Gillette Castle

Built in 1919 by actor William Hooker Gillette, who made his fortune playing Sherlock Holmes, this gaudy, medieval-style 'castle' is an eccentric turreted mansion made of fieldstone. Looming on one of the Seven Sisters hills above East Haddam, the folly is modeled on the medieval castles of Germany’s Rhineland and the views from its terraces are spectacular. The surrounding 125 acres are a designated state park, and the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry arrives at the bottom of the property. In addition to the summer season, the castle is open for tours on select weekends during the November–December holiday season.