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Ledyard, Connecticut: Farm Town Turned Resort Destination

Ledyard, Connecticut

Pictures from Ledyard

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Ledyard Center Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill Foxwoods Resort Casino

Ledyard incorporated as a town in 1836, taking its name from Colonel William Ledyard, the Revolutionary War officer killed defending Fort Griswold on Groton Heights in 1781. Settlement in the area reaches back to the mid-seventeenth century, chronicled in John Avery's 1901 history of the town's first 250 years. A farming community through the nineteenth century, Ledyard later became a bedroom community for workers commuting to Groton and New London along the Thames. Its modern era turned on a single 1992 decision: the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opened Foxwoods Resort Casino in the town's northeastern section, and it grew into one of Connecticut's biggest tourist draws. The tribally owned Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center followed in 1998, billed as the world's largest Native American museum. Older industry survives too, at the town-owned Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill, a rare water-powered sash mill restored to working order in the 1970s.

  1. Billed as the world's largest Native American museum.

  2. A rare, volunteer-run water-powered sash sawmill.

  3. A gaming and entertainment resort opened by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in 1992.

  4. A working winery with tastings and live music.

  5. A historic house and farm-tool museum in Gales Ferry.

  6. A farm market with its own bakery, winery, and cidery.

  7. Foxwoods' signature tribally owned steakhouse.

  8. The resort's flagship AAA Four Diamond hotel tower.

Farm town turned resort destination

Ledyard incorporated as a town in 1836, taking its name from Colonel William Ledyard, the Revolutionary War officer killed defending Fort Griswold on Groton Heights in 1781. Settlement in the area reaches back to the mid-seventeenth century, chronicled in John Avery's 1901 history of the town's first 250 years. A farming community through the nineteenth century, Ledyard later became a bedroom community for workers commuting to Groton and New London along the Thames. Its modern era turned on a single 1992 decision: the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opened Foxwoods Resort Casino in the town's northeastern section, and it grew into one of Connecticut's biggest tourist draws. The tribally owned Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center followed in 1998, billed as the world's largest Native American museum.

Getting there

Ledyard is a driving destination: travelers exit I-95 on the Groton/North Stonington side (Exit 88) and follow local roads such as Colonel Ledyard Highway and CT Route 214 into town. There is no rail station in Ledyard itself — the nearest trains are at New London Union Station, served by Amtrak Northeast Regional (Acela no longer stops there) and the eastern terminus of CTrail's Shore Line East commuter line.

Foxwoods, a sawmill, and a family winery

Foxwoods Resort Casino, opened by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in 1992, anchors the town's northeastern section with gaming, dining, and hotel towers including the Grand Pequot Tower. The town-owned Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill, at Sawmill Park on Route 214, is a rare surviving water-powered up-and-down sash sawmill, demonstrated by volunteers on spring and fall Saturdays. Maugle Sierra Vineyards and Holmberg Orchards & Winery Farm Market round out a more rural side of town, both reached from I-95 Exit 88.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Ledyard?
Ledyard is a driving destination reached from I-95 Exit 88 via Colonel Ledyard Highway and CT Route 214. There is no rail station in Ledyard; the nearest is New London Union Station, served by Amtrak Northeast Regional — Acela no longer stops there — and Shore Line East's eastern terminus.
When did Foxwoods Resort Casino open?
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opened Foxwoods in 1992 in the northeastern section of Ledyard; it has since grown into one of Connecticut's biggest tourist destinations, with hotel towers including the Grand Pequot Tower and Fox Tower.
What is the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center?
A tribally owned museum that opened August 11, 1998, described as the world's largest Native American museum. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
What is the Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill?
A rare surviving water-powered up-and-down (sash) sawmill at Sawmill Park on Route 214, restored to operating condition in the 1970s and still run by volunteers, with free demonstrations on Saturdays 1-4 p.m. in spring (April-May) and fall (October-November).
Is there lodging in Ledyard outside of Foxwoods?
The only lodging verified inside Ledyard's boundaries is the Foxwoods resort hotel complex on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation; no independent inn or B&B in town could be verified as currently operating.

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