Connecticut Day Trip | Art and Architecture

Connecticut Art and Architecture Day Trip Itinerary

New Canaan and the surrounding area is home to a trove of historic art institutions and architecture destinations for you to explore. Learn more:

• • The Aldrich Museum, the only museum in Connecticut dedicated solely to contemporary art.
  • The Glass House, the historic house museum designed by architect Philip Johnson.
  • Grace Farms, an 80-acre cultural and humanitarian center with public spaces including a tea room, walking trails, and more.
  • The New Canaan Library,  a transformational public library with sustainable design.
  • Silvermine Arts Center, featuring gallery exhibitions and an award-winning art school with classes for all ages.

The Aldrich Museum

258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877

Founded by art collector and fashion designer Larry Aldrich in 1964, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is one of the oldest contemporary art museums in the United States. The Museum is one of the few independent, non-collecting institutions in the country and the only museum in Connecticut solely dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum serves as a leading incubator for artists at critical creative junctures, providing a collaborative platform that engages and inspires.

The Glass House

199 Elm Street New Canaan, CT 06840

The Glass House, built between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson, is a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation located in New Canaan, CT. The pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent of collection of 20th-century paintings and sculpture, along with temporary exhibitions. The campus serves as a catalyst for the preservation and interpretation of modern architecture, landscape, and art, and a canvas for inspiration, and experimentation. The tour season runs from mid-April through mid-December and reservations are required.

Grace Farms

365 Lukes Wood Road New Canaan, CT 06840

Grace Farms is a center for culture and collaboration bringing people together to explore nature, arts, justice, community, and faith at the SANAA-designed River building and Barns, on 80 acres of publicly accessibly natural landscapes in New Canaan, Connecticut. Grace Farms’ humanitarian work to end modern slavery and foster more grace and peace in the world includes leading the Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain.

New Canaan Library

151 Main Street New Canaan, CT 06840

The New Canaan Library is a mission-driven knowledge and learning center that redefines the standards of a modern library. Their mission is to be an essential place for lifelong learning and a vibrant hub for knowledge, culture, and connection for everyone in our community. They do this by staying committed to three core values: lifelong learning, community, and inclusion.

Silvermine Arts Center

1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840

Silvermine Arts Center is one of the oldest artist communities in the United States. Its five-acre campus in New Canaan, Connecticut, consists of a nationally renowned artist guild, an award-winning school of art offering classes for all ages, an arts and fine crafts shop, a permanent print collection, and a gallery offering over 20 contemporary and historic exhibitions annually.

Silvermine is a non-profit 501c3 organization that also offers an Outreach Education Program, Art Partners, and hosts lectures, and special events.

Silvermine Galleries are open 10am–4pm, Tues. to Sat. and closed Sun. and Mon.