Don't Forget, CT's Birthday Means Free Pass to Sherwood Island State Park

In honor of the State of Connecticut's 375th anniversary, Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that admission fees will be waived at all Connecticut state parks, including Westport's Sherwood Island this weekend. 

"Visiting a state park or forest is the perfect way to observe the 375th anniversary of our state and to honor Connecticut's longstanding commitment to preserving important lands, providing outdoor recreational opportunities to all of our citizens and to protecting our environment and natural resources," Rell said in a news release.

You may be surprised to learn that Sherwood Island is Connecticut's oldest state park, earning that designation in 1914.  At that time, the park was limited to only five acres, but through generous land donations and state acquisitions, the park grew over time.  Today, Sherwood Island State Park includes 234 acres of beach, wetlands and woodlands.  Visitors from all corners of Connecticut, New York and surrounding states can be seen enjoying the beaches, bird watching, or learning about the Sound and its inhabitants at the Nature Center. 

The Nature Center at Sherwood Island State Park is the result of a successful public-private partnership between the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park.  After years of fundraising and construction, the doors were opened for the first time in spring 2009.  The Nature Center offers activities daily nature walks, arts and crafts projects and educational dissections are available to visitors. Nature Center hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.

Sherwood Island is also home to Connecticut's 9/11 Living Memorial.   On a clear day, the New York City skyline is visible from Sherwood Island and on 9/11, people gathered there to watch as the Twin Towers burned and later served as a staging area for relief efforts going to the city.   The 149 names on the memorial represent Connecticut residents, or people who had close ties to the state, that perished in that disaster.

The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset and pets are not permitted in the park during the summer season (April 15 through September 30).