Take Your Time, Connecticut — Play Tourist in Your Own Backyard!

Research shows that 7.2 million vacation days go unused in Connecticut every year. Now, with a new nationwide study touting the health benefits of taking more of your hard-earned Paid Time Off (PTO) days, we’ve got a few suggestions on how you can “take your time” — while playing tourist right here at home. 

Featuring: American Museum of Tort Law | Antiques on the Farmington | Argia Mystic Cruises | Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry | Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library | Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden | Book Barn | Boothe Memorial Park & Museum | Breck Marshall at Mystic Seaport | Bruce Museum | Butler-McCook House & Garden | Cathedral Pines Farm | Collinsville Canoe & Kayak | Connecticut River Museum | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo | Cross Sound Ferry Lighthouse Cruise | Custom House Maritime Museum | Deacon John Graves House (c.1685) | Dinosaur State Park | Florence Griswold Museum | G Spa at Foxwoods | General David Humphreys House (c.1698) | Gillette Castle State Park | Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden | Greenwich Historical Society | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Hempsted Houses | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hill-Stead Museum | Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum | Hollister House Garden | Kent Falls State Park | Leffingwell House Museum | Lighthouse Point Park | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Lyme Art Association | Mandara Spa at Mohegan Sun | Mayflower Inn & Spa | Mohawk Mountain Ski Area | Mount Southington Ski Area | Mystic Seaport Museum | Mystic Whaler Cruises | Nathan Hale Homestead | New Britain Museum of American Art | New England Science & Sailing | Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society | Ogden House & Gardens | Osborne Homestead Museum | Paddle Mystic-Mystic River Adventure Company | Phelps-Hatheway House | Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort | Project Oceanology | Quinebaug River Trail | Roseland Cottage Museum | S&P Oyster Co. | Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | Schooner Brilliant at Mystic Seaport | Sea Mist Thimble Island Cruise, LLC | Ski Sundown | Sleeping Giant State Park | Stamford Museum & Nature Center | Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Glass House | The Glass House | The Mark Twain House & Museum | The Spa at Norwich Inn | The Spa at Norwich Inn | The Vanilla Bean Café | Town of Essex | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Water's Edge Resort & Spa | Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Westbrook Outlets | White Flower Farm | White Memorial Foundation | Winding Trails Cross Country Ski Center | Winvian Farm | Yale Center for British Art

Step Back in Time in These Connecticut Towns and Cities

Connecticut is home to towns and cities rich with history. From the Native Americans to the earliest European settlers, the revolutionary war era to the industrial revolution, so much of our past is so well preserved, it’s worth planning a visit just to travel back in time. Once you’re there, you’ll walk in the footsteps of forefathers and enjoy a modern taste of these vibrant, welcoming destinations. You can find a wealth of historic information on any of these towns and many more from our friends at ConnecticutHistory.org.

Featuring: Ancient Burying Ground of Hartford | Argia Mystic Cruises | B&B at Bartlett Farm | Black Rock Fort and Fort Nathan Hale | Butler-McCook House & Garden | Chester Bulkley House B&B | City of Hartford | City of New Haven | City of Norwich | Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary | Connecticut Freedom Trail | Connecticut's Old State House | Fairfield Museum & History Center | Guilford Walking Tours | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Historic Mystic Harbor Tours | Hyland House Museum (1713) | Indian Burial Grounds | Keeler Tavern Museum (c.1713) | Leffingwell House Museum | Marriott Hartford Downtown | Mount Crescent House B&B | Mystic River Historical Society | Mystic Seaport Museum | New Haven Museum | Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors’ Center | Ogden House & Gardens | S&P Oyster Co. | Spa at Delamar Southport | Steamboat Inn | Taste of New Haven Tours | The Dudley Farm Museum | The Mark Twain House & Museum | The Study at Yale | The West Lane Inn | Thomas Griswold House | Town of Fairfield | Town of Guilford | Town of Mystic | Town of Ridgefield | Town of Wethersfield | Uncas Leap | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Weir Farm National Historic Site | Wethersfield Historical Society | Yale University Visitor Center

Historic Homes & Gardens You Need to Tour

Old houses have treasures to find and secrets to uncover, and in Connecticut, there are over four centuries of homes to explore. Some were home to well-known historic figures, like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Others were built by individuals who became larger than life, such as actor William Gillette’s “castle” on the Connecticut River and dictionary namesake Noah Webster’s West Hartford birthplace. Still others house amazing art collections or are surrounded by lush, expertly tended gardens. You’ll find dozens of these historic houses, many of which are National Historic Landmarks, all over the state—and each has a story to tell.

Featuring: Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden | Butler-McCook House & Garden | Connecticut Freedom Trail | Florence Griswold Museum | General David Humphreys House (c.1698) | Greenwich Historical Society | Harkness Memorial State Park | Hempsted Houses | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hill-Stead Museum | Hollister House Garden | Keeler Tavern Museum (c.1713) | Leffingwell House Museum | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Nathan Hale Homestead | Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society | Ogden House & Gardens | Phelps-Hatheway House | Roseland Cottage Museum | The Glass House | The Mark Twain House & Museum | Webb Deane Stevens Museum

Stop & Smell the Flowers...and Gardens Too

Connecticut offers many ways to get back to nature, but none are as colorful as its gardens, which are blooming with history, entertainment, activities and – of course – flowers! Discover an array of beautiful, fragrant locations to dazzle your senses.

Featuring: Butler-McCook House & Garden | City of Hartford | City of New Britain | Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Hill-Stead Museum | Hurst Farm Country Store & Greenhouses | Mohegan Park & Memorial Rose Garden | Pardee Rose Gardens | Sundial Gardens & Tea Shop | Thankful Arnold House | Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Wickham Park

Free for Our Military Families: Connecticut’s Blue Star Museums

Connecticut is proud to support Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Each summer since 2010, Blue Star Museums have offered free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

See below for a list of Connecticut museums participating this summer.

