FRIENDS OF VALLEY FALLS will host an Open House and Farm Tours on the hour at 12, 1 and 2 PM in co-operation with the State of CT Open House Day (https://www.ctvisit.com/CTOpenHouseDay#section-185 ) annual celebration of Ct Museums and local attractions……Scenic Valley Falls Farm, soon to house the Heritage Center Museum, is an example of a “Gentleman’s Farm” from the early 20th century.  It consists of an 1850’s farmhouse, a stable, piggery, woodshed, manure cellar, root cellar, and a 1911 barn, across Valley Falls Road–owned by the Town of Vernon.

Tours of the farm buildings (except the farmhouse, which is a private residence), complete with stories of the previous owners, and our interpretation of the “workings” of the buildings long ago, are always a fun way to spend time in a glorious, bucolic setting.

The Farm is located at 345 Valley Falls Road, Vernon.  Parking is available at Valley Falls Park, just down the road.  Limited handicap parking is available at the Barn.

Valley Falls Farm, 2016

Denise and fellow birders, 2022

We really enjoyed the “Birdwalk” with Denise Animani on Saturday, May 7….after two years of COVID avoidance, we were able to resume FVF’s popular “3-Walk Weekend” series this year!  Birders got to the Park at 7:30AM on a freezing early May morning to see what migrating birds were passing through Valley Falls Park in the early spring.  Denise Animani shared her wealth of information on bird migration patterns, bird songs, and bird-spotting once again.  We saw, or heard: Birdwalk, 2022 (2)nearly 40 species of birds!  A wonderful way to resume our series of walks at Valley Falls Park!