Groton Bank on the Thames
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Enjoy free events on the historic Groton Bank at the Avery-Copp House Museum, the Bill Memorial Library, the Ebenezer Avery House, Fort Griswold Battlefield, the Groton Congregational Church, and the Submarine Veterans WWII Memorial East along with complimentary shuttle service and narrated boat tours on Thames River Heritage Park water taxis.
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Groton Heights Open House Day
Avery-Copp House Open House
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Enjoy museum demonstrations, house tours and children’s activities and meet a Revolutionary War re-enactor in this dog friendly site.Built c. 1800 on the banks of the Thames River and passed from generation to generation, the Avery-Copp House is a wonderful time capsule of local history.
Stop #5 on the Groton Bank Day Shuttle.
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Groton Heights Open House Day
Ebenezer Avery House Open House
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Enjoy free tours of this lovely 18th century house museum located on the grounds of Fort Griswold Battlefield and State Park, where wounded American soldiers were laid on the floor following the battle on September 6, 1781.
Stop #7 on the Groton Bank Day Shuttle.
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Groton Heights Open House Day
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Climb 166 steps to the top of the Groton Monument, Museum Open House, and tours of Fort Griswold at 10:00 am, noon, and 2:00 pm.
Meet Abby Slocomb, designer of the CT State flag at 12:30 pm.
Stops #1 & 2 on the Groton Bank Day Shuttle.
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Boat Tour: The RACE
Harvard Yale Regatta on the Thames
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 5 PM
City Pier, New London
After a three-year hiatus, the Yale-Harvard Regatta is set to return for its 155th race. Yale-Harvard Regatta, commonly known as "The Race", is America’s oldest intercollegiate sporting event, dating back to 1852. Gather your friends and charter the water taxi for a front and center view of The Race.
MORE INFO
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Research, Stewardship, and Opportunities…
National Estuarine Research Reserve
Thursday, June 16 | 7 PM - 8:30 PM
Fort Trumbull State Park
Jamie Vaudrey, UConn and Kevin O’Brien, DEEP discuss how NERR will advance estuary and coastal watershed management by delivering cutting-edge research, data, and tools to increase education, stewardship, and protection of this valuable resource”.
Admission FREE. Seating LIMITED.
REGISTRATION REQ'D.
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Free Renty
Thursday, June 16, 2022 | 7 PM
Garde Arts Centre
FREE RENTY tells the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty.
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Friends of Fort Griswold Meeting
Thursday, June 16, 2022 | 7 PM
Fort Griswold
The Friends of Fort Griswold meet to discuss the 2022 summer season.
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Science Saturday
Artmaking: Color Mixing Wheel
Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 11 AM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
You may have mixed colors with a paint brush, but have you ever just used speed? Participants will get an introduction to physics and moment to create secondary colors using only cardboard and string.
GET TICKETS
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The Dangerfields
Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 7 PM
Garde Arts Centre
The year is 1964. In this detailed, classic period movie, follow four high school seniors as they try to put together a rock and roll band and gain a little respect. This hilarious musical comedy follows the boys as they deal with the high school bullies, a choral director who hates rock and roll and a principal who runs a very unusual school, to say the least.
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Sweet Potato Society presents
Alice
Friday, June 17, 2022 | 7 PM
Garde Arts Centre
A slave in the antebellum South escapes her secluded plantation only to discover a shocking reality that lies beyond the tree line.
Fundraiser for UnitedForUkraine and the Challenge Me Scholarship.
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Boat Tour: White Sails, Black Hands.
The African American Experience
Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 1:30 PM
City Pier, New London
Julie Cagle from the Hempsted Houses will lead this 75-minute boat tour, sharing the stories a fugitive slave, Black Revolutionary Patriots, Black Governors and Whalers, the Amistad and more.
MORE INFO
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Boat Tour: Blowholes, Blubber, & Breaches.
Whaling Tales on the Thames.
Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 3:15 PM
City Pier, New London
This tour will tell some of New London’s whaling stories: from the captains who commanded the ships and the racially diverse crews who risked their lives on the voyages to the women who waited in port and the few who joined their husbands at sea.
MORE INFO
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Yoga in the Garden
Sunday, June 19, 2022 | 11 AM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Guest instructor Trish Reyburn of Blissworks Yoga & Healing Arts will lead participants in one-hour classes designed for all levels. They will explore mind-body connection and help participants advance on their path to self-knowledge.
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Narrated Boat Tour
Discover the Thames
Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 12:30 PM
City Pier, New London
From the time it was called the Massapequatock Pequots, tales of the region’s and nation’s history abound on the Thames. Discover hidden gems that tell stories of colonial life, Revolutionary War, Nathan Hale, the 2nd largest whaling port and submarine capital of the world, Irish domestics, Nobel-prizing winning playwright, the Gilded Age, and more.
Includes a complimentary water taxi ticket for the day of the tour.
MORE INFO
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Narrated Boat Tour
Water, Wampum, Medicine Wheels
Mohegan Life on the Thames.
Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 1:30 PM
City Pier, New London
The first inhabitants along the western side of the Massapequatuck (Thames), the Mohegan tribe, settled here the area, roughly between present day Norwich and New London, was and continues to be the vital heart of Mohegan country.
Led by Tribal members, this fascinating tour includes stories demonstrating how crucial the Thames River was for food, wildlife, transportation, and trade as well as their relationship with the colonists
MORE INFO
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Narrated Boat Tour
Submarines, Battlefields, Betrayers
Military on the Thames
Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 3:15 PM
City Pier, New London
For centuries our harbor has guarded the Thames with Navy and Coast Guard installations, the ship building industries that support them, and 2 forts that have seen battles, defeats and the birthplace of the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.
From the vantage point of the river you‘ll understand the strategic value of this storied waterway and region.
MORE INFO
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New London Youth Talent Show
Grande Finale!
Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 7 PM
Garde Arts Center
After three years, the New London Talent Show is back! This Grand Finale show is for ONE NIGHT only. Do not miss your chance to see SECT’s hottest talent perform on the historic Garde stage. Join us as we applaud special performances from surprise performers, veterans from seasons past, and several new faces for this nonstop, family-friendly hit show.
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There's so much to enjoy in
Thames River Heritage Park.
Check out the full listing of the Park's upcoming events.
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YOU CAN HELP KEEP THE PARK AFLOAT and
HISTORIC SITES & HISTORY PRESERVED
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Thames River Heritage Park Foundation relies on membership and donations to bridge the gap between grants, sponsorships, and ticket sales to keep our authentic navy utility boats running and available to all, and to develop rich programming for local students and visitors.
Please support Thames River Heritage Park Foundation by donating and/or becoming a member. Your gift and membership make an immediate impact on the Park's ability to provide an experience for local and out-of-town visitors alike.
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Thames River Heritage Park Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization committed to connecting, preserving, supporting and promoting the history and heritage sites along the Thames River estuary today and for generations to come.
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Thank you to our Sponsors | | | | | |