Featuring: American Museum of Tort Law | Avery-Copp House | Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum | Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden | Bruce Museum | Butler-McCook House & Garden | Canton Historical Museum | Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library | Danbury Museum | Ebenezer Avery House | Eric Sloane Museum and Kent Furnace | EverWonder Children's Museum | Fairfield Museum & History Center | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Hempsted Houses | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hill-Stead Museum | Hyland House Museum (1713) | Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center | Institute for American Indian Studies | Kidcity Children's Museum | KidsPlay Children's Museum | Leffingwell House Museum | Lyman Allyn Art Museum | Mattatuck Museum | Museum of Connecticut History | Nathan Hale Homestead | New Britain Museum of American Art | New Britain Youth Museum | New England Carousel Museum | New England Civil War Museum | Phelps-Hatheway House | Prudence Crandall Museum | Roseland Cottage Museum | Slater Memorial Museum | Stamford Museum & Nature Center | Stanley-Whitman House | Stepping Stones Museum for Children | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Mark Twain House & Museum | Tolland Historical Society | Town of East Granby | Town of Scotland | Town of Simsbury | Town of Southington | Vintage Hi Fi Museum | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | William Benton Museum of Art | Wilton Historical Society | Yale University Art Gallery

Fun & Festive New Year's Eve Celebrations

Ring in the New Year at one of Connecticut’s festive New Year’s Eve and First Night celebrations! Be sure to plan an entertaining outing of celebration and cheer with family and friends this year. Here’s what’s in store for welcoming in the New Year:

Featuring: Butler-McCook House & Garden | City of Hartford | Copper Beech Inn | Courtyard by Marriott - Cromwell | Fairfield Theatre Company | Foxwoods Resort Casino | Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center | Inn at Middletown | KidsPlay Children's Museum | Mohegan Sun | Saint Clements Castle | Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | Stepping Stones Museum for Children | Tamarack Lodge & Indie Glamping Resort | The Stamford Hotel | Water's Edge Resort & Spa

34 Things to Do in Central Connecticut this Spring

When the air gets warmer and the trees come back to life after a long winter, you'll know it’s springtime in Connecticut. As the flowers are blooming, refreshing spring activities are popping up — and you can be sure businesses are working hard to keep you safe. From active adventure and family fun to relaxation and romantic escapes, here’s your guide to the spring season in Central Connecticut.

Featuring: Abigail's Grille & Wine Bar | Artisanal Burger Company | Axe It | Berkshire Balloons | Black Hall Outfitters - Westbrook | Blackledge Country Club | Brignole Vineyards | Butler-McCook House & Garden | By The Sea Day Spa | Chaffinch Island Park | Chamard Vineyards | Chester Bulkley House B&B | City Climb Gym | City of Hartford | City of New Haven | Collinsville Canoe & Kayak | Connecticut River Valley Inn | Connecticut Science Center | Connecticut Trolley Museum | Crown & Hammer Restaurant & Pub | Delamar Spa West Hartford | Dinosaur State Park | Divine Treasures | Dondero Orchards | Edgerton Park | Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens | Enders State Forest | Escape New Haven | Farmington Canal Linear Park | Farmington Valley Arts Center | Fired Up | Fish Family Farm Creamery & Dairy Farm | Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - New Haven | Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | Giuffrida Park | Gouveia Vineyards | Grassy Hill Country Club | Halfinger Farms | Hill-Stead Museum | Hubbard Park & Castle Craig | IT Adventure Ropes Course | J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks | Johnson's Duckpin Lanes | Kehler Liddell Gallery | Lessard Lanes Family Entertainment Center | Lincoln Financial Sculpture Walk at Riverfront | Louis' Lunch | Lutz Children's Museum | Lyman Orchards | Madison Beach Hotel | Matterhorn Mini Golf | Max's Oyster Bar | McLean Game Refuge | Michael's Trattoria | Middletown Roller Skating Rink | Millers Pond State Park | Millwright's Restaurant | Montana Nights Axe Throwing | Munson's Chocolates | New Britain Museum of American Art | New Haven Museum | Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society | Nomads Adventure Quest | On Track Karting | Onyx Spirits Company LLC | PEZ Visitor Center | Paradise Hills Vineyard & Winery | Pardee Rose Gardens | Parkville Market | Penwood State Park | Pine & Iron Axe Throwing - Hartford | Pond House Cafe | Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort | Ray of Light Farm | Riverfront Recapture | Riverwind Inn Bed & Breakfast | Roaring Brook Nature Center | Rockledge Golf Club | Ron-A-Roll Indoor Roller Skating Center | Rose's Berry Farm | Safari Golf | Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | Shore Line Trolley Museum | Sleeping Giant State Park | Smash Avenue | Soarin' Indoors | Spare Time Entertainment - Vernon | Stegosaurus | Stone Age Rock Gym | Sweet Cioccolata | Talcott Mountain State Park | The Children's Museum | The Corner Restaurant | The Only Game in Town | The Place | The Sculpture Mile | The Stand | The Wallingford Victorian Inn | Thompson Chocolate | Town of Avon | Town of Durham | Town of East Hartford | Town of Farmington | Town of Farmington | Town of Glastonbury | Town of Madison | Town of Naugatuck | Town of Southington | Town of Wallingford | Town of West Hartford | Town of Windsor | Tradition Golf Club at Wallingford | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Wadsworth Falls State Park | Water's Edge Resort & Spa | West Rock Ridge State Park | Wickham Park