Branford has been a traveler’s paradise since the mid-19th century, when it was established as a popular resort area with 20 hotels. Although it has since shed that image in favor of a more suburban feel, Branford still has plenty to offer visitors and its nearly 30,000 residents.

This bustling town has something for everyone, from artists to architecture lovers. Six historic districts, all listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture.

More than 20 historic homes and other properties are separately listed on the National Register. In total, 30 properties or districts in Branford appear in New Haven County's NRHP listings. One example is Harrison House and Museum, a 1724 structure, which has period furnishings, local historical items, archives, a barn and an herb garden.

Recreational facilities include several parks and beaches, hiking trails along Lake Saltonstall and a stretch of the Shoreline Greenway Trail, and more than 12 marinas.

There are two harbors here—Stony Creek Harbor on the east end and the more central Branford Harbor. Spend a summer day soaking up sun and water on the town beach at Branford Point. Almost a quarter of Branford’s 28 square miles is water, including the Branford River, Queach Brook, and the Branford Supply Ponds. That doesn’t include the town’s 20 miles of shoreline, or the Thimble Islands just off the coast.

The smallest island in this archipelago was discovered in 1614 and measures just 21,000 square feet. Tours depart the town dock at Stony Creek daily, and private evening cruises are available. According to local legend, Captain Kidd, one of history’s most notorious pirates, buried his bounty on one of these tiny islands.

This belief has also been immortalized in such literature as Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold-Bug, Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Nelson DeMille's Plum Island. It also spurred treasure hunts on Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Long Island in New York, the Thimble Islands, and the island of Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy.

Local treasures of a more symbolic kind are easily enjoyed. The Branford Town Green is a popular destination for picnics with friends and family, as well as home to free jazz concerts all summer long.

For more info about Branford, links to town businesses and activities, or maps of inland trails, visit the town of Branford online at www.branford-ct.gov or the Branford Chamber of Commerce at www.branfordct.com.