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

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

Summer 2019 Art Exhibitions Not to Be Missed!

Connecticut has always been a draw for artists, collectors and enthusiasts. There are dozens of museums and galleries throughout the state to discover, showing everything from classic to contemporary art, sketches to sculpture. Here are just a few highlights of the Summer 2019 special art exhibits in Connecticut that you really won’t want to miss! 

Featuring: Bruce Museum | Florence Griswold Museum | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Lyman Allyn Art Museum | Lyme Art Association | Mystic Seaport Museum | New Britain Museum of American Art | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Glass House | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | William Benton Museum of Art | Yale Center for British Art

Fall Art Exhibits and Galleries

Every year, autumn’s changing leaves paint Connecticut’s beautiful scenery with warm colors. Why not celebrate the artistry of fall by visiting standout art exhibitions across the state? From interactive sculpture gardens, to immersive painting galleries, to unique media experiences, Connecticut is filled with spots to safely admire the arts. It’s time to find your fall inspiration!

Featuring: Bruce Museum | City of Groton | City of Norwalk | City of Stamford | Connecticut Art Trail | Florence Griswold Museum | Lincoln Financial Sculpture Walk at Riverfront | Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (c.1864) | Lyme Art Association | Mystic Seaport Museum | Stamford Museum & Nature Center | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum | The Glass House | William Benton Museum of Art | Yale Center for British Art

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

Touring Connecticut Universities

Students, scholars and beyond – Connecticut is home to some of New England’s -- and the world's -- top universities. So, it’s no secret that people travel from far and wide to visit these spectacular schools. Whether you’re touring to attend, visiting a student, or simply interested in the university’s history, we’ve gathered ideas to get the most out of your visit to just a few of the state’s most popular schools. From nearby restaurants and hotels to can’t-miss attractions, these spots may even become your go-to spots once you’re accepted!

Featuring: Adventure Park at Storrs | Adventure Rooms | Akita Asian Fusion & Japanese Steakhouse | Amici Italian Grill Restaurant | Aunt Chilada's | Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry | Barcelona Wine Bar | Centro Restorante & Bar | Circle Hotel Fairfield | City of Middletown | Colony Grill - Fairfield | Connecticut River Cruise & Charter | Contemporary Art Galleries | Counter Weight Brewing | Dog Lane Café | Downtown Storrs | East Rock Brewing Company | Eli Cannon's Tap Room | Eli's on Whitney | Fairfield Comedy Club | Fairfield Social | Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - New Haven | Graduate Storrs | Historic Main Street Middletown | Hops 44 | Hotel Hi-Ho | IT Adventure Ropes Course | Inn at Middletown | Isabelle et Vincent | It's Only Natural (ION) Restaurant | Jennings Beach | Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts | Lake Mohegan | Lake Wintergreen | Lighthouse Point Park | Long Wharf Theatre | Louis' Lunch | Luce | Milkcraft - Fairfield | Miner Hills Family Golf, LLC | New Haven Green | No Worries Brewery | NoRA Cupcake Company (Middletown) | O'Rourke's Diner | Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale | Pardee Rose Gardens | Penfield Beach | Pine & Iron Axe Throwing - New Haven | Ristorante Luce | Rock Climb Fairfield | Shell & Bones Oyster Bar & Grill | Sleeping Giant Golf Course | Sleeping Giant State Park | Spring Hill Inn | Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company | Taste of New Haven Tours | The Blake Hotel | The Chelsea | The Inn at Storrs | The Shops at Yale | Toto Restaurant | Town of Fairfield | Town of Hamden | UConn Dairy Bar | University of Connecticut | Wadsworth Falls State Park | Wentworth Homemade Ice Cream Company | Whitney Inn & Suites | William Benton Museum of Art | Yale Center for British Art | Yale University Art Gallery | Yale University Visitor Center