New London — The Thames River Heritage Park Foundation has received a $40,000 grant from the Panorama Foundation “to support the development of a collaborative effort among the sites in the park through the creation of a pilot program to provide a consistent and robust visitor experience,” the group announced on Monday.

In its second season, the Thames River Heritage Park is a collection of almost 20 national, state and local historic sites on both shores of the Thames River linked by a seasonal water taxi.

The water taxi operates 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with two stops in New London and one in Groton. Tours along the river also are offered.

Heritage sites within the park on the Groton side include: the Avery-Copp House, the Ebenezer Avery House, Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Ledge Light, the Submarine Force Museum and the Subvets World War II National Memorial East. Sites on the New London side include: Fort Trumbull State Park, Custom House Maritime Museum, the Garde Arts Center, Nathan Hale Schoolhouse, Shaw Mansion, the Hempsted Houses, Monte Cristo Cottage, Lyman Allyn Museum, Connecticut College and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

For more information on the park and the water taxi, visit thamesriverheritagepark.org.