Art, history, and nature come together at the 12-acre museum campus of the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. The world-renowned Florence Griswold Museum is located just 12 minutes from the Riverwind Inn Bed & Breakfast. Spend a day exploring the historic home, modern art gallery, gardens, cafe and river frontage along the picturesque Lieutenant River.
At the turn of the 20th century Miss Florence Griswold opened her home as a boardinghouse. In its heyday, the property housed a summer artists’ colony and became popular with American artists including Childe Hassam and Willard Metcalf. Now known as the “Home of American Impressionism” the museum features a permanent American art collection as well as temporary and other “thought-provoking” exhibits. The homestead building is highly regarded for its impressive Georgian architecture.
Visitors enjoy seasonal events including June’s GardenFest and October’s Wee Faerie Village. Discovery Sundays (April – September) give visitors of all ages the opportunity to take a mini-lesson in landscape painting and create their own masterpiece on the extensive grounds of the Museum. Lunch is offered on the veranda at the outdoor Cafe Flo (May-October). Unique gifts, exhibition catalogs and more can be found at the Museum Shop. Museum docents share tales of the Lyme Art Colony and this home of American Impressionism. Check out the Florence Griswold Museum website for a calendar of events and exhibitions.
