Connecticut Library State Park Pass: How to Borrow One

Updated 2026-10-01 · Free · No sign-up

At some libraries. No Child Left Inside Library Pass runs in parts of Connecticut — call your branch before you drive. Verified against portal.ct.gov, checked 2026-09-04.

At a glance

Program	No Child Left Inside Library Pass
What it covers	Waives entrance fees for 2 adults + up to 4 children (12 and under) at only 3 specific sites: Dinosaur State Park (Rocky Hill), Gillette Castle State Park (East Haddam), and Fort Trumbull State Park/Visitor Center (New London). Excludes camping and special events.
How to borrow	Borrow at the circulation/information desk of participating CT public libraries; 3-day loan, first-come-first-served, picked up in person.
Day-use cost otherwise	Parking free for CT-registered vehicles statewide; museum/historic-building admission otherwise charged at Dinosaur SP, Gillette Castle, and Fort Trumbull.
Source	portal.ct.gov · checked 2026-09-04

Worth knowing

Connecticut already waives general parking fees statewide for CT-registered vehicles at state parks/forests, so this pass mainly unlocks museum/historic-building admission at the 3 named sites rather than general park entry. Program page references an Oct 2021-Dec 2022 validity window for the original pass batch — confirm current availability with CT DEEP/your library before relying on it.

How borrowing works in Connecticut

Because No Child Left Inside Library Pass runs through participating libraries rather than every Connecticut branch, the first move is a call to your own library — if they hold passes, they check out like books, usually one per household with holds allowed. The borrowed pass covers waives entrance fees for 2 adults + up to 4 children (12 and under) at only 3 specific sites: Dinosaur State Park (Rocky Hill), Gillette Castle State Park (East Haddam), and Fort Trumbull State Park/Visitor Center (New London). Excludes camping and special events.. The pass stops at the gate: camping, cabins and boat launches are their own bookings and fees.

How Connecticut compares

Connecticut is one of 8 states in this situation. Traveling? Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Maryland work the same way.

Before you drive: the Connecticut checklist

Hold the pass first. No Child Left Inside Library Pass passes live on a physical shelf — verify yours is in or on hold before building a Connecticut weekend around it, since summer demand runs high.
Check which parks honor it. Waives entrance fees for 2 adults + up to 4 children (12 and under) at only 3 specific sites: Dinosaur State Park (Rocky Hill), Gillette Castle State Park (East Haddam), and Fort Trumbull State Park/Visitor Center (New London). Excludes camping and special events..
Camping is never included. Campsites, cabins and boat launches are separate reservations and fees in every state program.
Bring your library card and call ahead. The pass rides on an active Connecticut card, and only participating branches stock passes — a two-minute call saves a wasted stop.

See all 50 states — 20 statewide programs, 8 partial, 10 free-entry states.

↥ Check another state → Browse all state park pass guides →

FAQ

Can I borrow a state park pass from a Connecticut library?

At participating libraries — No Child Left Inside Library Pass doesn't cover every system. Borrow at the circulation/information desk of participating CT public libraries; 3-day loan, first-come-first-served, picked up in person.

What does Connecticut state park entry normally cost?

Parking free for CT-registered vehicles statewide; museum/historic-building admission otherwise charged at Dinosaur SP, Gillette Castle, and Fort Trumbull.. Every visit on a borrowed pass avoids exactly that charge.

Does the borrowed pass cover camping?

No: the loan covers gate entry for the day. Overnight sites, cabins and boat launches are separate bookings with separate fees.