Learning · Connecticut town rec-department American Mahjong beginner course + boot camp
Woodbury Parks & Rec American Mahjong for Beginners (Woodbury CT)
Also called American Mahjong Introductory Course; American Mahjong for Beginners with Leigh Hall-Wilhelm; Woodbury Parks and Rec Mahjong Saturday Boot Camp
Rec. House, 7 Mountain Rd, Woodbury, CT 06798 (Parks & Recreation Department of Woodbury, Connecticut). Department phone 203-263-3113. Evening classes Mon/Tue 6:45–8:45 PM (Eastern).
Category: Learning · Connecticut town rec-department American Mahjong beginner course + boot camp
Also called: American Mahjong Introductory Course; American Mahjong for Beginners with Leigh Hall-Wilhelm; Woodbury Parks and Rec Mahjong Saturday Boot Camp
Last checked: 2026-10-07
What it is
American Mahjong for Beginners is a first-party beginner course run by the Parks & Recreation Department of Woodbury, Connecticut and taught by local instructor Leigh Hall-Wilhelm. Classes meet at the town’s Rec. House, 7 Mountain Rd, Woodbury, CT. The department offers a 4-class introductory course (Monday/Tuesday evenings over two weeks) and a one-day, 4-hour Saturday Boot Camp, both built around the 2026 National Mah Jongg League card. Its identity for this listing is a priced, dated beginner course, not open play and not a shop.
Who it’s for
Adults (18+) in Litchfield County and the Waterbury area who have never played American Mah Jongg (“No experience is necessary”). Choose the four-evening course for a gradual start, or the Saturday boot camp to learn it all in one morning. Connecticut has no listing of any kind on disk. Existing learning listings are in other states or online (Pozez JCC in Fairfax VA, RichMahj in Virginia, Motor City Mahjong, Punta Gorda, Gracey Tile Club PDX, Beginners American Mahjong San Diego, The Mahj Lodge in the Twin Cities, Après Mahjong in Park City, Ladies That Mahj online, etc.).
Why it’s listed
The plaza needs a specific, priced, dated beginner course in an unused state, with a different host type from Tuesday’s Pozez JCC (Fairfax VA). Recent learning picks were Tuesday’s Pozez JCC (VA), Monday’s Gracey Tile Club PDX (OR), Friday’s Beginners American Mahjong (San Diego CA) and Thursday’s Ladies That Mahj (online). This is the plaza’s first municipal parks & recreation course and first Connecticut listing.
- Program page (https://woodburyct.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30223) returned 200 on 2026-10-07 under “American Mahjong Introductory Course.”
- Introductory class, taught by Leigh Hall Wilhelm: a “beginner friendly 4-day introductory course.” It covers understanding the tiles, setting up the game and reading the 2026 National Mah Jongg League Player’s Card. “No experience is necessary.” Each week builds on the last, so attend every class. Students must buy their own 2026 Player’s Card if they don’t have one.
- Saturday Boot Camp: a 4-hour hands-on introduction covering tiles and suits, setup, reading the card, the Charleston, building hands and play. The 2026 card is included ($15 value), and class size is limited to 12.
- Policy: “No refunds are given once a program has begun.” Programs cancelled by the department get a full refund.
- Registration table on the same page, as shown on 2026-10-07:
| Session | Dates | Time | Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October Session (Mon/Tue) | 10/19/2026 – 10/27/2026 | 6:45–8:45 PM | $70 Res / $70 Non-Res | Full |
| November Session (Mon/Tue) | 11/02/2026 – 11/10/2026 | 6:45–8:45 PM | $70 / $70 | Full |
| November Boot Camp (Sat) | 11/14/2026 | 9:30 AM–1:30 PM | $120 / $120 | Open |
| November Session 2 (Mon/Tue) | 11/16/2026 – 11/24/2026 | 6:45–8:45 PM | $70 / $70 | Open |
| December Session (Mon/Tue) | 12/07/2026 – 12/15/2026 | 6:45–8:45 PM | $70 / $70 | Open |
All sessions are at the Rec. House, ages 18 and up.
- Program flyers on the same page:
- New-sessions flyer: “Woodbury Parks and Rec — American Mahjong for Beginners … Monday/Tuesday Classes 6:45pm–8:45pm, $70 per session.” It lists November Session 11/16, 11/17, 11/23, 11/24 and December Session 12/7, 12/8, 12/14, 12/15.
- Boot-camp flyer: “Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM, Rec. House … Maximum of 12 participants … $120 per person, 2026 Player’s Card included.”
- Instructor bio (same page): Leigh Hall-Wilhelm discovered American Mahjong in 2021. Her classes cover fundamentals and beginner strategy, with the goal that students play independently by the end. She is a Connecticut native who moved to Woodbury in 2021.
- Facilities page (https://woodburyct.myrec.com/info/facilities/default.aspx) returned 200: Rec. House, 7 Mountain Rd, Woodbury, CT 06798.
- Department contact (program page footer): physical address 7 Mountain Road; mailing address 281 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798. Phone 203-263-3113; email printed.
Whether tile sets are supplied during the four-class course is not stated on the program page. The flyers point to www.woodburyparksandrec.org, which did not respond to curl (HTTP 000, timeout) on 2026-10-07; the MyRec registration pages above are the department’s working official pages. Sessions fill up, so the October and first November sessions were already full on the check date. Confirm availability on the live registration page.
Official URL
Course and registration page: https://woodburyct.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30223
Facilities (Rec. House address): https://woodburyct.myrec.com/info/facilities/default.aspx
Woodbury Parks & Recreation registration home: https://woodburyct.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
Location
Rec. House, 7 Mountain Rd, Woodbury, CT 06798 (Parks & Recreation Department of Woodbury, Connecticut). Phone 203-263-3113.
Notes
- Learning listing: a priced, dated, town-run beginner course (4 evenings or a 4-hour boot camp) using the NMJL card, not Riichi or Chinese rules.
- First Connecticut listing on disk. Woodbury is in western Connecticut (Litchfield County).
- Other Connecticut towns (Avon, Branford) also run rec-department beginner courses. This listing covers only Woodbury.
- Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.
FAQ
Q: How much does the Woodbury beginner mahjong course cost?
A: On 2026-10-07 each four-class Monday/Tuesday evening session was $70 (same for residents and non-residents), plus your own 2026 NMJL card. The Saturday Boot Camp was $120 with the 2026 card included.
Q: When are the remaining 2026 classes?
A: Open sessions on the check date were the November Boot Camp (Sat Nov 14, 9:30 AM–1:30 PM), November Session 2 (Nov 16, 17, 23, 24) and the December Session (Dec 7, 8, 14, 15), with evening classes at 6:45–8:45 PM. The October and first November sessions were full.
Q: Do I need any experience or materials?
A: No experience is needed. Students in the four-class course must buy a 2026 National Mah Jongg League Player’s Card if they don’t have one, while the boot camp includes the card. The program is for ages 18 and up.
Q: Can I get a refund?
A: The program page says no refunds are given once a program has begun. If the department cancels a program, you get a full refund.