Category Archives: Heublein Tower

October 7, 2017

Heublein Tower (Simsbury, CT)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: September 9, 2017

Location: Talcott Mountain State Park, Route 185, Simsbury, CT

Cost: Free

Hours: The trail to the tower is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Hours for the museum in the tower are as follows:

Memorial Day Weekend through September 30th, the museum is open Thursday through Sunday only.

October 1 – October 31st the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm. Pets, food, drink, and walking sticks are not allowed in the museum.

Parking:

Handicapped Accessible: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Trail Size/Difficulty: 2.5 miles round trip/moderate with some sharp inclines.

Website: Friends Of Heublein Tower

Talcott Mountain State Park

Highlights: tower, scenic views,

Tips:

There is no parking lot at the park. Parking is allowed on the side of the road at and near the trail to the tower
Don’t forget to check out the scenic views on the way up to the tower by taking the trail closest to the ledge (the trail on the right after the trail splits
The trail has a steep incline at the beginning but evens out and becomes easier about halfway to the tower
If using a GPS: Parking is located on Summit Ridge Dr. Simsbury, CT 06070

Once the home of Gilbert Heublein (pronounced “High-Bline”), Heublein Tower offers some of the most pretty views in the Connecticut River Valley.

As legend has it, during a hike of Talcott Mountain with his fiance Louise M. Gundlach, he promised her that one day he would build her a castle there. He would make good on his promise in 1914 with the Heublein Tower.

Heublein manufactured such delicacies as A1 Steak Sauce and Smirnoff Vodka. Anyone else hungry for some steak and vodka? A barbecue, perhaps?

Heublein Tower is located along a trail that begins at Talcott Mountain State Park. Parking is available along the sides of the road to the tower.

Along the trail to the tower, you can take the trail on the right to see some pretty views of the Farmington River Valley. As you can also see by some of the photos, the trail does have some inclines. There are also some benches along the trail at the beginning of the trail.

During certain days you can enter the tower and view the rooms in the tower. The at times arduous hike is worth it for the views of the tower and the self guided tower of the inside of the tower.