Curating Art, History and Fun at Connecticut’s Museums

Connecticut is home to hundreds of museums and historic sites, showcasing everything from classical to contemporary artwork, ancient to modern history, dinosaurs to space exploration —and everything in between.

Featuring: American Clock & Watch Museum | American Museum of Tort Law | Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry | Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum | Boothe Memorial Park & Museum | Bruce Museum | Connecticut Air & Space Museum | Connecticut Art Trail | Connecticut Children's Museum | Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum | Connecticut Freedom Trail | Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library | Connecticut River Museum | Connecticut Science Center | Connecticut State Museum of Natural History | Connecticut Trolley Museum | Connecticut Women's Heritage Trail | Connecticut's Old State House | Custom House Maritime Museum | Danbury Railway Museum | Eli Whitney Museum | Eric Sloane Museum and Kent Furnace | EverWonder Children's Museum | Florence Griswold Museum | Genius Museum at Nature's Art Village | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hill-Stead Museum | Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum | Housatonic Museum of Art | Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center | Institute for American Indian Studies | Kidcity Children's Museum | KidsPlay Children's Museum | Knights of Columbus Museum | Lutz Children's Museum | Lyman Allyn Art Museum | Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center | Mattatuck Museum | Museum of Connecticut History | Mystic Seaport Museum | National Helicopter Museum, Inc. | New Britain Museum of American Art | New England Air Museum | New England Carousel Museum | New England Civil War Museum | New England Motorcycle Museum | New Haven Museum | Niantic Children's Museum | Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine | PEZ Visitor Center | Prudence Crandall Museum | Railroad Museum of New England/Naugatuck Railroad Company | Sacred Heart University’s Discovery Science Center & Planetarium | Shore Line Trolley Museum | Slater Memorial Museum | SoNo Switch Tower Museum | Stepping Stones Museum for Children | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Barnum Museum | The Children's Museum | The Mark Twain House & Museum | Vintage Hi Fi Museum | Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | William Benton Museum of Art | Windham Textile and History Museum | Yale Center for British Art | Yale Collection of Musical Instruments | Yale University Art Gallery

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

Captured in Time - Living History in Connecticut

Follow these links to Connecticut's past, where history comes alive.

Featuring: Fort Trumbull State Park | Gillette Castle State Park | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum | Keeler Tavern Museum (c.1713) | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center | Mystic Seaport Museum | New England Air Museum | Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society | Prudence Crandall Museum | Roseland Cottage Museum | The Glass House | The Mark Twain House & Museum

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

6 Connecticut Towns and 30 Ways to Enjoy Them

Six small towns... five reasons to visit each in summer. The math seems simple: that’s 30 reasons to plan a Connecticut getaway. But these suggested things to see, eat and do only hint at what awaits. There’s always something happening in these vibrant communities—something for you to discover. And no calculator can compute the joys of making a small town “your” place.

Featuring: Antiques Marketplace | Argia Mystic Cruises | B&B at Bartlett Farm | Bradley Playhouse | Bruce Museum | Connecticut River Valley Inn | Deary Brothers/Mikes Stand | Delamar Greenwich Harbor | Guilford Art Center | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Macedonia Brook State Park | Mansion at Bald Hill | Max Fish | Meli-Melo | Mystic Aquarium | Mystic Seaport Museum | Red 36 | Rooftop 120 | Rose's Berry Farm | Shoreline Segway | Starbuck Inn | Steamboat Inn | The Place | The Shops at Somerset Square | Town of Glastonbury | Town of Greenwich | Town of Guilford | Town of Kent | Town of Mystic | Town of Putnam | West Cornwall Covered Bridge | l'escale

Charm Alert

With its appealing, historic architecture, village greens and tidy shops, Connecticut still does “charming” very well, especially in the autumn. In fact, there are immensely attractive little towns all across the state that—with their shops, restaurants, galleries and inns—are perfect for a visit and even an overnight stay this fall.

