Leffingwell House Museum on Washington Street lists October 31 as the "last open day of 2026 season." The Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop Museum on Norwichtown Green closes for the season the same day. Between now and then, Norwich's history groups, its library and its downtown events organizers have stacked nearly three weeks of walks, tours and street events onto the back half of The Last Green Valley's Walktober calendar.
One change this year moves the busiest day of the season. The Norwich Historical Society retired its long-running Ancient Ghosts of Norwich tour through the Norwichtown Burying Ground and replaced it with a stroll through City Cemetery, listed at 100 Broadway, on October 24. That's the same Saturday, and the same address, as the NorWITCH Halloween Strut. So for one afternoon and evening, the city's history calendar and its biggest Halloween street event run back to back downtown.
Here's how the rest of the season leads up to that Saturday and the closing day after it.
This Week Starts at the Mohegan Park Fountain
Both of this week's Mohegan Park events start from the same spot, the fountain at the center of the park.
On Thursday, October 15, Otis Library runs a Storywalk from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Families walk the story trail, listen to read-alouds and do activities along the way. The listing rates it easy.
On Sunday, October 18, the Mohegan Striders lead a Hike Around Mohegan Park from 10:30 a.m. to noon. It covers about two miles at a moderate pace, past the park's monuments and onto its wooded trails. Admission and parking are free, and registration is by phone at 860-887-1518.
Slater Memorial Museum at 108 Crescent Street fills the indoor slot. On October 15 at 11 a.m., docent Bob Gauthier leads a Gilded Age Tour through the galleries, built around Norwich during that era.
October 17 and 18 Belong to Norwichtown
The weekend before the big downtown Saturday stays up on the Green.
On Saturday, October 17, Leffingwell House Museum hosts Taste the History of Chocolate from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors hear the history of chocolate, sample historic recipes, look through the exhibits and hunt for scarecrows in the garden. Those scarecrows went up on October 3, when the museum opened its Scarecrow Garden as part of the 367th anniversary of Norwich's founding. The listing doesn't give a separate event price, but regular museum tours cost $8 for adults and are free for ages 16 and under.
At 1 p.m. that afternoon, Slater Memorial Museum leads the Drawing on Friendship Walking Tour of Norwichtown from the Norwichtown Green at East Town Street and Elm Avenue. The walk shows the neighborhood as two artists knew it, Ozias Dodge and Charlotte Fuller Eastman.
On Sunday, October 18, from 2 to 3 p.m., The Last Green Valley and the Norwich Historical Society run Secrets of the Stones, a free scavenger hunt for families. Meet in the parking lot at 34 East Town Street, the United Community and Family Services headquarters at the Samuel Huntington House, then walk over as a group to the Norwichtown Colonial Burying Ground. Kids hunt for symbols and clues carved into the gravestones and pick up colonial customs and local stories along the way. The listing's description says registration is encouraged, while its info field says registration is required.
So for now, the colonial burying ground is a daytime family activity. The ghost stories move downtown the next Saturday.
October 24, Hour by Hour
Once the cemetery stroll moved to City Cemetery, October 24 lined up into one long run of events. Here's how they stack:
| Time | Event | Where | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 p.m. | Presidential Walking Tour of Bean Hill | 8 Vergason Ave. | Norwich City Historian |
| 3 and 4 p.m. listings | Bewitching Stroll Through the City Cemetery | 100 Broadway listing | Norwich Historical Society |
| 5 to 8 p.m. | NorWITCH Halloween Strut | Broadway, Bath and Franklin Streets | Norwich Events Organization and City of Norwich |
| 6 to 9 p.m. | Downtown Norwich Halloween Pub Crawl | Downtown pubs | Norwich Events Organization |
The Bean Hill walk covers Grover Cleveland's ancestors and the city's abolitionist community.
