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An ornate iron gate welcomes you into Mathews Park where you will find free parking and choice activities to begin your tour. Straight ahead is the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum[3], an elegant tribute to 19th century art and architecture. The former gatehouse and carriage house buildings are now the Fairfield County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking[1], a unique gallery and workshop dedicated to the artistry of paper and print. At the modern Stepping Stones Museum for Children[2], a height limitation keeps kids the focus of unusual adventures featuring color, bubbles, percussion and “Please touch-me” exhibits. Beyond is Devon’s Place, a playground that provides interesting equipment to entice all ages.

Follow the winding path down the hill, across Crescent St., into the Oyster Shell Park Trail. Pause at the piers along the Norwalk River to savor the river’s rich environment as you find your way to the Maritime Aquarium[4] and IMAX Theater. Designed to promote the ecosystems of Long Island Sound, the Aquarium is at the heart of a transformation in Historic South Norwalk. Their partnership with the Seaport Association and area businesses has produced a lively riverside destination that attracts thousands to its sidewalks and docks. Events such as the SoNo Arts Celebration and Norwalk Seaport’s Oyster Festival are heavily attended. At the Aquarium dock, board the Oceanic for an educational cruise on the Sound or take the Seaport Assn.’s ferry to view the Sheffield Island Lighthouse. Ready to eat? Washington St. offers many restaurants, and places to shop, too. Here you will also find the SONO Switch Tower Museum[5] where railroad fans will lose themselves inside as trains whiz by outside. Finally, The Norwalk Museum[6], the original city hall, celebrates the commercial and cultural evolution of Norwalk over the last 100 years.

As you explore SoNo, you will surely notice the murals, a special viewing pleasure in Norwalk. For more, drive just a mile northeast of Mathews Park, where the impressive Norwalk City Hall houses our nation’s largest collection of these paintings done during the 1930’s by the WPA. There is more hands-on history nearby at the Historical Society’s Mill Hill Museum, whose property includes several restored buildings from Norwalk’s past.

Walk at your leisure as shown on map 1.3 miles from points 1 to 6.

Please check before coming for hours, event schedules, and admission fees.