Abandoned Fairy Village

Nestled into the woods at the end of a service road, in view of a major interstate highway in Connecticut, is the crumbling ruins of a fairy village. Forgotten by most, and overlooked by the rest, the "Little People Village" of Waterbury, Connecticut, slowly sinks back into the forest.

You can see a stone cliff with tiny houses carved into the side as well as a giant throne. Evidence of a lush garden once planted here is scattered around, as the plants and flowers have overgrown their beds and both the gardens and fairy houses have assimilated into the forest. It is a beautiful and haunting place that leaves visitors feeling like they just had a surreal experience.

Many local myths have arisen over why these tiny houses were created. Some rumors say that a woman from the nearby town of Middlebury went mad and claimed she was being vexed by little fairies, demanding that her husband build them a village so they would live far away from her and leave her in peace. Another story is that a man named William heard the voices of the elves, who demanded that he build them a village. After doing so, they still tormented him until he took his own life. Locals say if you go out on the night of a full moon you can hear the sounds of the elves laughing at the trick they played on him.

Still others claim the miniature village was a roadside tourist attraction, which is the most likely answer. It is very close to the main road, which was once a trolley line. It's likely the attraction was quite popular for a while and then was abandoned when the major highway was built. What is left today is a haunting echo. The tiny fairy houses are lost and crumbling in the woods, where they greet visitors on a well-walked path. While some litter can be found, the location is more or less without graffiti or other trash.