Long before it was a prison, this Connecticut tunnel dug up the nation’s first copper

A Mine That Became A Prison

East Granby sits in northern Connecticut, and it holds a piece of history most people drive right past. Old New-Gate started as a copper mine, the first one ever chartered in North America.

The state later turned it into a prison, and for decades men lived and worked in the dark tunnels below. You can still walk down into those same shafts today, and the ruins above ground carry the rest of the story.

The Mine That Turned Into A Prison

A group of Simsbury proprietors formed an association in 1707 to dig for copper here, but the ore never paid off the way they hoped. By the 1750s, the mine sat empty.

Connecticut bought the land in the 1770s and opened its first prison on the site, sending men into the same tunnels to sleep and putting them to work in shops above ground during the day. The prison ran until 1827.

Today the site holds National Historic Landmark status, and the state reopened it to visitors in 2018 after a long restoration.

Underground Tunnels Stay Cool Year Round

The guided mine tour is the reason most people come to Old New-Gate in the first place.

You walk down into tunnels that hold steady around 52 degrees no matter the season, so bring a light jacket even in July.

Guides point out marks the original miners left in the rock, and you can see shafts that drop straight down before turning sideways into the hill.

If you want a preview before you go, the state also offers a virtual version of the tour online.

Wander The Ruins Of The Old Prison Yard

Once you climb back into daylight, the prison yard is yours to explore at your own pace.

Stone walls and scattered ruins still trace the old layout, and exhibits scattered through the grounds explain what daily life looked like for guards, prisoners, and even early tourists who came to gawk.

The old guardhouse area fills in more of that history. Signs let you wander wherever curiosity takes you, and nobody rushes you along.

Art And Redemption Inside The Visitor Center

The visitor center does more than sell tickets. It houses the Old New-Gate Museum of Art, which rotates through work made by people in a state prison arts program.

Inside the same building sits the first-ever Connecticut Hall of Change, a space that honors formerly incarcerated people who went on to help their communities.

Between the mine tunnels and this exhibit, the visit ends up carrying a lot more weight than you might expect walking in.

A Picnic Spot With Valley Views

Outside the visitor center, a picnic area opens onto the surrounding countryside, and it makes a good spot to slow down after the tour. There is no restaurant or snack bar on site, so most visitors bring their own food.

Just take every scrap of it with you when you leave, since the state asks visitors not to leave anything behind that might draw bears.

Even after the site closes for the day, you can still walk along the outside of the old prison walls.

Bats Take Over Every September

The mine tunnels that once held prisoners now shelter a colony of bats, and the state throws them their own celebration each September with a free Bat Appreciation Day.

Wildlife biologists show up to explain why bats matter and how you can help protect them, along with hands-on demonstrations built for kids and adults alike.

If you want to see Old New-Gate from a completely different angle, this is the day to do it.

Miles Of Trails At McLean Game Refuge

Just up the road in Granby, the McLean Game Refuge covers roughly 4,400 acres of forest, fields, and streams.

Senator George P. McLean left the land as a refuge back in 1932, and it now holds more than 20 miles of trails ranging from flat loops to steady climbs. Getting in costs nothing.

Keep your eyes open as you walk, since hikers here sometimes spot black bears along with plenty of other wildlife moving through the woods.

The Climb To Heublein Tower Pays Off

Talcott Mountain State Park rises about 1,000 feet above the valley, and a trail of roughly 1.3 miles carries you up to the historic Heublein Tower.

Built in 1914, the tower stands 165 feet tall, and from the top you look out over the Hartford skyline and the river valley stretched out below.

On a clear day, the view reaches all the way to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, about 80 miles off in the distance.

Pedal The Flat Farmington Canal Trail

If your legs need a break from climbing, the paved Farmington Canal Heritage Trail runs right through the area and stays mostly flat, since it follows an old canal route and later a rail line.

The path threads through both East Granby and Granby on its way north.

It also forms part of the East Coast Greenway, a route planned to eventually stretch from Florida to Maine. The car-free surface suits families and casual riders just fine.

A Bridge Covered In Flowers In Simsbury

Nearby in Simsbury, the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge gives you a reason to stop and stretch your legs.

Once a working road bridge, it now carries only foot traffic across the Farmington River, and volunteers keep it decorated with live flowers planted in containers along the railing.

Picnic tables and benches sit close by if you want to rest before continuing on. It is a small stop, but it breaks up a longer day in the valley.

Historic Aircraft Fill Three Big Hangars

The New England Air Museum in nearby Windsor Locks calls itself the largest aviation museum in the region, and more than 80 aircraft back that up across three hangars and an outdoor yard.

You can climb into a real cockpit or take a turn on a flight simulator, which makes it a hit with kids who might otherwise get restless. On a rainy day, this museum turns into the best backup plan for the whole trip.

Visiting Old New-Gate Prison in Connecticut

Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine sits at 115 Newgate Road in East Granby, Connecticut.

For the 2026 season, it opens May 8 through October, Thursday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The guided mine tour takes you underground into air that stays about 52 degrees, so bring a jacket and think about your comfort with stairs and tight spaces before you go down.

A large lot sits just north of the site, with overflow parking to the south. Pack your own food for a picnic, and carry it all out with you.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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