Featuring: Ballou's Restaurant Wine-Whiskey & Food | Bernard's + Sarah's Wine Bar | Brushmill by the Waterfall | Chester/Hadlyme Ferry | Copper Beech Inn | Delamar Southport | Griswold Inn | Guilford Art Center | Guilford Walking Tours | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hopkins Inn | Hopkins Vineyard | Inn at Fox Hill Farm | Inn at Stonington | Keeler Tavern Museum (c.1713) | Litchfield Distillery | Lori Warner Studio / Gallery | Noah's Restaurant | Old Lighthouse Museum | Pequot Library | River Tavern | Sharpe Hill Vineyard | Stonington Vineyards | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Inn at Woodstock Hill | The Vanilla Bean Café | The West Lane Inn | The Windemere B&B | Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast | Tollgate Hill Inn | Town of Chester | Town of Guilford | Town of Litchfield | Town of Pomfret | Town of Ridgefield | Town of Stonington | West Street Grill | White Flower Farm | White Horse Country Pub | White Memorial Foundation

6 Connecticut Beach Getaways

Albert Turner walked the entire Connecticut shoreline in 1914. His mission, as the first State Parks employee, was to identify Connecticut’s best spots for coastal recreation. You probably don’t have time to hunt that hard for beach-day bliss. So, this guide to saltwater adventures on Long Island Sound will help you choose the sandy expanse that’s right for you.

Featuring: Black Duck Cafe | Book Barn | Captain Scott's Lobster Dock | Chamard Vineyards | Connecticut Children's Museum | Downeast Lighthouse Cruises | Fort Trumbull State Park | Gilbertie's Herb Gardens | Gumdrops & Lollipops Candy Shoppe | Hammonasset Beach State Park | Harvey's Beach | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Jacob's Beach | Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Museum | Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale Restaurant (Madison) | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts | Meigs Point Nature Center | Ocean Beach Park | Rocky Glen State Park | Rolnick Observatory | Sherwood Island State Park | Shoreline Segway | Spa at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | The Sculpture Mile

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

Connecticut's Quaint Towns & Villages

Main Street America. We invented that. Town greens. Those come standard here. White picket fences and American flags. Got those covered, too. The charm of Connecticut can be found in its small towns and main streets. Explore unique shops and galleries, get immersed in the café culture and soak in the authentic life. There are no wrong turns.

Featuring: Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens | Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden | Bruce Museum | Connecticut River Museum | Gouveia Vineyards | Hammonasset Beach State Park | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hill-Stead Museum | Lake Waramaug State Park | Leffingwell House Museum | Lime Rock Park | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Mystic Seaport Museum | Old Lighthouse Museum | R.J. Julia Booksellers | Rocky Hill/Glastonbury Ferry | Sharpe Hill Vineyard | Slater Memorial Museum | Talcott Mountain State Park | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Glass House | Town of Fairfield | Webb Deane Stevens Museum | West Cornwall Covered Bridge | Westport Country Playhouse | Yale Center for British Art

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

Book Your Connecticut Beach Rental Now!

Now’s the time to secure your rental property so you won’t miss out on a summer vacation at the Connecticut shore! Imagine relaxing days swimming and sunbathing, taking walks along the beach searching for seashells, planning outdoor gatherings by the barbecue and discovering your favorite ice cream spot.  For families, Connecticut offers several shoreline communities that are ideal for fun in the sun and lazy days at the beach.

Featuring: Allis-Bushnell House and Museum (c.1785) | Audubon Guilford Salt Meadow Sanctuary | Bishop's Orchards Farm Market & Winery | Black Hall Outfitters - Old Lyme | Chaffinch Island Park | Chamard Vineyards | Clinton Antique Center | Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets | Florence Griswold Museum | Foxwoods Resort Casino | General William Hart House (c.1767) | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Hey Day Antiques | Indian River Kayak | Jacob's Beach | Lyme Academy of Fine Arts | Meigs Point Nature Center | Mohegan Sun | Mystic Aquarium | Mystic Arbor Cottage | Mystic Seaport Museum | Old Beautiful | Penny Lane Pub Restaurant | R.J. Julia Booksellers | Saybrook Home | Saybrook Point Park | Shoreline Segway | Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds | The Sculpture Mile | The Village Chocolatier | Town of Clinton | Town of Guilford | Town of Madison | Town of Mystic | Town of Old Lyme | Town of Old Saybrook

Virtual Activities for At-Home Experiences

Connecticut attractions, museums and entertainment venues have temporarily closed in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit—virtually.

Here are a few popular attractions across Connecticut that have created special online experiences or projects to entertain, teach and engage you while you stay safe at home.

Due to the rapidly evolving situation, we encourage you to check back frequently for updates and to verify offering details with individual properties.

