Ethel Walker School
Walker’s picturesque campus is located in Simsbury, Connecticut, a suburban town in northwestern Connecticut’s Farmington Valley with historic New England charm.
Our students are within five minutes from popular shopping, dining and hotels, and two hours from New York City and Boston. Simsbury is consistently voted among the best towns to live in Connecticut (Niche.com).
Whether you are planning a wedding, a dance recital, conference, camp, or athletic event, we have facilities that can meet your needs. Our campus, with wireless internet access throughout, features beautiful, functional indoor spaces, and picturesque outdoor spaces that inspire and revive. For more information, please contact Events Coordinator Alice Chrystal at achrystal@ethelwalker.org or 860-408-4273.
Walker’s main academic center, Beaver Brook, houses classrooms, including art studios and the Symington Science Center, Abra’s Dining Hall, large gathering spaces, the school store, and academic, administrative, and faculty offices.
Opened fall 2016, the Centennial Center includes a double gymnasium, eight-lane pool, four squash courts, two dance studios, a health and wellness center, fitness center, student social center, and community gathering spaces throughout.
Located behind Beaver Brook, The Centennial Lawn includes outdoor patio areas perfect for studying or gathering with friends.
Walker’s Middle School houses classrooms, a large social center, maker space and computer lab, and the school’s music and rehearsal spaces.
The Equestrian Center, located on Walker’s 175-acre campus, is considered one of the premier equestrian facilities at any school in the country, with the main barn, indoor/outdoor riding rings, individual paddocks, winding trails, and extensive turnouts.
Ferguson Theatre accommodates 350 people and is the site of dance concerts, several school productions such as the Middle School Play and the Upper School Spring Musical, and many more school performances.
Walker’s non-denominational Chapel is the site for all-school meetings and concerts. Its graceful architecture, huge arched windows, and magnificent Aeolian-Skinner Organ make it a centerpiece of Walker’s campus.
The Constance Lavino Bell Library houses a large selection of books and electronic media, as well as an art gallery and the School’s archives. The Counseling Center and additional classrooms are in the Library as well as a student-run cafe.
The School’s former basketball court, dance studio, training room, and workout center were located in Galbraith Gymnasium, until the Centennial Center opened in 2016. Today, Galbraith houses our Steelcase Active Learning Classroom (pictured).
Acres of athletic playing fields include three natural grass fields, four synthetic turf fields, seven tennis courts, and two softball fields for field hockey, lacrosse, softball, and soccer.
Walker’s apiary began as a proposal by science students concerned about the damaging effects colony collapse disorder has on the global bee population and agriculture at large. It is located on Walker’s campus and maintained by a parent who is a professional beekeeper.
Adjacent to campus, 427 acres of Walker’s Woods are available to students for riding, running, walking, and study of the environment. Several different ecosystems allow for science and environmental study, as well as ample opportunity for hiking and photography.
