Florence Griswold Museum

Beautiful day spent looking at and learning about art, Olivia the Docent was super knowledgeable, really enjoyed my time here. Will definitely be back in spring and can explore the grounds. If you're looking for something to do in Old Lyme I highly recommend this museum!! * summer visit when the gardens are in bloom..simply beautiful! Also found a great spot along the river to relax and take it all in. They have lunch on the veranda in the warmer morning ths.. Will be back to try that!

Had a great first visit to Flo Gris yesterday. Went specifically to see the mushroom exhibit which was delightful and the Fairy village was in full swing. Loved all the little details and discoveries in them. Had a delicious lunch overlooking the river on a gorgeous fall day.

A rich display of American history, art and horticulture in this well maintained captain’s house turned artists’ colony.

This is an interesting destination for artists and non-artists alike. The history of the art colony is very well told and the house is super interesting! There are lots of trails beautiful gardens and an art exhibition area, so allow two hours I would say. This place tells the story of impressionism coming to America. I hope to visit again because I didn't have enough time to see everything.

The historic boarding house, grounds, and gallery space of Florence Griswold Museum continues to invite artists and art enthusiasts along with educating the public about the American Impressionist movement. The house is air conditioned and well-lit. Like most historic houses, the second story was not accessible to those using a wheelchair. However, the museum has a remarkable virtual tour complete with ample digital signage for each painting. Krieble Gallery was fully accessible for those with limited mobility or using a wheelchair. Plus, the space provided plenty of seating. The regular exhibition space was well-lit, but the gift shop and back rooms had poor lighting.

We had a nice time walking the grounds and the art museum parts gave a nice visual understanding of local history. And if you love cows, this place is for you. Excellent farm/cow paintings. The house was nice to visit and get a glimpse of what life was like there.

A fabulous museum, grounds and cafe. Spectacular setting along the Lieutenant River with ospreys, egrets and herons feeding in the river. Lunch at the cafe was excellent as you dine on the porch overlooking the river. Dessert, homemade Keylime pie was the best I have ever had. There is also the interesting link between President Wilson’s first wife who was a student at the artist colony in 1908. A picture she painted hangs in Wilson’s birth home. I included a photo of it with the pictures I posted. The painting looks to be a landscape of the river.

We had our wedding at the Florence Griswold Museum on a Saturday evening in late June and couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Nathaniel at Flo Gris was an absolute joy to work with for the year plus of planning and coordination. The museum and grounds are absolutely gorgeous, we enjoyed several visits over the last year for the exhibits and garden and we will definitely be back. Our ceremony overlooking the river and reception under the white tent on their patio was a dream come true for us, thank you again Nathaniel for a truely perfect day, we are so grateful to have picked the Florence Griswold Museum!

We visited the museum last week, and we had a great time. Its history is phenomenal, and its current exhibitions some of the best we've seen this year. So, why the four stars instead of 5? Because of the astonishing disrespect to Florence Griswold by whoever the marketing genius is who nicknamed the museum Flogris. Flogris? Ms. Griswold was a stong, accomplished, beloved and respected woman, and far ahead of her time. To reduce her to this diminutive is really a disservice to her memony, and to her role in sheltering the impressionist revolution in America. Shame to the museum for doing this. What are you thinking?

Wow, I've been living in CT for over 30 years & only recently made my first visit to FloGris. Outstanding! It helped that the weather behaved (because there are several sites on the 12-acre campus). But what an education on Impressionism! Between the main building (rather sci-fi in architecture) & the Griswold house, there's a plethora of artworks that merit lengthy, probing scrutiny. The docents are like art history professors--how informative & welcoming. I'll definitely be back, with the intent on spending hours there (also to take in their short walking trails).

The docents were kind and knowledgeable. The art work was beautiful. The way we were able to access most of the house added to the experience.

Had a lobster salad with yellow wilted arugula. They said sorry. No fresh greens and no cost adjustment. $31

Had lunch at Cafe Flo. Outstanding! Lovely spot, good service, excellent food. My Turkey sandwich was real Turkey!

What a wonderful museum. From the broad array of paintings, to the history of the location, to the restored home that served as a boardinghouse for the artists. It is all extremely well done and very interesting. Old Lyme truly has its roots firmly in the art world. A plus is seeing the bird life along the lieutenant river including an osprey nest with a mating pair.

