The Florence Griswold Museum

Florence Griswold was the daughter of a wealthy sea merchant in Old Lyme. She survived her parents, her siblings, and her entire family. She inherited the family home, a grand house with spectacular gardens, but she had no income and began taking in boarders. Lucky for her: her home became the hub of artistic activity around the turn of the century. Important American artists came to stay with her and her home became a well known artists colony. Some of the most important American art, especially Impressionism, came from the people who stayed at the Griswold house. Today it is a museum and has an impressive collection of American art. The house itself is open to the public too, as are the gardens.