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Granby, Connecticut: Cider Distilling and a Notch on the Massachusetts Line

Granby, Connecticut

Pictures from Granby

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Trout Pond, McLean Game Refuge Enders State Forest waterfall Granby town green

Granby's roots lie in land grants made "at Salmon Brook" in the late 17th century, after King Philip's War, to Puritan families including Nathaniel Holcomb, Nicholas Gossard, George Hayes and James Hillyer, who were required to travel to Simsbury for church meetings. The town was incorporated in 1786 from a section of Simsbury, and Samuel Hayes, a yeoman farmer and militia captain, became its first elected magistrate. Granby remained Hartford County's leading cider-distilling area throughout the 19th century, even as temperance campaigns pushed against it; brook-powered manufacturing never took hold because small shops couldn't compete with steam-powered city factories. The distinctive notch in Granby's northern border with Massachusetts is the result of a 150-year boundary dispute settlement. The early economy rested on tobacco, farming and dairying into the mid-20th century, and U.S. Senator George P. McLean's 1932 bequest created the 4,400-acre McLean Game Refuge across Granby, Simsbury and Canton.

  1. Granby's history museum, with a research library and free Wilcox House tours.

  2. Waterfalls and a purple-blazed trail, mostly in Granby.

  3. A working 300-acre farm with woodland trails and Fresh Access produce donations.

  4. 3,491 protected acres across the Seth and Lucy Holcombe, Godard and other preserves.

  5. A North Granby tasting room with an art gallery.

  6. Upscale-casual Italian cooking on Bank Street.

  7. A hard cidery and pick-your-own orchard.

  8. A pastry shop run by the state's 2025 Pastry Chef of the Year.

  9. Ice cream and street food, with charity Give Back Days.

  10. An orchard bakery in North Granby.

Salmon Brook, waterfalls and a working farm

The Salmon Brook Historical Society keeps Granby's story at its Salmon Brook Street campus, with a Research Library in the Preservation Barn and a Museum Store in the Enders House, plus free tours of the Wilcox House on selected Saturdays and Open Farm Day. Enders State Forest, lying predominantly in Granby with a share in Barkhamsted, is known for waterfalls; DEEP directs visitors to the main purple-blazed trail and warns against swimming or wading near the slippery rocks. Holcomb Farm, a working 300-acre farm with more than 10 miles of woodland trails, supplies produce to about 600 food-insecure households a week through its Fresh Access program and hosts an annual Holcomb Hoedown.

Getting there

Granby is a drive-to town with no rail service of its own: Interstate 91 sits about 8.6 miles east of town, reached via Route 20, with Routes 10, 189, 202 and 219 also serving Granby. Bradley International Airport is about six miles east on Route 20, and downtown Hartford is about 13.6 miles south. The nearest CTrail Hartford Line stations are Windsor Locks and Windsor; the line runs Springfield-Windsor Locks-Windsor-Hartford-Berlin-Meriden-Wallingford-New Haven, with no Metro-North or Shore Line East service reaching this part of the state.

Land trust preserves and an orchard bakery

The Granby Land Trust owns 2,421 acres and holds conservation easements on another 1,070, including the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve and the Godard Preserve. Lost Acres Vineyard in North Granby runs a tasting room, art gallery and pizza nights, and hosts the Land Trust's annual juried art show. La Figata Restaurant on Bank Street serves wood-fired Italian cooking, while Julien Tessier — the Connecticut Restaurant Association's 2025 Pastry Chef of the Year — runs Julien's Bakery from a converted farm shop and a new Bank Street location.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Granby?
By car — Route 20 connects to I-91, about 8.6 miles east of town, with Routes 10, 189, 202 and 219 also serving Granby. There is no passenger rail station in Granby; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line stops are Windsor Locks and Windsor.
Is there a train to Granby?
No. The nearest CTrail Hartford Line stations are Windsor Locks and Windsor. Public transit to Granby itself is limited — check CTtransit for current routes.
What is the McLean Game Refuge?
A 4,400-acre nature refuge across Granby, Simsbury and Canton, created by an 1932 bequest from U.S. Senator George P. McLean, with over twenty miles of hiking trails and forest roads. The staffed main entrance is on Great Pond Road in Simsbury.
What is the Salmon Brook Historical Society?
Granby's history museum at 208 Salmon Brook Street, with a research library, museum store and free Wilcox House tours on selected Saturdays. Admission $5 adults, $2 children, $12 family maximum. Phone the society for current hours.
Is there a hotel in Granby?
No hotel, inn or B&B could be verified inside Granby. The nearest verified option is the Simsbury 1820 House, a historic inn in neighboring Simsbury.

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