We visited the museum on Wednesday August at 11AM. This is a lovely venue with an unexpectedly wonderful cafe. The gallery showcases American Impressionist artists, most of which were boarding house residents with Florence Griswold at the turn of the 20th century. Lovely artwork. Although you can see the influence of the French Impressionist movement, it has a particularly American flavor - very interesting. The thing that ruined the visit for me was the docent. She explained that the exhibit was organized around the big issues that "are so important to us today" namely Environmentalism; Gender and Race. The entire presentation was a propagandist polemic. Impressionist painters are trying to capture a moment emphasizing light and movement. When you are talking about landscape painting, you know that you are looking at the artist's impression of a particular moment. In her analysis of a scene on the Mianus River painted in Greenwich- she spent lots of time reminding us that the buildings on the bank of the river were producing goods for the shipping industry and thus the river was polluted and the fish probably dead. Not shown in the scene is the railroad bridge with the train spewing smoke into the atmosphere. This is one example of her tendency to insert things into the painting that weren't even there and focus on these non-existent attributes. A visitor to this exhibit is interested in the artwork itself, not an opinion on climate change; gender inequality or racism. Not recommended

Thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Florence Griswold Museum. We start at the art galleries chalk full of beautiful period artwork. We ventured to the outdoor walk. Even on an overcast day it's beautiful. We saved the best for last looking at Florence's home where she ran a boarding house for artists. Truly breathtaking! The docent was lovely and gave us so much knowledge and information. An added bonus was our venture was at Christmas. This Connecticut site isn't to be missed!!

Color us embarrassed that it took so long for us to visit this museum situated along the banks of the Lieutenant River. There are several buildings included in the museum campus with us starting off at the Krieble Gallery where we enjoyed the current exhibition of Currier & Ives prints. A short stop at the historic barn was made before we followed the path to the historic Griswold House itself. There we met a docent who walked us from room to room while providing a commentary on the history of Miss Florence's boarding house. It was nearing the end of the day so we decided to head home without walking around the entire property so a return visit in the spring is virtually guaranteed.

Check out this amazing historic business that Florence Griswold founded as an art colony. It's an amazing piece of history and inspiration for me as a woman living here in CT. There continues to be an artist in residence even today with realistic confectionary desserts sprinkled with nature such as bugs! Admission was $5 and was well worth the money. I highly recommend checking out Café Flo after the tour.

I can't say much about the museum itself because it was closed to the public , but the grounds surrounding it are absolutely picturesque and beautiful! We visited the area on a warm sunny day in June and picnicked under the shade of a willow tree on the grass by the river. I felt like the subject of one of Monet's or Klimt's impressionist paintings, filled with color and form. They also have an expansive garden collection you can peruse by taking the pebbled walkway out back. Head outdoors and drink in the sun and all the details that inspired this style of art in the late 19th century. Just don't forget your bug spray--it is Old Lyme after all...

Great museum to visit. The historic artist colony in Olde Lyme is a great place to for a glimpse into a turn of the century art world. This is a unique museum experience that anyone would be enjoy. A bit of art a bit of architecture and beautiful grounds. Well worth the trip.

A magnificent spot for art lovers, historians and anyone who needs to hear a wonderful story about Miss Florence. The museum is unlike any other, and the lectures and classes offered are top notch.

We'll worth a half day visit. Fascinating and impeccably presented art works and historic home recreated to 1910 period.

I bring my 4th grade students in an art field trip here every year. Shelby and Julie are fantastic teachers, they lead the students through a painting lesson and everyone has a fabulous time. There is studio space and if the weather is nice, groups paint en plein air down by the river! Highly recommend this experience!! The gallery is always changing with new exhibits. In Octobers, there is the Wee Faerie Village, a unique display of created faerie houses by local artists/schools. Love coming here!

Review only for the annual Wee Fairie Village exhibit. Late September early October every year the museum hosts local artists and schools which create 30 something fairy "stations" you receive a map & sticker and go on the "hunt for the faeries" Some of the creations are magnificent, the entire exhibit is outside in the picturesque gardens of the museum which are expansive and next to a beautiful river. I've been taking my daughters every year since they were "wee" themselves and would wholeheartedly believe that fairies had created these masterpieces. They are now teens and still ask to go. Each year is different and some years have been themed, every time it is worth admission and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a magical hour or two in their lives.

