We are honored that people value our programs and are eager to join the Founders Hall community. New members are always welcome – read on for details.
Who is Eligible
Residents of Ridgefield, CT, who are 60 or older are welcome to join at any time. Their spouse, no matter the spouse’s age, is also invited to join.
Residents age 60 and older of nearby towns in Connecticut and New York that do not have a full-time senior center are also invited to join Founders Hall. However, the Founders Hall Foundation charter requires 75% of our members to be Ridgefield residents, so there is an extensive wait list (usually two to three years) for the out-of-town spots.
The Process
If you are a Ridgefield resident 60 and older, and you would like to join, please give us a call at 203-431-7000 or fill out the Contact Us form to set up a time to come in for a tour. While you’re here, we’ll ask you for your contact information (which is kept confidential), take your photo for our database, and give you a packet of information with details on how to register for classes and join in activities right away.
If you live outside of Ridgefield and your town or city does not have a full-time senior center, please call us at 203-431-7000 to be added to the wait list.
Sometimes people want to add other people to the wait list. We ask that the person interested in joining contact us directly.
The Cost
There is no membership or entry fee to join Founders Hall. There are no drop-in fees for using the building and its amenities. There are low fees for semester classes and fitness classes, set below the cost of offering the class. Many programs are free.
How do we do this? We don’t – but our generous donors do. They provide the invaluable support that makes Founders Hall a possibility for anyone who is 60 and older.
We expect that our members will become donors, joining the caring community of Founders Hall in all its aspects.
“We can say with some pride that this is one of the very best senior centers in the country. Come in and look around. I guarantee you’ll be so knocked out, not just by the beauty of the building, but even more by the energy, enthusiasm, talent and friendship that is so evidently on display by our members. It’s priceless.”
~ Steven Goldstone, founder and chairman of Founders Hall Foundation, Inc.
After You Join
Our current hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. We are closed on weekends and major federal holidays.
We communicate with members primarily through email. We do not share our email list with any outside groups. We try to send just 1-3 emails each month to keep members up-to-date on Founders Hall happenings.
We frequently update the announcements on the homepage of this website, so we encourage members to check there on a regular basis.
We print a newsletter, the Founders Forum, at the end of each month with news and updates for the upcoming month, which we make available in the lobby and post on the homepage of this website. We email an electronic version of the Founders Forum newsletter at the end of each month as well.
Members are encouraged to call or email us at any time with any questions. We are happy to help in any way we can.