Documenting Manresa Wilds Through Photography Days

Over the course of a series of fall and spring “Photography Days,” more than 100 photographers have been granted rare access to Manresa Wilds, stepping onto the site during a brief window of opportunity to photograph it before its transformation. We invite everyone to share what they create for our collection—whether that’s professional images, iPhone snapshots, or YouTube videos. As they explore 125 acres of structures, shoreline, and ever-changing habitat, each photographer discovers a different detail, view, or moment that draws them into the site.

What’s emerging from these visits is a varied record of the place, shaped by many different eyes. Some images highlight rusted stairs, control rooms, and heavy equipment from the power plant’s active days, while others focus on the shoreline, wildlife, and the ways plants and animals exist in this contaminated landscape. Taken together, these photographs show Manresa as it is right now: complex, changing, and full of stories.

Photographer Highlights

"Photographing Manresa Island wasn’t just about creating beautiful images; it was about witnessing a rare moment of transition. Soon, this once-industrial site will be reborn as a thriving natural and cultural space. My lens became a way to document not only what the island is now, but also what it will become—a place of reconnection, community, and discovery. I left the island feeling grateful. Opportunities like this remind me why I love photography—it’s not just about pictures, it’s about storytelling. And Manresa Island has a story worth telling: from closed-off power plant to open, vibrant parkland that will welcome everyone." - John Videler


John Videler Photos

"Manresa has been a coastal icon of the Norwalk Harbor since being built 65 years ago. A large blue cube and smokestack jutting above the tree line is visible for miles along the northern shores of Long Island Sound. For me, it’s a symbol of home, where many of my nautical adventures have come to an end. So to get the chance to satisfy my curiosity of what lies within was nothing short of special." - Patrick Sikes

Patrick Sikes Photos

"As a little girl, I remember being on the sound, looking at this pretty terrible looking blue building on prime waterfront property, wondering what was behind its walls. It’s been in the background of many of my photos over the years and now, many years after it was abandoned, I was able to see what's inside. It was such a cool experience that I will never forget, and also proof that you can find beauty in the most uncommon of places!" - Danielle Robinson

Danielle Robinson Photos

“This former power plant in Norwalk, CT is undergoing an incredible transformation into a public park with hiking trails, gathering spaces and much more. The complex network of equipment, storage tanks, offices and machinery still exists and provides a fascinating glimpse into our recent industrial past. There is a sculptural beauty to the worn and rusted spaces, and the engineering expertise that went into building and maintaining the plant is visually remarkable.” - Peter Mendelson

Peter Mendelson Photos

“For years, I’ve been curious about what’s going on there, and in October 2025 I’ll finally find out. This place has been a secure facility since it was built in the 1950s…and we get to see it up close in a way almost nobody ever has”. - Paul Delano

Video by Paul Delano