Extraordinary farm and architecture dedicated to enhancing our well-being with our connection to nature. We enjoyed our morning with a presentation on the wildlife in our region. Since becoming a member I have enjoyed taking walks and visiting the gardens. There is a cafe that offers healthy and delicious options. The architecture of the sanctuary is pure genius and worthy of listening to the presentation of the details that went into the design.

This place is worth visiting every season! The River’s building, designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa at SANAA, fits perfectly with the natural landscape. Taking a stroll in the garden, breathing the fresh air, seeing the trees grown more than hundreds of years offered a nice city getaway. As the Sanctuary is the highest place in New Canaan, you can have a panoramic view of the city. The food (pizza and soup), pastries (especially almond croissant), tea (personally, Rooibos Chai is my favorite) and cappuccino were phenomenal at the Commons. The volunteers were all very welcoming and knowledgeable. It’s so great to hear the stories about how the architects incorporate eco-friendly concepts into the buildings and people’s daily lives, how the non-profit organization has hosted events to promote their beliefs, etc. After today’s visit, my friends and I already booked our tickets for the next springtime event. Looking forward to it.

This is truly an incredible and beautiful place to visit. We were only there for a short time but it was absolutely stunning. We wish we could have spent more time there. They request you reserve an entrance ticket online before visiting but it is free admission. There is a place to get food as well as a bookstore on the campus. The pavilion by Sanna is definitely the highlight but the nature there is so beautiful and serene.

We haven’t visited Grace Farms in a while and everything was planned much more properly now with some interesting classes & art related speeches. Grace Farm looks impressively beautiful in Autumn color and it’s also a perfect place for kids to play around.

Beautiful location and excellent architecture. The quality of the spaces is top notch. The food at the cafe was very good, some vegan options were available. Their tea is really nice but the coffee can be improved. We went on members day and it was fun. Not sure if they have as many volunteers on normals days, that was a bit overkill since there were not that many visitors.

I have been there for at least 10 times! It’s a good place to chill, relax and have a nice cup of coffee or brunch with family and friends. The food here were delicious and freshly made for the day! It’s a quiet space to get away from the hustle life and enjoy the nature while staying in the space designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects SANAA! And I like the her design idea for the architecture” undulates across the grounds in a series of twists and turns that echo the curves of a river.” However, it’s a beautiful place that worthy visit for thousand times!

One of my favorite places for good reads & good designs. It’s a wonderful place to experience design, nature, art, architecture, meals and so much more! The person at the front desk during our visit was very welcoming and kind. Although weather conditions weren’t the best during my visit, it was still a pleasure to finally visit this farm and see the River in person as well as many other SANAA’s beautiful designs as I strolled through the farm. I would have to say I had an overall positive experience here despite the gloomy skies and mild rain. I definitely plan on visiting the farm again once on a sunny day and once more on a snowy day!

A beautiful retreat open to the public. You need to obtain a pass before you go, but it's free. The structure is thoughtfully built to blend in with the hilly terrain. Theres something for everyone. A oneile hiking trail, a basketball court, a library, and a breakfast cafeteria and tea room. Each space is sound proofed so the atmosphere is one of peacefulness.

Visited here a bit before it closed, so I didn't get to take part in any tours or programming of the day. Regardless, I took quick stroll around the grounds and the building truly is beautiful. It's not just architectural design, but also community design. And one of the staff members proactively gave me a quick 10-min tour despite being at the end of the day. And free admission for the benefit of everyone. We really need more places like this!

There is an incredible and beautifully designed building at the center of this property, if you stop in for one of the architecture talks, you will learn quite a bit about the design and materials. it definitely has a modern Japanese feel to it. The property is 80 acres with a large meadow surrounding the building and some lovely trees on the outskirts. There is a café in the building that has some simple meals available, also pastries and coffee, etc. we enjoyed our lunch in the patio area next to the café. We did walk the trails that go around the property’s perimeter and it was a nice late summer stroll. Other than the building, there isn’t really much to see, or do besides take some pictures with the interesting backdrop. They do have some organized programs which sound like they could be interesting, we will be returning for one of the astronomy sessions in October 2022.

Pleasantly surprised and impressed! I thought it was a farm but it turns out it’s much more than that and in a category of its own. Bring architecture lover, the tour is a must to know the intricate details of the design and the reasons behind them. Good walking trails around the property and great café with locally produced food. Love the library most - spent a most pleasant afternoon there in recent memories.

We drove from Toronto Ontario Canada to meet friends at Grace Farms during our summer vacation. Our experience, the architecture and views were breathtaking! I’d definitely recommend and we will definitely return for another visit!

Highly recommend stopping by to see the architecture and nature. The tea I bought was also excellent.

Beautiful grounds wrap The River building. So many details in the planning of this structure where so well-thought out. While there are ramps and stairs taking visitors from one pod to the next, there are also elevators so that all guests can enjoy their visit and partake in its offerings. During my short visit, they were in between program offerings, but there wad activity everywhere. The lecture hall was closed but 2 guests were getting a private tour, people were studying in the library, the commons was bustling with guest having beverages, food and socializing while others ordered take-away and there were multiple picnics happening. Several people were having a meeting in the mediation room, and the sunken gymnasium was busy with half-court basketball and half-court children's activities. Both 'barns' (air conditioned offices and display spaces) were occupied with visitors and staff. All this happening yet nothing felt crowded. Be aware your ID will be logged at the gate. From there you will follow the road to parking where you can check in at Barn 1 foe the schedule of the day or to get information and use the bathroom (The River has bathrooms in all the buildings-not sure about the mediation room though). It's welcoming to everyone and all ages. There is also a nature path if you like to extend your walk.

Beautiful place to spend a day here! Absolutely stunning landscape & architecture by SANAA. If you plan to eat here, the kitchen has plenty good options to pick from, given some of their produce is also locally grown & sourced. Must visit for all budding architects & archi students! What a relaxing space to be in.

A beautiful sanctuary with robust programming including tea tastings, live music, talks … well worth visiting! Walk around the 80 acre grounds on a lovely afternoon.

Okay, so I visited Grace Farms today just to see the architecture. If you told me this place was run by a cult, I would 100% believe you. I felt so out of place. Why would they need to have the whole place gated with security guards, scan your driver's license, know your email and zip code and make you wear wristbands if all you wanna do is drink a coffee in a cool glass house? I didn't get to try any tea tastings or go to an event due to it being late in the day. The cafe food was delicious. The library had an extremely small collection- wouldn't necessarily call it a library- more like a reading nook.. But the books were well curated. We were told to visit the playground- it was really foam blocks and balls in an underground gym. Would definitely go again just for the good food and nature walk.

Very nice place with incredible architecture. Definitely worth to visit. The Food was not the best but that is not what I'm expecting by visiting some kind of museum. Very nice staff!