OLD MILL POND VILLAGE, GRANBY
When I first stumbled across the Old Mill Pond Village Shops in Granby, I thought I had "discovered" something everyone in central Connecticut already knew all about. This massive (well, massive for Granby) shopping complex in an 18th century mill village just seemed like the sort of place everyone within 50 miles would have fond memories of visiting as children, and would return to as adults if they happened to need a barn star or an Amish-made kitchen table. But when I investigated (i.e., asked a few people and ran a perfunctory Google search) I found that although the family-run Old Mill Pond Village has been a Granby fixture for over 40 years, it's not exactly famous. It doesn't have pages of nostalgic reviews on Yelp, and it doesn't come up in lists of Connecticut shopping or tourist destinations. That said, the place clearly has its fans, and it was pretty busy when I visited on an autumn weekend.
It might be impossible to compile a comprehensive list of everything sold here, but think seasonal decorations, candy, kitchenware, jewelry, kitschy garden accessories, an overwhelming assortment of furniture, and all-purpose last-minute gifts for practically anyone. The Christmas Shop inhabits the vast former grist mill and saw mill, and the merchandise from the other five shops fills up and spills out of other rambling old buildings. The atmosphere is slightly touristy, very country, and surprisingly historic, as if a costumed interpreter might pop out from behind a corner hutch or a display of jams and offer to tell you about local life in the 1700s. (That doesn't happen, thankfully.)
My own ideal shopping experience is something like "where understated style meets extreme discounts." Old Mill Pond Village is the opposite of that. Yet somehow, I found browsing the shops here to be very entertaining. You could probably spend all afternoon admiring the pottery and wandering among the lawn ornaments; if they added a cafe, you could probably spend all day.
It might be impossible to compile a comprehensive list of everything sold here, but think seasonal decorations, candy, kitchenware, jewelry, kitschy garden accessories, an overwhelming assortment of furniture, and all-purpose last-minute gifts for practically anyone. The Christmas Shop inhabits the vast former grist mill and saw mill, and the merchandise from the other five shops fills up and spills out of other rambling old buildings. The atmosphere is slightly touristy, very country, and surprisingly historic, as if a costumed interpreter might pop out from behind a corner hutch or a display of jams and offer to tell you about local life in the 1700s. (That doesn't happen, thankfully.)
My own ideal shopping experience is something like "where understated style meets extreme discounts." Old Mill Pond Village is the opposite of that. Yet somehow, I found browsing the shops here to be very entertaining. You could probably spend all afternoon admiring the pottery and wandering among the lawn ornaments; if they added a cafe, you could probably spend all day.
VERY AUTUMNAL
THE "VILLAGE" CONSISTS OF EIGHT BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE RED BARN GIFT SHOP AND GENERAL STORE
WHERE BARN STARS COME FROM
STARS AND CHAIRS
NOT HAUNTED (I THINK) BUT FILLED WITH FURNITURE
THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO GRANBY
YES, THIS IS WALLPAPER
BY THE POND
INSIDE THE GENERAL STORE
THIS IS NOT THE CHARTER OAK; GRANBY HAS ITS OWN ICONIC TREE, THE GRANBY OAK. IT'S PICTURED ON THE TOWN SEAL.
LITTLE DETAILS
THIS BUILDING IS CALLED THE 1760 HOUSE
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