New England Is Home to a Holiday Trail Christmas Movie Fans Will Love

What’s the most Christmassy place on Earth? Barring the North Pole, some people might say New York City, home of Home Alone 2 and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Others will probably point to London, the setting of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, or to the enchanting Weihnachtsmärkte or Christmas markets in Germany. Chances are, no one would say Connecticut. 

Normally associated with early American history, Yale University, New Haven-style pizza, Connecticut’s Christmas spirit is rooted in one little-known fact: it’s the setting over than 22 holiday films.

Follow Connecticut’s Christmas Movie Trail This Winter

Its charming small towns, scenic landscapes, and chilly weather—not to mention incentivizing tax credits—have made the Constitution State a popular location for Christmas flicks, especially those produced by the Hallmark Channel. As a result, it’s also a great destination for Christmas-themed road trips. In fact, the Connecticut Tourism Office put together a trail for visitors to follow:

Among the many festive locations in Connecticut, Putnam served as the setting for large parts of One Royal Holiday, a Hallmark film from 2020 about a woman who offers shelter to a mother and son revealed to be of royal blood. It’s easy to see why the film’s location scouts settled for Putnam, as trolling past antique stores and mom-and-pop shops in its well-preserved historic center feels like stepping into a Christmas card.

Nearby, Norwich and Mansfield provided the backdrop for Soul Santa, a BET+ original from 2021 about a down-on-his-luck businessman who ends up working as a shopping mall Santa to hide from debt collectors. Mansfield is home to the University of Connecticut and the Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry, while Norwich has the Slater Memorial Museum. Named after the 19th-century philanthropist John Fox Slater, it contains artifacts from all over the world, including plaster casts of Greco-Roman and Renaissance sculptures. 

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Also worth visiting is Old Wethersfield, the setting of Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane, a made-for-television film from 2018 that tells the story of a woman who discovers a Christmas miracle inside the home of her diseased parents. Nicknamed Connecticut’s “Most Auncient Towne,” Old Wethersfield was established back in 1634 by settlers from Watertown, Massachusetts.

Every year, the town’s historic center transforms into a winter wonderland, featuring music, food, free tours at the Hurlbut-Dunham House—a historic home filled with relics from 18th-century life—and a Christmas tree that can give Rockefeller’s a run for its money. 

Although none of these films are likely to end up in the Criterion Collection, they still possess a certain nostalgic charm. Much like the historic towns in which their stories unfold, they wear their heart on the sleeve, beckoning everyone—friend or stranger—to come and stay a while.