Gillette Castle is located in East Haddam in Connecticut, and I can thoroughly recommend a visit. This is a truly amazing place and was originally built not as a castle, but as a home for William Hooker Gillette, an actor who was most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. He was, in fact, the person who made the Holmes look famous, with the deerstalker hat and pipe, etc. The state of Connecticut purchased the property in 1943, several years after his death, and opened it to the public.

Gillette designed every part of this strange house, and you really have to see it to believe it. It is built overlooking the Connecticut River and looks at first sight like an old castle which is in the process of falling down, but it was built to look like this.

The external of the castle is built in grey stone and looks really unusual, but it is the interior that really makes you take a second look. There are 24 rooms in total, but not all are open to the public. You enter the property through the living room, which is a large room with a huge fireplace. There is a guide who begins the self-guided tour with a history of the castle and an overview of the man himself. It is very interesting.

After the living room, you go through the conservatory area and into other parts of the property. You can see into the bedrooms, which are quite small considering the size of the house, although most are en-suite, which was unheard of in the time the house was built. There are lots of doors throughout the house; they are made of oak, and every door is designed differently. You really need to pay attention to the doors and windows, as they are intriguing. This whole house is fascinating, and you end the tour in his art gallery.

The grounds of the castle are also open to the public, and they comprise of wooded areas, lakes, bridges, etc. There are nature trails you can hike and picnic areas. The visitors' centre is modern but built in a style that fits in with the rest of the property and has information about the house and nearby sights. The whole estate is now a state park, and I would definitely recommend that anyone in the area visit it. Even if you are not into looking around old houses, believe me, this is not just any old house!