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Monroe, Connecticut: Ghost Hunters and a Dam-Made Lake

Monroe, Connecticut

Pictures from Monroe

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Monroe town green bandstand Monroe Town Hall Great Hollow Lake

Monroe's land passed to Stratford's control in 1671 through the White Hills Purchase from the Paugusset, but the town itself was incorporated separately from Huntington — today's Shelton — in May 1823, and named for President James Monroe, then in office. It had earlier been known as the parish of New Stratford. Monroe grew up around three villages, Stepney, Stevenson and Monroe Center, and in the 19th century became a transportation hub for travelers moving between Danbury, Bridgeport and New York; today it serves largely as a bedroom community. The Stevenson Dam, built 1917-1919 on the Monroe-Oxford line, impounded the Housatonic to create Lake Zoar and its 27 miles of shoreline. In 1952 paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in Monroe.

  1. A 171-acre outdoor learning center.

  2. Monroe's flagship municipal park.

  3. A town lake park with a beach.

  4. Wooded park with 11 campsites.

  5. An 18-hole public golf course.

  6. A steakhouse since 1973.

  7. Italian-American since 1976.

  8. A gastropub with Friday karaoke.

  9. Fast-casual breakfast through dinner.

A dam-made lake and the Warrens' legacy

The Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant, built 1917-1919 on the Monroe-Oxford town line, impounded the Housatonic River to create Lake Zoar; Route 34 crosses on a reinforced-concrete bridge integral with the dam, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Ed and Lorraine Warren founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in Monroe in 1952, noted by some as the oldest continually operating paranormal group in the country; their Warrens' Occult Museum, however, is no longer open to the public. The Pequonnock River rises inside William E. Wolfe Park, and Monroe's northern edge borders Lake Zoar.

Getting there

Monroe has no railroad station of its own. Most visitors arrive by car on Route 25 or Route 111 from the Bridgeport/Merritt Parkway side, or on Route 34 along the Housatonic from the I-84 side; Route 25 itself runs Bridgeport-Trumbull-Monroe-Newtown-Brookfield. Rail travelers should use Metro-North's Bridgeport station on the New Haven Line, about 10.7 miles away; the closer Derby-Shelton stop on the Waterbury Branch, 6.4 miles from Monroe, has its rail service replaced by buses from July 20, 2026 through May 31, 2027 during a station reconstruction.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Monroe?
By car — Route 25 or Route 111 from the Bridgeport/Merritt Parkway side, or Route 34 along the Housatonic. There is no rail station in Monroe; the nearest working Metro-North stop is Bridgeport, about 10.7 miles away.
Is there a train near Monroe?
The closer option, Derby-Shelton on the Waterbury Branch (6.4 miles away), has its rail service replaced by buses from July 20, 2026 through May 31, 2027 for a station rebuild. Use Bridgeport station instead during that window.
Can I visit the Warrens' Occult Museum?
No — it is no longer open to the public and sits on private property.
Is there a golf course open to the public in Monroe?
Yes — Chris Bargas Golf Club & Event Venue at Whitney Farms, an 18-hole public course renamed in 2024, with tee times seven days a week.
Is there a hotel in Monroe?
No lodging inside Monroe could be verified.

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