Saturday, April 25 @ 10:30 am
Battle of Ridgefield Walking Tours
On Saturday, April 25, 2025 the Ridgefield Historical Society, in partnership with theKeeler Tavern Museum and History Center, will host one hour long walking tours at 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, and 12:00pm to commemorate the 249th Anniversary of the Battle of Ridgefield, which took place on April 27, 1777. This was the only inland engagement of the Revolutionary War fought in Connecticut and we remember the courage of a vastly outnumbered Patriot force led by Generals David Wooster, Benedict Arnold, and Gold Selleck Silliman, who confronted a force of 2,000 British troops that had burned Danbury. This program is part of the Ridgefield Historical Society’s and Keeler Tavern Museum’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America in 2026.
The Battle of Ridgefield Walking Tour is a “living history” event produced by the Ridgefield Historical Society under the direction of local luminary Dr. Darla Shaw. Revolutionary War characters will be brought to life by actors in period costumes, including Benedict Arnold, General Tryon, and Anna Stebbins, among others, who will be stationed at stops along the east side of Main Street, beginning at the Battle of Ridgefield sign at the Casagmo Condominium Association, and ending at the British cannonball lodged in the cornerpost of Keeler Tavern Museum. The tour is around one mile long, approximately an hour in length, and each stop will feature a short, entertaining, and informative performance.
Tours will take place rain or shine and will be capped at 20 people per group. Park at the nearest public lot, walk to the meeting location on Main Street at the entrance of Casagmo Condominium Association, and check in no later than 10 minutes before your tour departure time as tours will depart promptly. If you’re late or miss your tour, we unfortunately won’t be able to add you to another tour.
Tickets are limited, nonrefundable, and are expected to sell out quickly as they do every year: $25 per person for general admission and discounted at $20 per person for Ridgefield Historical Society members (members should enter discount code 5OFF at checkout). PLEASE DO NOT USE THE DISCOUNT CODE IF YOU ARE NOT AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE RIDGEFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY. If you’re not a member of the Historical Society, we welcome you to join by clicking HERE. If you are unsure of your membership status, contact [email protected] or call 203-438-5821.
Join a Tour of Keeler Tavern Museum after the Battle of Ridgefield Walking Tour
To commemorate the Battle of Ridgefield, KTM&HC will offer FREE site admission all day on Saturday, April 25th.
On Saturday, April 25, KTM&HC museum interpreters will lead abbreviated, 30-minute “War at Home” tours at 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, and 3pm. Registration is not required. Tours begin at the front door of the museum, where visitors will view the cannonball fired by British soldiers as they attacked T. Keeler’s Inn during the Battle of Ridgefield – still lodged in the cornerpost of the building, almost 250 years later!
In KTM&HC’s “War at Home” tours, visitors will go beyond the battlefield to learn about the experiences of the residents of our site during the Battle of Ridgefield. Discover how the members of the Keeler household navigated community division and the war’s impact on families, and discuss how we remember the events today.