Come and enjoy the best of both worlds in the Town of Mansfield, where you can find beautiful, rural vistas, world-class arts and entertainment, diverse dining destinations, a myriad of outdoor recreation options, and the state’s flagship university, the University of Connecticut!

Incorporated in 1702, Mansfield has a rich history of local agriculture, industry, and innovation. The town was home to the first silk mill in North America, and Mansfield led the country in silk production for many years. Saw mills and grist mills operated throughout town, and several factories produced a range of goods from bits and augers, bells, bronze cannons, gunpowder, and even organ pipes. Today, visitors can get a glimpse of this rich history by visiting the Gurleyville Grist Mill, the only stone mill of its kind in Connecticut. The mill is owned and maintained by Joshua’s Trust, a local land trust, and is open to visitors seasonally.

Agriculture remains an important part of Mansfield, where farms produce crops, livestock, and nursery goods for both retail and wholesale. Mansfield is home to Mountain Dairy, which has been in operation since 1871. As one of only fifteen licensed producer-handlers in the entire United States, Mountain Dairy has its own bottling facility on the farm and controls the entire milk production process, from feeding and milking the cows to pasteurizing to packaging.

As the proud home of the University of Connecticut, Mansfield continues to be a center of innovation. As a land grant university, UConn has a strong history in agricultural study and production, which continues today through the UConn Extension and its College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. UConn is also a leader in the sciences, and its new Innovation Partnership Building at the UConn Tech Park is the latest step forward in connecting students, researchers, and faculty with industry leaders and entrepreneurs. As a hub for scholarly and scientific innovation and the largest employer in town, UConn plays an important role in Mansfield’s economy.

UConn also adds to the wonderful quality of life in Mansfield, with world-class performance arts and athletics facilities, including the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, and the William Benton Museum of Art. The UConn Huskies draw fans from across the state and the region for high class competition by 22 Division I sports teams. UConn’s 23 National Championships place the school in rare company and draw national attention to the Storrs part of town.

Storrs is one of nineteen historic villages that comprise the Town of Mansfield. The largest of the villages, Mansfield Center, boasts a quaint historic district, a bustling commercial area, and Mansfield Hollow State Park. The park features a 500-acre lake for boating and fishing and a great network of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Mansfield Hollow State Park complements the fourteen trails owned and maintained by the Town of Mansfield. Mansfield has a robust open space preservation program and prides itself on being a good steward of the land. Mansfield residents value the many opportunities for outdoor exploration and recreation that Mansfield’s open spaces provide.

One of the larger of the Town’s preserves can be found right in its downtown: Downtown Storrs is home to the 135-acre Albert E. Moss Sanctuary, featuring over two miles of trails and an historic mill pond for visitors’ enjoyment. Through recent redevelopment efforts led by the Town and UConn, Downtown Storrs is now home to eighty businesses and over 1,300 residents. The Town Hall, Community Center, regional high school, and UConn School of Fine Arts can be found downtown along with restaurants, coffee shops, health care providers, retail shops, and offices. In the center of it all, Betsy Paterson Square is home to community events that draw thousands of visitors throughout the year and bring attention to Mansfield’s newest amenity.

Mansfield is a vibrant, diverse, and caring community that offers its residents and visitors unique cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. From Downtown Storrs to historic Mansfield Center, Mansfield offers something for everyone to enjoy!