Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park
Cliff jumping, ziplines, wakeboarding and kayaking in Portland's flooded brownstone quarries. Open spring through early autumn.
Portland & the Connecticut River Valley
We sit on Route 66 in Portland, on the east bank of the Connecticut River directly across from Middletown.
Getting around
Central Connecticut, without central Connecticut prices
Portland is a small river town with an outsized position on the map. Route 9 is two minutes from our door, which means Hartford is a twenty-minute drive north and the Long Island Sound shoreline is about thirty minutes south. Interstate 91 and Route 2 are both a short hop away.
Guests stay with us for a lot of different reasons — a Wesleyan drop-off or graduation, a job on a nearby site, a hospital visit, a wedding in Middletown, or just a stop between Boston and New York that does not cost what a stop in Hartford costs.
Whatever brought you here, the front desk knows the area. Ask.
The Connecticut River
Public boat launches, riverside walking trails and marinas, all within a mile of the front door.
Wesleyan University
Campus visits, family weekend and commencement. We fill early on those dates — book well ahead.
Downtown Middletown
One of the better restaurant strips in the state: Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern, brewpubs, and a long row of independents that stay open late.
Distances
What is nearby
Driving distances from our front door.
- Eggs Up RestaurantBreakfast and lunch, directly across the roadAcross the street
- Saint Clements Castle & MarinaWedding and event venue on the Connecticut RiverHalf a mile
- Brownstone Exploration & Discovery ParkCliff jumping, ziplines, kayaking in a flooded quarry3 miles
- Downtown MiddletownMain Street restaurants, bars and shops4 miles
- Wesleyan UniversityCampus visits, parents weekend, commencement5 miles
- Connecticut RiverBoat launches, riverside trails and marinas1 mile
- Portland FairgroundsSeasonal fairs, markets and events2 miles
- Middlesex Health, MiddletownMain hospital campus4 miles
- Route 9 & Route 66 JunctionDirect access north to Hartford, south to the shoreline2 miles
- Bradley International Airport (BDL)32 miles
- HartfordState capital, XL Center, Bushnell Park18 miles
- New Haven & Yale28 miles
- Mohegan Sun / Foxwoods36 – 44 miles
Outdoors
Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park is built into Portland's historic brownstone quarries — cliff jumping, ziplines, wakeboarding and kayaking in spring and summer. The Connecticut River has public boat launches and riverside walking trails within a mile of us.
Food & Drink
Eggs Up is directly across the road for breakfast. Middletown's Main Street, four miles away, has one of the better restaurant strips in the state — Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern, brewpubs and a long row of independent places that stay open late.
Campus & Business
Wesleyan University is five miles away, and we fill up fast around move-in, family weekend and commencement — book early for those dates. Middlesex Health's main campus is four miles, and the Route 9 corridor puts most central Connecticut job sites inside a thirty-minute drive.
Weddings & Events
Half a mile from Saint Clements Castle
Saint Clements Castle & Marina sits at 1931 Portland-Cobalt Road. We are at 1503, on the same road — about half a mile, which makes us the closest place to stay.
That distance is the whole point after a reception. Nobody drives to Hartford at midnight in formalwear. Our front desk is staffed 24 hours, parking is free and directly outside the rooms, and the double queen rooms suit guests sharing.
Booking for a wedding party? Call 860-342-0010 and ask about holding a block. We have 45 rooms, so a meaningful number can be set aside, and we would rather plan it with you than watch guests scatter across four properties.
Booking one or two rooms? Go straight to availability. Booking for the whole party? Call us — a block is quicker by phone than clicking through one room at a time.
Send us the details in thirty seconds
Tap one and your email app opens with the message already written. Fill in the blanks and send — no account, no login, nothing to download. We reply within one business day with availability and a rate.
Wedding room blockGuests coming for a wedding nearbyGroup or work crewReunions, teams and work crews
Planning further ahead? The room block request form takes about three minutes and covers welcome bags, printed schedules, early check-in on the wedding day and anything else your guests need. Nothing is held or charged until you have seen the rate.
Ready when you are
Front desk staffed 24 hours a day. Call us and we will match or beat any rate you find for the same room and dates on any travel site.