I went into this museum having no idea who Florence Griswold was or why anyone cared about her house, but I love a good museum so off I went. This museum is very well done - there's an introductory video that answered those questions very quickly and three rooms for a rotating exhibits (the current exhibit is the very beautiful but very sad commentary on how badly humans are abusing the planet). The museum has a gift shop with fun toys for kids, beautiful jewelry and many books on art. A little pricey, but if you have the Museum Passport you can save 10%. The house is two floors - the top floor has examples of art produced in the boarding house Ms. Griswold ran, and the bottom floor has furniture from her period interspersed with the work of a living artist. As of this writing, that artist worked with bugs so if that's a line in the sand for you, check their website when the next exhibit will be. The bugs are fascinating, and hearing from the docents the work that went into the display is very interesting, but if you can't cross a doorway because you see a large bug on the other side, perhaps see what will be there Fall 2019!

Very cute and charming museum! It's small enough that you'll be done with the place within 2 hours, including the grounds. The staff is very helpful and eager to educate you. The garden is lovely, definitely my favorite part. $10 admission price (they did not participate in CT open house day, which is the day we went). A great way to occupy a few hours!

Miss Florence was a capable, interesting & Uncommon woman- particularly for her time. One of the founders of the infamous Lyme Art Colony. The Georgian style mansion has been well maintained, which commands attention from the road, was the center of America's best-known Impressionist art colony. The tour of it is well worth taking. Known for its collection of American Impressionist paintings. The grounds are particularly beautiful. The juxtaposition of the modern gallery's architecture in the rear of the property, is surprisingly impressive.It melds well with the light & views of the outdoors. Exhibits change often. Seasonal Events in/outdoors are a pleasure. They also hold teas & host a seasonal farmers market.

http://www.flogris.org/ The Florence Griswold Museum is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. What goes up must come down, and accordingly, financial hardship compelled Florence Griswold to open her home as a boarding house. She had been classically trained, so she groomed the spirit of her home to harbor artists that became the Lyme Art Colony, the center of Impressionism in America. Boarders included Henry Ward Ranger, Child Hassam, Willard Metcalf, Mathilda Brown, William Chadwick and many others. Her beautiful house is right next door and open to the public via a friendly tour guide available for info and gossip, which I've sadly already forgotten. Rooms are set up as if she still entertained live-in artist guests, and the upstairs rooms are beautiful galleries. Opening in May 2008 a special exhibit will feature Impressionist American expatriate artists, and in the Fall, an exhibition of Bessie Potter Vonnoh: Sculptor of Women, showcasing intimate statuettes.

Stopped in to the Florence Griswold or Flo-gris museum and grounds at the end of the summer. The video introduction was put together very well to give you an overall view of the purpose and influence of the place on the American impressionist movement. The house presentation was special, I like how they have tried to mimic the way it would have been at the time. The museum makes a big effort to describe life at the house with panels and video screen displays, just a suggestion that these should be updated... and I'd like to see some kind of technological interaction/display or explanation of what exactly impressionism is and how American and French impressionism is different- or maybe I completely missed this part of the self guided tour. You will definitely cruise through this museum and grounds in about an hour and a half. We stopped at the café for a bite- and were disappointed by the salad I ordered *dripping in salad dressing... and the chicken salad was a very small portion. Definitely a "ladies who lunch" spot, but a very nice view of the river and sweeping grounds to the river and the service was attentive-ish.

Kayaking the Lieutenant River we pulled ashore at the Florence Griswold Museum to rest in the shade. Noticed they were starting to serve lunch and we decided to extend our break. Soooo glad we did. Great service, beautiful setting and fabulous food! We split the spinach vichyssoise which was perfection with our wine. Then my husband had the lobster roll and I had the best Niçoise salad I have ever had! We really were too full for dessert but didn't want the experience to end so we split a trio of ice creams. They also included two lemon cookies. When the lunch rush was slowing the chef came to every table. Nice touch. Perfect ending to the perfect meal. PS..have visited the museum a few times in the past.....Cafe Flo will just add to the great experience.

