The Birthplace Of Scrabble Is A Charming Town In Connecticut's Southern Hills With Winding Trails

Scrabble is one of the most popular board games in the world, with more than an estimated 165 million sets sold worldwide since its debut (per Entrepreneur). However, few know that the man who popularized and commercially launched the game, James Brunot, lived in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut. This quiet town is about a half-hour drive north of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Since its founding in 1705 by English colonists, Newtown has often found itself on the fringes of historic events. It served as a critical encampment during the Revolutionary War and became home to several literary figures: humorist and writer James Thurber, Suzanne Collins, author of "The Hunger Games," and Joanna Cole, the writer behind the "Magic School Bus" series. The town has also experienced its share of tragedy. Twenty children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School when a gunman stormed their classrooms on December 14, 2012, thrusting the community into the center of a national debate about gun control.

Throughout it all, Newtown has endured as a community. Today it makes for a quiet and reflective stop between New York and Boston, with plenty of trails to stretch your legs, including the Brunot Preserve Loop Trail on land donated by Scrabble's founding father. For those with a sweet tooth, there's an added incentive to visit: Newtown is also home to one of the best places in the country for ice cream. 

It's hard to believe, but Scrabble was once in danger of disappearing into obscurity. The game was originally invented in 1931 by architect Alfred Mosher Butts in the diverse Jackson Heights neighborhood of New York, a lively melting pot of food and culture. But when Butts applied for a patent, he was rejected. 

Fortunately, James Brunot of Newtown was a big fan of the game and refused to give up hope. He convinced Butts to let him manufacture the game from discarded wooden scraps in his living room and rename it Scrabble. By 1953, Scrabble was flying off the shelves, with 6,000 sets being produced each week (per The New York Times). Unfortunately, the home and factory where Brunot manufactured the first Scrabble boards and tiles no longer exist in Newtown — but to discover more hidden histories behind your favorite board games, you can visit the Illinois town where Monopoly was born, now home to the world's largest Monopoly game.

Brunot also left behind a legacy of land, donating acres of farmland to the Newtown Forest Association. Today, Newtown has more than 1,000 acres of reforested land that provide ample hiking trails. The Paugussett State Forest on the outskirts of town wraps around Lake Zoar, making it an excellent place for hiking, birding, and fishing. Visitors can also walk through The Glen Preserve and the trails that lead to The Clearing, a living memorial for the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. The centerpiece of this quiet place for reflection is a young sycamore tree in a granite basin of flowing water. Concentric paths ripple outward, allowing visitors to contemplate the many routes to healing as a community.

Fairfield Hills is one of Newtown's landmarks. Formerly a state psychiatric hospital, this property now houses several municipal buildings and community centers, including the weekly farmers market. It's also home to the NewSylum Brewing Company, which offers more than a dozen craft brews on tap along with fresh-baked pizzas. Drop by on a weekend and you'll be treated to live music. Not far away, the Farmhouse Restaurant on Main Street specializes in farm-to-table dining, with seasonal dishes sourced from local farms.

For a truly gorgeous view while you wine and dine, stop by Aquila's Nest Vineyards. This 200-year-old farmhouse sits on 40 acres of rolling hills. Visitors can sample local wines on the expansive patio or around a crackling outdoor fire for a luxurious picnic. For a short but sweet pit stop, head to Ferris Acres Creamery. This old-fashioned creamery consistently ranks as one of the best ice cream shops in the country, with dozens of flavors and irresistible names like the Bada Bing (chocolate chunk with Bing cherries) and Bad Habit (super-rich dark chocolate). For more Connecticut gems, check out the charming town of Branford with its beautiful shoreline.