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

A Connecticut Architecture Tour

From historic to artistic, one-of-a-kind structures to celebrated work by well-known architects, you will find so many fascinating places on a tour of Connecticut’s diverse architectural legacy. Some of the stops in this tour are homes, others are museums, libraries, town halls and even a church. But if you appreciate design and originality, you'll find each has a distinctive look, appeal and history all its own.

Featuring: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library | First Presbyterian Church | Gillette Castle State Park | Goodspeed Musicals - The Goodspeed | Hill-Stead Museum | Ingalls Rink-Yale University | Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center | Norfolk Library | Roseland Cottage Museum | Slater Memorial Museum | The Barnum Museum | The Glass House | The Mark Twain House & Museum | Yale Center for British Art

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

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

Fireworks Are Back — Make the Most of Fireworks in 2021

Finally, after a year without this classic summer favorite, firework shows are happening again in Connecticut! And now that they’re back, why not make your firework outing an even bigger celebration? We’ve gathered a list of ways to enjoy your time before and after a few of Connecticut’s most popular fireworks shows. To find even more fireworks, check out the complete list here.

Featuring: 33 Golden | Acapulcos | America's Best Value Inn | Baco's Pizza | Bear's Smokehouse (Hartford) | Bicycle Tour Company | Black-Eyed Sally's Southern Kitchen & Bar | Brass City Raceway & Axe Throwing | Captain Scott's Lobster Dock | Centro Restorante & Bar | Circle Hotel Fairfield | City of Bristol | City of Hartford | City of New London | City of Norwich | City of Waterbury | Club Getaway | Colony Grill - Fairfield | Courtyard Waterbury Downtown | Cross Sound Ferry | Custom House Maritime Museum | D. Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course | Domenick & Pia Downtown Pizzeria | DoubleTree by Hilton - Bristol | Easy Pickin's Orchard | Epicure Brewing | Fairfield Social | Fascia's Chocolates | Fife 'n Drum Restaurant & Inn | Figaro Restaurant | Firefly Hollow Brewing Company | Flipside Burgers & Bar | H.C. Barnes Memorial Nature Center | Hampton Inn Springfield/Enfield | Harp & Dragon Pub | Hartford Flavor Company | Hartford Yard Goats | Hog River Brewing Company | Holiday Inn Norwich | Hopkins Inn | Illiano's Grill - Norwich | Inn at Fairfield Beach | Inn at Ocean Avenue | J. Timothy's Taverne | Jennings Beach | Kent Falls Brewing Company | Kent Falls State Park | Lake Compounce Campground | Lake Compounce Theme Park | Lake Mohegan | Lakeside Watersports | Lee's Riding Stable | Litchfield Saltwater Grille | Louie's Pizza | Lyman Allyn Art Museum | Main Street Diner | Mambo Bar & Restaurant | Michael's Dairy | Milkcraft - Fairfield | Mohegan Park & Memorial Rose Garden | Mystic Whaler Cruises | New England Carousel Museum | Ocean Beach Park | Odin's Keep Axe House | Olde Tymes Restaurant | Pagliacci's Restaurant | Parkville Market | Penfield Beach | Pie Hops | Pine & Iron Axe Throwing - Hartford | Powder Hollow Brewery | Reelin | Residence Inn by Marriott - Hartford | Rickards Beach | Riverfront Recapture | Rock Climb Fairfield | Sarapes Mexican Restaurant | Scantic River State Park | Sea Unicorns | Seven Villages Restaurant | Slater Memorial Museum | Sweetie's Bakery & Café | The Art of Yum | The Chelsea | The Goodwin Hotel | The Place 2 Be | The Spa at Norwich Inn | These Guys Brewing Company | Toto Restaurant | Town of Enfield | Town of Fairfield | Town of Litchfield | Town of Warren | Tox Brewing Company | Trumbull Kitchen | Via Al Paraiso | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Wall to Wall: The New London Mural Walk | West Hartford Center | West Street Grill | Western Hills Golf Course

Live It Like a Movie

Have you ever wished you could jump through the screen and live in the world of your favorite film? Well maybe you can’t do exactly that, but we’ve got a few ideas to get you one step closer. We’ve taken a few popular films throughout time and suggested ways to live out the characters’ adventures for yourself… all right in Connecticut.

Featuring: Adventure Park at Storrs | Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum | Brass City Raceway & Axe Throwing | Bruce Museum | Club Getaway | Connecticut Dinosaur Trail | Copper Creek Mini Golf at Nature's Art Village | Dinosaur State Park | Empower Adventure Park at Nomads | Essex Steam Train & Riverboat | Hartford Yard Goats | Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum | IT Adventure Ropes Course | Interlaken Inn, Resort & Conference Center | Lake Compounce Theme Park | Lime Rock Park | Mansfield Drive-In Theatre & Marketplace | Monza World Class Karting at Foxwoods | Mystic Aquarium | Mystic Pizza | New Britain Bees | Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale | On Track Karting | Pleasant Valley Drive-In | Quassy Amusement & Waterpark | Safari Golf | Saybrook Point Miniature Golf | Sea Unicorns | Slater Memorial Museum | Soarin' Indoors | Southington Drive-In | Supercharged Powered by Mohegan Sun - Indoor Karting & Trampoline Park | Tamarack Lodge & Indie Glamping Resort | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk | The Only Game in Town | Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park | TreeTrails Adventures Mystic | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art