When people think of museum food visions of cafeteria food and blah dishes probably come to mind. After all people don't visit a museum for its food. Well Flo Café of the Florence Griswold Museum doesn't serve cafeteria food. They actually serve food that's worthy of a visit by itself. So forget the museum (OK maybe not). The food is prepared by a company called Gourmet Galley Catering and in addition to running the cafe they also cater the museum's on-site functions. The black bean vegetarian chili was reason enough for me to forever forget about meat based chili for the rest of my life. It was THAT good. It was complex, sophisticated, and far from blah. The vegetarian sandwich was also very good. Again, I'd also describe it as sophisticated and somewhat unique. Service was terrific. The setting was absolutely gorgeous while dining outside on a rear porch and overlooking the Lieutenant River. I hate to use the word "hidden gem" because I think the word is over used a lot, but if there were ever a true hidden gem in the town of Old Lyme then Café Flo would be it.

Cliche in the best possible way... That is, the cliche charm people imagine about New England and how it is portrayed in the movies. Great effort has been made to preserve a slice of history, in which an artist settled into Miss Griswalds Inn and formed a colony by inviting his friends. You will see a video explaining the history. There is a new gallery with rotating art, but the unique piece is seeing many impressionist works placed in their original setting in a period New England home filled with antiques, linens, china, and personal effects. The original painted door panels, and painted dining room remain, and in the summer you can enjoy the same flowers that artist did in the classically kept gardens. For a snack: A picturesque setting with Cafe right on the CT river, I've beer actually made it inside. They always seem to be closed when I'm there so you may want to check the hours This museum is worth a visit, but, doesn't hold enough interest for me during a second visit a few years later. Since they are doing preservation, not much changed. I'm also a child of an antiques dealer so, I'm pretty saturated with looking at that stuff. Don't miss the Fairy Houses which are set up during a few special weeks of the year, after seeing this museum twice I won't go back until the fairys!

This is one place to visit before moving on into the next life. And what could be more tranquil than the setting of a few structures located next to a slow moving river. As for the collection, all I can say is WOW. I've been fortunate enough to have visited Paris and of course was exposed to much of the impressionist art gathered there. In the upper floor gallery of the Griswold House, you will see Impressionist and Tonalist styles painted by the artists who worked there. I'm willing to bet that you will come away from this museum with a much better perspective on the two styles. P.S. Watch the film in the Krieble Gallery or you will miss pertinent pieces of information concerning the history and characters related to the estate. GO!

This is a charming museum with a lovely blooming garden overlooking a particularly picturesque stretch of the Lieutenant River. Was able to use a Museum pass from my local library which permitted free admission. The docents were knowledgeable and very much taken with the property themselves. Many of the original furnishings have been recovered and it is easy to understand the appeal and why it became an Artists Colony favorite. The new gallery building is comfortable and a nice size for viewing the paintings, many created here by the original members of the Artists Colony. Luncheon was served on the porch overlooking the river and was delicious, relaxing, and affordable. The gift shop offered many affordable and attractive options. This is a pleasant diversion that will provide a respite from whatever you are doing without requiring a long drive and an entire day. You will feel refreshed.

Grew up in this area but only recently went with my family. What an awesome little museum. The location on the river is beautiful and peaceful, the foliage in the fall along the river bank was amazing. The steam punk fairy exhibit was exquisite. Such a creative way to reuse items no one needs anymore. The gift shop was adorable, quirky and fun and not overly expensive. Bravo!

You know the feeling. You have a date with a friend that you are so looking forward to, but you've got a hundred emails to return, a massive to-do list, and a cloud of anxiety settling in. How does it all get done? Sometimes just taking a break is the only way to rid yourself of The Overwhelm. That was me last week when I headed over to Cafe Flo for lunch with an old friend. As soon as I sat down on the terrace overlooking the Lieutenant River, my hunched shoulders slid away from my ears. This is one of my favorite al fresco spots. And it's easy to see why this view inspired and launched an entire artist's colony. Gourmet Galley runs the kitchen here, and dishes up everything from this summery Salad Nicoise, to Lobster BLT's, and a simple but elegant French chicken breast. (I always want to ask WHO orders the liverwurst sandwich??). Whether you're visiting the museum (and you've still got two weeks left for Peter Halley's Big Paintings), or just stopping by for lunch, this is a don't miss summer treat. p.s. Gourmet Galley catered a delish dinner recently at the Lyman Allyn Gala, starting with a creamy and wonderfully fresh Asparagus Soup. We're smack in the middle of local asparagus season, so I grabbed a few bunches and begged Anna, owner of Gourmet Galley, for the recipe.

Visited yesterday and enjoyed it. My wife is an art person (me, not so much) but the museum is a worthwhile activity as an alternative to an otherwise boring Saturday or Sunday. If you love art you'll enjoy it even more.