Featuring: Artspace | Avon Theatre Film Center | Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry | Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library | Bradley Playhouse | Bruce Museum | Cafe Aura | City of Bristol | City of Danbury | City of Hartford | City of New Haven | Connecticut Art Trail | Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo | Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center | Eli Whitney Museum | Fairfield Museum & History Center | Fairfield Theatre Company | Fairfield University Art Museum | Fitstyle Walking Tours | Florence Griswold Museum | Glastonbury Planetarium | Goodspeed Musicals - The Goodspeed | Harriet Beecher Stowe Center | Hartford Public Library | Hartford Stage | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center | Kehler Liddell Gallery | KidsPlay Children's Museum | Lake Compounce Theme Park | Lyman Allyn Art Museum | Lyme Art Association | Maritime Grille | Mattatuck Museum | Meigs Point Nature Center | Mohegan Sun | Mystic Aquarium | Mystic Seaport Museum | Mystified Escape Rooms | New England Air Museum | New England Carousel Museum | Niantic Children's Museum | Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society | Norfolk Chamber Music Festival | Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine | PEZ Visitor Center | Palace Theater | Pequot Library | Playhouse on Park | Quassy Amusement & Waterpark | Roseland Cottage Museum | Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours | Slater Memorial Museum | Stafford Motor Speedway | Stamford Museum & Nature Center | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Children's Museum | The Glass House | The Mark Twain House & Museum | TheaterWorks | Town of Ashford | Town of Guilford | Town of Hamden | Town of Orange | Town of Salisbury | Town of Stonington | Town of West Hartford | Town of Westport | Town of Wethersfield | Town of Woodbridge | United States Coast Guard Academy | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Wadsworth Mansion | Westport Country Playhouse | Westport Museum for History & Culture | White Memorial Conservation Center Museum | William Benton Museum of Art | Wilton Historical Society | Windham Textile and History Museum | Woodcock Nature Center | Yale Center for British Art | Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History | Yale University Art Gallery | Yale University Visitor Center

Coastal Central Connecticut

Coastal Central Connecticut takes you everywhere from the Thimble Islands to elegant seaside resorts, walkable beach towns and more. Below, discover a few of Central Connecticut's coastal towns and ways to enjoy them.

Featuring: Ashley's Ice Cream (Branford) | Ashley's Ice Cream (Madison) | Audubon Guilford Salt Meadow Sanctuary | B&B at Bartlett Farm | Bear's Smokehouse (New Haven) | Bishop's Orchards Farm Market & Winery | Black Rock Fort and Fort Nathan Hale | Black Seal Seafood Grille | Blazing Fresh Donuts | Branford Point Beach | Branford River Paddlesports, Kayaks and Tours | Carlson's Landing | Chaffinch Island Park | City Point Kitchen | City of New Haven | Connecticut River Museum | Connecticut Shoreline Bike/Boat Tour | East Wharf Beach | Essex Art Association Gallery | Essex Clipper Dinner Train | Essex Paint & Sip | Essex Steam Train & Riverboat | Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - New Haven | Goodspeed Opera House Tour | Griswold Inn | Guilford Lobster Pound | Hammonasset Beach State Park | Harvey's Beach | Henry Whitfield State Museum | Ivoryton Playhouse | Jacob's Beach | Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Museum | La Luna Ristorante | Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale Restaurant (Madison) | Lenny's Indian Head | Lighthouse Point Park | Liv's Shack - Old Saybrook | M&J Beach Grille & Seafood | Nightjack Sportsfishing | Old Saybrook Town Beach | Pine & Iron Axe Throwing - New Haven | R.J. Julia Booksellers | Real Escape | Saybrook Point Miniature Golf | Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | Scotch Plains Tavern | Scranton Seahorse Inn | Sea Mist Thimble Island Cruise, LLC | Shell & Bones Oyster Bar & Grill | Shoreline Segway | Stony Creek Beach | Stony Creek Brewery | Taste of New Haven Tours | The Antiques Depot | The Blake Hotel | The Cottage | The Essex Public Market & Food Hall | The Homestead Madison | The Place | The Sculpture Mile | The Village Chocolatier | The Wharf Restaurant | Thimble Island Brewing Company | Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast | Town of Branford | Town of Essex | Town of Guilford | Town of Madison | Town of Old Saybrook | Victorian on the Village Green | Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise | Yale Center for British Art | Yale University Art Gallery