Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park
Earthworks, a tall monument, museum rooms, and a commanding river view mark the violent 1781 attack on Groton Heights.
Artwork inspired by John Trumbull
On September 6, 1781, British forces assaulted Fort Griswold after burning New London. The earthwork survived, making the battlefield’s compact geometry unusually readable. The Groton Monument and museum later transformed the hill into a place of mourning, civic memory, and contested heroic narrative.
Walk the earthwork before climbing or entering anything. The monument and museum have limited seasonal hours, while the open battlefield can be visited more broadly. Read casualty and participant accounts critically, and compare the view toward Fort Trumbull to understand both sides of the river. The monument climb makes the wider harbor geography legible.
- Battle
- September 6, 1781
- Memorial
- Groton Monument
- Fort type
- Earthen star work
Quick guide
- Walk the walls
- Use the surviving earthwork to reconstruct the assault.
- Cross the river visually
- Locate New London and Fort Trumbull from the hill.
Know before you go
- Begin with the plan
- Read an orientation map before crossing the earthwork.
- Find the approach
- Use slope and wall height to understand attack routes.
- Question commemoration
- Separate 1781 events from later monument language.
- Check tower access
- The monument can close while grounds remain open.
Good to know
The battlefield, museum, and monument do not share identical hours or accessibility. Monument stairs are strenuous and enclosed; visitors can still understand the site from the earthworks and river overlook.
Notice these
- Fort earthworks
- Groton Monument
- Thames River view