It really was a lovely way to spend 1.5-2 hrs. I love impressionism so I enjoyed the museum and exhibitions and the small garden but what really was exceptional was the attention to little kids! In the main museum there was a small table with great coloring pages relating to the actual exhibition and the nice curator lady pointed my 5 and 7 year old toward that room, thus letting my husband and I browse in peace. They enjoyed the painting and print making in another building and even in the FG house they had a scavenger hunt for kids and curators there couldnt have been nicer and more accommodating to my over excited girls in search of old golf clubs. Wonderful.

Children fairy festival with guest performances like the Connecticut Ballet puts this museum on the charts for quality and class. It's a lovely environment for strolling, the water views are nice when dining at the cafe, and the cross between modern architecture and historical is really fun to meditate on.

Beautiful! The kids loved all the activities they had to offer the staff was nice and helpful. Also the maps that they gave were so nice! great graphics and they hole story to go with the expo.

Cafe flo was terrible the service was horrible only seemed like one waitress for the entire outside section. We had to request drinks twice as hostess had asked but never brought them. We sat there half an hour before our order was taken. I ordered the lobster blt which was $18.00. The sandwich was terrible lobster not fresh. Tomatoes were tasteless. It came with chips which were burnt but they served them anyway also my bread was advertised to be sourdough was plain white bread they burnt when toasting I had to request waitress to inquire when we would get our food after a thirty minute wait. I will never eat there again!

Such a special place! So grateful to have this here in Old Lyme!

This is a very well maintained art museum that tells the story of Florence griswold and the summer art colony of Lyme. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit of the museum as well as the Florence griswold home. A true hidden gem. We had read an article in the courant about cafe flo and decided to try it. We were seated immediately and given menus that looked like a paint palette (adorable). Our hostess explained that there were a few specials that were not on the menu like a liverwurst sandwich but never explained that you could put in your order to go for a picnic lunch by the river. Our waitress came soon after and we ordered a peroni, lemonade, Niçoise salad and a liverwurst sandwich. She did not return with our drinks for about 15 minutes which is a long wait on a hot summer day. She returned with some homemade break after another 10-15 minutes. I ordered a refill for the lemonade at the same time and it took another 10-15 minutes before she returned with a drink. When the food finally arrived, they were very simple and portion sizes were optimal for lunch. It is pricey for what you get, so I will have to give this place a 1 for value. But the food is pretty good, simple and seasonal. The sandwich was 2 slices of liverwurst and greens between two slices of white bread with mustard. The Niçoise salad was filled with fresh ingredients- greens, olives, fingerling potatoes, haricot vert and a big chunk of tuna. I made the mistake of not ordering dressing on the side, my mistake. So there was a ton of lemon pepper vinaigrette that doused and soaked the salad. But overall, very good. The lemonade was decent. We decided to try the chocolate bread pudding with coffee for dessert. The waitress took our order and returned a few minutes later with our check minus dessert and coffee. I was already slightly irked by her lack of personal service and disinterest in the customer, so this was it for me. So we paid and left. I would give them 1/2 a star for their service but a 3 1/2 for the food.

Have wanted to visit here for a long time so we made time this past weekend. It's located right off the highway, I never realized it was that close. We started off in the museum that has the ticket office, there was a maritime exhibit going on and the pictures were absolutely beautiful. We then walked around the gardens and finally into the house and were pleasantly surprised. It's a CT treasure. I just wish the upstairs was decorated with furniture instead of being a gallery. Would have been nice to see the pictures hung on the walls with the rooms full of furniture. But it was still nice to spend about 1.5-2 hours enjoying local culture.

This was one of the coolest things on our trip to the East Coast. This beautiful house and museum used to be an artists colony for several artists, and "Miss Florence" the woman who hosted them and squeaked by a meager income, was loved by all. Currently, the museum consists of of American Impressionism works, a nice little giftshop, and there is a set of gardens and the house itself to tour. When you walk in, there is a great guide in each room with fun stories and history, (and some great dinner recomendations!) My favorite part was that the artists that were "invited to" would paint a panel of the dining room, right onto the wood. I especially liked it when more than one artist worked together. Wooddrow Wilson had come here with his wife-(she was the artist, not him!) just a tidbit of info. The upstairs is also a museum of the work the artists did of the house and area. They paid seven dollars a month for room, two meals a day, and studio space. I think they drank a lot too. It sounded like they had a great time :)

A wonderful small museum, with a historic house, recently renovated, with glorious American Impressionist paintings everywhere, plus a modern gallery with changing exhibitions that are always fascinating. I'm a Lyme native who doesn't get back to visit that much, but when I do, I always try to stop by the Flo Gris for a visit. Recently the museum has been adding some interesting outdoors installations, often very kid-friendly. Weekends also usually include special kids activities in the Education Center, esp. around the holidays. My daughters and nieces and nephews have spent some stimulating times working on projects here - that are fun for grown-ups too.

