Once-Beloved Park In Farmington/New Britain Reopens After More Than a Decade

FARMINGTON/NEW BRITAIN/HARTFORD, CT — Years of talk, proposals, and planning have ended, and the time to relax and have fun regarding a once-popular regional park has now come to fruition.

Batterson Park, which is owned by the City of Hartford but located in Farmington/New Britain, has officially reopened to the public after being closed for more than a decade.

The recent reopening restores public access to one of Greater Hartford's largest regional parks following a yearslong, multi-agency revitalization effort.

The Town of Farmington's Explore Farmington economic development office announced the reopening on July 2, highlighting the return of the 266-acre park at 95 Batterson Park Road, which sits along the Farmington-New Britain border.

The site is open daily from sunrise to sunset, with free admission and parking.

Visitors can now enjoy more than 260 acres featuring walking trails, picnic areas, a splash pad, a playground, a pavilion with restrooms, and access to Batterson Park Pond for launching personal canoes and kayaks.

Dogs are also welcome on leash.

The reopening marks a major milestone for a park that had been closed since 2015, when the City of Hartford — which owns the property despite it lying outside city limits — cited financial constraints that limited its ability to staff, maintain and operate the facility.

The revitalized park is the result of a regional partnership involving the City of Hartford, the State of Connecticut, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Hartford-based Riverfront Recapture, and local partners.

Batterson Park spans 266 acres, including a 155-acre pond, with approximately 80% of the property in Farmington and the remaining 20% in New Britain.

The roughly $7 million redevelopment includes a new entrance drive and parking area, park support buildings, a boardwalk, picnic pavilions, a fishing pier, a bird-watching tower, hiking trails, a playground and a splash pad.

While the pond is open for canoe and kayak launches, public swimming is not permitted.

Before the reopening plan took shape, state and local officials explored transferring the property to Connecticut as Batterson State Park, an effort that ultimately failed to receive legislative approval.

Instead, Hartford, the state, and nonprofit partners reached an agreement placing operation of the park under Riverfront Recapture, the Hartford-based nonprofit that manages several parks and recreational spaces throughout the greater Hartford region.

The reopening restores public access to a longtime recreational destination that had fallen into disrepair during its closure and provides residents of Farmington, New Britain, and surrounding communities with expanded opportunities for outdoor recreation.

From April 23, 2025:'Massive Farmington Park's Resurrection Officially Underway'