Simsbury, Connecticut

Located on Talcott Mountain in the towns of Avon, Bloomfield, and Simsbury, the Talcott Mountain State Park is a 574-acre public park and recreation with several attractions, including the 165-foot-high mountaintop lookout known as Heublein Tower.

The former summer home of a prominent Hartford family and familiar Farmington River Valley landmark, Heublein Tower features a local history museum and charming picnic areas. The surrounding park features several hiking and walking trails and is home to a diverse array of fauna and flora, such as bald eagles, turkey vultures, pileated woodpeckers, and beautiful wildflowers. There are also restrooms, picnic tables and grills for visitors.

Summit Ridge Dr, Simsbury, CT 06070, USA, Phone: 860-242-1158

The Heublein Tower is a historic hilltop in Simsbury, Connecticut that provides spectacular panoramic views of the Farmington River Valley and the Hartford skyline.

We definitely recommend stopping here if love a good view! Built in 1914, the European-styled tower was designed by manufacturing magnate Gilbert Heublein as a summer retreat for his family after romantically promising his wife he would build her a castle on a hill one day. Designed in a Bavarian style, the 165-foot tall tower was built to withstand the high winds that assailed the peak with a quartet of massive steel girders around its base.

It also featured the first elevator in the state. Today, the 165-foot-high mountaintop lookout and familiar Farmington River Valley landmark features a local history museum and charming picnic areas for visitors. The Heublein Tower can be reached by a pleasant 1.25-mile hike.

Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-242-1158

Attractions for Couples

Rosedale Farms & Vineyards is a fifth-generation family farm that produces fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and organic wines.

Established in 1920, the family-owned and operated farm is located in the heart of Simsbury and has been providing the community with the freshest, highest-quality produce and friendliest service ever since.

Rosedale Farms & Vineyards offers memberships which include the purchase of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, and organically produced wines, and visitors to the farm can sample the award-winning wines paired with crackers, cheese and fresh pastries on the farmhouse patio.

25 E Weatogue St, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-651-3926

The Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, also known as the Drake Hill Road Bridge is a scenic bridge of flowers across the Farmington River.

Built in 1892 to carry Drake Hill Road over the Farmington River, the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge is one of three Parker truss bridges left in the state and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the single-span, pin-connected Parker through truss bridge is open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic only with a wooden plank deck suitable for pedestrians and is adorned with planters that are seasonally filled with flowers. Visit in the spring and admire the flowers!

Drake Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-658-3255

The Stratton Brook State Park is a state park and public recreation area that offers a range of outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and ice-skating in winter.

A seasonal nature center provides extensive information on the park and the fauna and flora that can be found within it, as well as several annual interpretive programs that are conducted in the beautifully wooded setting of the park. Other notable features include the Massaco Forest Pavilion, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and amenities in the park include picnic shelters with tables and benches and modern restrooms.

149 Farms Village Road, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-658-1388

The Phelps Tavern Museum/a> is dedicated to highlighting the history of Simsbury, its people, places, and events by collecting, preserving, and interpreting significant historical resources.

The museum is based in the Phelps house and tavern, which was built for Elisha Phelps in 1771 and subsequently owned by five generations of the Phelps family for nearly two hundred years. During these years the house and tavern had several roles, ranging from a family home and canal hotel to an entertainment hall, a lodge meeting site, and local saloon.

Jeffery Phelps purchased the property in 1820 and ran the tavern for 29 years before closing the business in 1849 to devote himself to agriculture and other interests. The building was restored to its former glory and gifted to the Simsbury Historical Society in 1962 and converted into a museum.

Simsbury Historical Society, 800 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-658-2500

Where to Eat

Perched atop a waterfall in Simsbury, Millwrights is an elegant restaurant based in a 17th-century mill that serves an award-winning menu created by acclaimed, James Beard nominated Chef Tyler Anderson and his team.

Boasting a beautiful plank-ceilinged room with waterfall views and a cozy basement tavern, Millwright’s offers a new experience to the Farmington Valley farm-to-table dining scene with cuisine prepared with the freshest; high quality curated farm ingredients. The award-winning cuisine is accompanied by fine wines from around the world, and proprietary cocktails and after-dinner drinks can be enjoyed in the basement tavern’s intimate crafted bar which has a large stone fireplace and comfortable ambience. Millwrights is open for lunch on Fridays, dinner Tuesday through Friday, and Sunday brunch.

77 West St, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-651-5500

Abigail's Grille is a colonial-era tavern and historic landmark that serves contemporary American cuisine in a cozy and casual setting.

Built during the American Revolution in 1780, this Simsbury landmark was known as The Pettibone Tavern for almost two centuries and played host to several notable guests, including George Washington who used the tavern as a meeting spot for discussing strategy and plans for the Revolution. Alternating between a local watering hole and a private residence over the decades, the landmark structure has a rich history surrounding Mrs Abigail Pettibone, and it is speculated that Abigail's ghost still roams the tavern. Abigail's Grille is open seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sunday.

4 Hartford Rd, Weatogue, CT 06089, Phone: 860-264-1580

Plan B Burger Bar is a stylish chain that serves creative burgers, other elevated pub grub, and a wide range of craft beers and bourbons.

Opened in 2006, the popular eatery specializes in America’s favorite food and offers a wide range of burgers made with hand ground, antibiotic and hormone-free prime beef, fresh salads and sauces and freshly baked buns. Signature burgers include the Baja with avocado, jalapeños, jack cheese, and chipotle spread; the Squealer packed with a half-pork, half-beef burger, bacon, pickles, cheese and tomato; and Double Chili Cheese Burger with twin chuck patties, pale ale beer cheese, frizzled onions, chili, pickled jalapeño onion relish. Burgers are paired with craft beers by the bottle and on tap, a variety of artisanal bourbons.

4 Railroad St, Simsbury, CT 06070, Phone: 860-658-4477