This museum is exactly what other reviwers described. Warm, welcoming and intimate. This is a very unique and well maintained museum, all the staff there were so attentive and informative. It is truly a hidden treasure that people should definitely visit. The tour was worth taking and I recommend people to sit for a short 10 minutes of introdcution before you start the tour of the museum, it defeinitly helps you get more involved and understanding the story of the house.

We visited the Florence Griswold Museum for the Wee Faerie Village. First of all, the display is spectacular and if you have the chance to check it out (I believe that it runs through the end of October), you should. In addition to the faerie display, the home and the grounds are beautiful and there is a lot of really great artwork on display. Moreover, it looks like the museum offers many, many family programs on the weekends. After looking at the upcoming events of its website, I know that we will be going back for sure - and probably purchasing a family membership!

Not big. Intimate and very beautiful. You can place yourself right in the conversations of this artist colony. Its a great experience... summer or winter.

Nice small museum with interesting history. Tour was very professional however the woman giving it could be a little persnickity. Regardless of her persnickity-ness, she gave a complete, extensive and informative tour and lecture. I enjoyed it very much. The museum however is small and less informative. There is some nice space, but the amount of space adds up to a medium sized art gallery instead of a museum. The grounds are lovely on the river. There are child-friendly activities. I recommend it for the American Art lover or History Buff, but don't think you'll make a day of it as it will likely take you less time than it took my family and that wasn't very long. It's only good for kids on the days that have the kid activities.

"Delightful" sums it up perfectly. The grounds are just stunningly beautiful and tranquil. The museum is small, but is very well kept and the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly.We go every year for the Wee Faerie Village- it's not to be missed. It features over 30 fairy houses scattered around the grounds, and includes a hidden object to find at each one. My kids love it!

I really love this little museum. It is small and has an intimate feel to it but I really like that patrons can enjoy the outdoor space as much as, if not more than the exhibit area inside. My first visit here was on a gorgeous afternoon in early September. The museum offers free painting "en plein air" every Sunday as weather permits. People of all ages can grab a smock, palette of paints and canvas and find a spot anywhere on the grounds to paint quietly. It is so relaxing and a great activity for little ones. Once we were done painting my son had fun running around in the open space while I got to sit on the lawn and enjoy the waterfront view. The only downside is that the museum is located all the way out in Old Lyme. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about tick bites as we sat on the grass. I plan on returning for some of their fall activities including the Children's Fairy Festival. This museum is truly one of Connecticut's gems.

A perfectly wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Get there early enough to appreciate the exhibit in the gallery. Today and through 9/18/11 are paintings on loan from the Parrish Art Museum located in Southampton, NY. Numerous paintings by landscape artists capturing rural scenes throughout the east end of Long Island and the Hudson River Valley complement the "Artist's Colony" feel of the Florence Griswold Museum. Then enjoy a sandwich at the cafe' located in one of the restored barns. A little pricey, but if you stick with one of their delicious sandwiches and forego the very bland guacamole, (chopped avocado w/terra chips at $8.00),then it's not too hard on the pocketbook. Then stroll through the herb, vegetable and flower gardens as you make your way to the back entrance to the impressive Late Georgian-stye Griswold house. A step back in time when the size of the rooms and over-the-top opulence wasn't in fashion, but architectural details were what mattered. Enjoy the inside info provided by the knowledgeable hosts as you admire the paintings by the resident artists of the time. Then wander down to the banks of the river as you admire the specimen tree-dotted landscape. It's understandable that this peaceful and scenic location and surrounding areas provided inspiration for the American Impressionist Movement. And parents, please ask your kids to be respectful of others and of the atmosphere that The Florence Griswold Museum and its grounds tries to maintain; calm, creative and courteous. Looking forward to a return visit with art supplies in hand.