Ridgefield’s Main Street (Route 35) is filled with scenic sights, grand homes and historic landmarks. Easily explored on foot, Main Street offers up interesting shops and eateries, as well as manicured gardens and towering trees. You will notice the Cass Gilbert Fountain, a Main Street icon that was a gift by the noted American architect in 1907. Drop by the Beaux Arts-design Ridgefield Library, or explore the greenery of Ballard Park which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the famed landscape architect of Manhattan’s Central Park. Click here to learn more about the Town of Ridgefield. Below are some highlights of Main Street and downtown Ridgefield: Ballard Park Just steps from The Elms Inn lies this Ridgefield landmark, a five-acre park designed by Ridgefield resident Frederick Law Olmstead, the famous landscape architect of Manhattan’s Central Park. Today, a contemporary gazebo with wooden benches and a red brick floor offers a shady place to sit and take in the peaceful views. During summer months, it is a favorite site for outdoor festivals. Ridgefield Library Housed in a Beaux Arts building, Ridgefield's Library has been restored to its original splendor. Enjoy the elegance of the original 1903 reading room with Victorian parlor ambiance, as well as modern conveniences such as tables with ports for laptop computers. Comfortable armchairs and individual tables with power hookups for laptop computers make this a convenient place for small groups and meetings for Elms Inn guests. Ridgefield Town Hall Built in 1896 for $16,000, the Ridgefield Town Hall building replaced an 1876 building that was destroyed by the Great Fire in 1895. The town hall serves as the offices of the Selectman, Treasurer, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Assessor, Probate Court, and Registrars of Voters. Ridgefield Community Center (Lounsbury House) Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this stately mansion built in 1896 remains one of the grandest along Ridgefield’s Main Street. Originally the residence for Governor Phineus C. Lounsbury, it is a replica of the Connecticut State Building built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was named "Grovelawn". In its time, the house featured opulent details such as a windmill, greenhouse, private water supply and bowling alley. Today as the Ridgefield Community Center, its beautiful interior, garden and terrace play host to weddings and special events, antique shows, and the Ridgefield Workshop for the Performing Arts, Inc. among other activities.