The Bewitching Stroll starts at a table where you pick up a Ghost Passport. Inside the cemetery, costumed ghost hosts point visitors to the graves of Norwich notables and tell their stories. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers and $5 for children under 12, and registration is required. The event page lists 100 Broadway but doesn't name a specific meeting spot, so check with the Norwich Historical Society before you go.
The Strut starts as the stroll winds down. According to the City's NorWITCH page on GoNorwichCT, Broadway will close to traffic from City Hall to the courthouse, and so will Bath Street from Broadway to Franklin. The Walktober listing describes a costume parade, food trucks, crafter booths, dancing witches, playhouses and family activities, plus shopping and dining. If you live downtown or usually drive through on Broadway, plan around those closures on Saturday evening.
The pub crawl picks up at 6 p.m. It's 21 and over, pets aren't allowed, and people who visit the participating pubs in costume have a chance at prizes.
Sunday Morning, Back on the Green
The next morning, October 25, starts back on Norwichtown Green. Author Zack Lamothe of Backyard Road Trips leads Off Kilter Tales of Historic Norwichtown from 10 to 11:30 a.m. with The Last Green Valley. It's a spooky neighborhood walk covering history, hauntings and hidden surprises. The group meets on the Green across from the Dr. Daniel Lathrop Schoolhouse, home of the Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors' Center at 69 East Town Street.
At noon, the Friends of Otis hold a used-book sale at Otis Library, 261 Main Street. They also have a session that Friday, October 23, at 9 a.m.
October 31, the Last Day the Doors Are Open
The Society of the Founders of Norwich runs both of its museums, and both close for the season with a costume event. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, anyone who shows up in a Halloween costume gets a free guided tour of Leffingwell House Museum at 348 Washington Street and of the Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop Museum. These museums have been open since spring. Leffingwell opened April 18 and the Carpenter shop opened May 2, so Halloween ends a season that ran more than six months.
That evening, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Carpenter shop at 71 East Town Street opens for trick-or-treating. All ages are welcome in costume, so bring a bag.
Slater Memorial Museum stays on the theme too. At 2 p.m., docent Nina Barclay leads the Monsters and Myths Cast Gallery Tour, which covers the macabre side of ancient Greece and Rome.
After the Doors Close, the Calendar Moves Downtown
From November 1, the calendar centers on City Hall, Broadway and a few special programs.
- Sunday, November 1, 1 p.m. The City Historian's Presidential Walking Tour of Downtown Norwich leaves from City Hall at 100 Broadway. It covers connections to Lincoln, Grant and Jackson at a moderate pace.
- Thursday, November 5, 6 p.m. The World War I Movie Series continues at Norwich City Hall. Earlier screenings fall on October 15 and October 29.
- Friday, November 6, 5 to 8 p.m. First Friday takes on Día de los Muertos downtown, with decorations, altars, entertainment, art and cultural activities, and local businesses open along the route.
- Saturday, November 7, 7 p.m. The Norwich Arts Center at 62 Broadway hosts an introduction to 19th-century Spiritualism.
- November 7 and 8. "Clocks of Eastern Connecticut," an exhibit and interactive presentation, runs at 348 Washington Street, with sessions at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. both days.
- November 13 to 15. Flock Theatre presents "Write Me at Every Opportunity" at Leffingwell, an original play for the 250th anniversary based on letters a Patriot from Preston wrote during the Revolution. Tickets and showtimes are on the Humanitix event page.
- Saturday, December 5. The Winterfest Light Parade. Activities start at 4 p.m. and the parade steps off at 6.
There may also be a new spot downtown for coffee before First Friday. The Day reported in July that the owners of Two Dogs Coffee Shop signed on as tenants at Crossings at 345, the renovated former YMCA, for a 1,200-square-foot space facing Main Street. At the time, the shop was aiming for a fall opening, and the building's commercial spaces were expected to open in October or November. I haven't seen an opening date confirmed yet.
Fall is my favorite time to show people around Norwich, from the scarecrows at Leffingwell to the lights on Broadway in December. If you've got questions about the city, or about what's going on in your corner of it, Skyla Gagnon is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
