Top Things to do in Connecticut
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Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Connecticut, United States
Connecticut is a study in attraction and contrast. In one small state, you’ll find miles of sandy oceanfront shoreline, acres of forested hiking trails, and world-class museums, art and theater. Here family-friendly adventure parks and aquariums are just minutes from dynamic casino resorts and quaint, historic small towns — offering experiences that range from culinary to cultural, luxurious to laid-back. It’s the perfect place to unwind and recharge, all at the same time.
Restaurants in Connecticut
1. Yale University Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 953 reviews
Yale University Art Gallery is the oldest college art museum in America. The Gallery’s encyclopedic holdings of more than 250,000 objects range from ancient times to the present day and represent civilizations from around the globe. Spanning a block and a half of the city of New Haven, Connecticut, the Gallery comprises three architecturally distinct buildings, including a masterpiece of modern architecture from 1953 designed by Louis Kahn through which visitors enter. The museum is free and open to the public.
Reviewed By 397markc397 - Hudson, United States
I know people are attracted for special exhibits, and the one during my visit was indeed very special, however the gallery is well worth a visit at any time. A very diverse and deep amount of art is always on display, and along with the helpful and friendly security staff, its a true pleasure to visit! Just a note on the current exhibit: Matthew Barney Redoubt. Absolutely breathtaking. If you miss this at least google. Its stunning!
2. The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 92 reviews
Reviewed By fcannarella - Hartford, United States
A really nice overall theater experience. And knowledgeable and helpful staff and very comfortable seating
3. Bruce Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 197 reviews
Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm;; closed Mondays and major holidays. Closed Christmas Eve, Monday,12-24-18, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, Monday, 12-31-18, and New Year's Day. Tuesdays are free, all other days are "Pay as You Wish," with a $10 suggested donation.
Reviewed By ArthurG121 - Scarsdale, United States
We have visited the Bruce Museum Numerous times over the last few years. When we heard that they had reopened, we decided to plan our visit. As a result of the Pandemic of 2020, you must reserve in advance by going to their website And picking a specific tine you’d like to arrive. They are limiting the number of guests to twenty five people per time slot. The Bruce Museum is small however they had three very interesting exhibits. They are in the process of planning and building an entirely new and much larger museum on their property. There are many reasons to plan a visit. They are located in a beautiful part of Greenwich and you’ll want to allow time to stroll to the water as well as to walk on Greenwich Avenue. The museum staff is made up of people who live their jobs and more importantly, the Bruce Museum’s organization values them too. During the months that the museum was closed, they didn’t furlough any of their staff. Not even their security guards. Everyone was kept on and received their full salaries. When I heard this from one of the security guards, I decided that we had to become members to support this wonderful institution!
4. Stamford Museum & Nature Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 295 reviews
Seasonal fun awaits you at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. The 118-acre property is home to Heckscher Farm, an 18-acre working farm; Overbrook Nature Center; the Bendel Mansion, with changing exhibitions and pieces from the Museum’s permanent collection; an otter pond; Nature’s Playground; the Stamford Observatory; Animal Embassy; and more than 80 acres of hiking trails. The Wheels in the Woods Trail provides a universally accessible nature trail. Come discover, learn, and enjoy!
Reviewed By kzsull01 - Windsor, United States
My husband and I visited the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford Connecticut on Monday, April 19th, 2021. We found out about this museum because it is part of the CT Art Trail Passport Booklet, making it a good value. We visited primarily to see the Special Exhibit ‘Global Garden: Resonant Beauty, A Solo Exhibition of Orchid Paintings by Patricia Laspino’, which was excellent, being very inspirational. We were very impressed with this exhibit and feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see it, since it is only on view until April 25th. I give this museum an excellent rating because of this exhibit. However, after it is over, I am not certain what will be on view at the museum because there is a gap of time between when this exhibit ends and when the next exhibit begins on May 21st, and the museum does not appear to have a permanent exhibit always on view. I provide more details about this exhibit in the Special Exhibit section of this write-up. The museum is located inside the Bendel Mansion, which has large rooms with nice architecture inside, but no rooms were set-up with furnishings depicting how it looked as a mansion. The one issue we had with our visit was finding the museum from the farm parking lot. The directions say to park in the Heckscher Farm parking lot and not in the museum parking lot at this time. The museum is not close or even in view from the farm parking lot. We were provided with 2 maps as we entered the grounds, one in black and white the other a Trail Map. The museum is not very distinctively marked on the map that is in black and white, it just blended in with everything else. The Trail Map had it designated in red. Nevertheless, it took a while to find the museum from the Hechscher Farm parking lot. We were glad the weather was very nice because if it had been rainy or cold out, the walk from the parking lot to the museum wouldn’t have been very nice, in particular because it is hilly. So wear comfortable shoes. However, there was plenty of free parking in the Heckscher Parking Lot at the time of our visit. It just wasn’t convenient to the museum. Special Exhibit: ‘Global Garden: Resonant Beauty, A Solo Exhibition of Orchid Paintings by Patricia Laspino’: The paintings in this exhibit were both beautiful and impressive and together with the write-ups depicted a great mixture of art, culture, history, science, nature and addressed the impacts of Climate Change and Global Warming on various species of orchids as well as other types of flowers, including peonies. Each painting had a write-up with a title, flower facts, including specie of orchid or flower, bird (if applicable), native range (where each orchid grows) and artist notes. The artist notes were definitely quite interesting and educational and depicted specific features and characteristics about each orchid, including historic and scientific information, growth patterns, and the stories and experiences that the artist had with the flower. This exhibit is truly amazing!! I never knew that there were so many diverse species of orchids from all over the world. The paintings and associated write-ups within this exhibit nicely reflect the many years of research studies that the artist put into their creation, effectively addressing the flowers and paintings from the perspective of their beauty, diversity, preservation and stewardship. It is definitely apparent that the artist was influenced by several artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as her botanist background. This exhibit was very well done and worth seeing. The Heckscher Farm, Gardens, River Otter, Nature Center and Much More: It was a nice walk through the farm, both to and from the museum. There was a nice variety of animals, to see and take pictures of that were all well-kept and had plenty of room to move about. The animals included chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, cows and much more. The grounds and surrounding landscape were also scenic and nicely maintained. We particularly enjoyed the River Otter, who didn’t come out until we opened the gate to where you could view him. Interesting information about River Otters, their environment, including their habitat and diet, was on display. The Overbrook Nature Center and Gift Shop had taxidermy artifacts representing animals from the area on display, with educational write-ups as well as snakes and a rock collection. Interesting information about the seasons, bird migrations and the Atlantic Flyway were also on display. The vegetable gardens were not in bloom at the time of our visit but did have garlic and leaves to strawberry plants sprouting up. These gardens, which are planted with over 50 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including dozens of heirloom varieties, would be nice to see later in the season. The farm, which has an interesting history, is definitely great for families with young children but could also be enjoyed by adults. Picnic tables were available on the grounds making it nice for a family picnic. There were a variety of different trails, which we did not have an opportunity to take based on the amount of time we had available to us at the time of our visit. One that we missed, which would have been interesting to see, was the Sculpture Trail that appears to be relatively close to the museum based on the map in black and white. Our visit took about an hour and 20 minutes, with an emphasis on viewing the Special Exhibit in the museum, but included the areas mentioned above going to and from the museum. It is great that this museum has been able to remain open with a wide range of hours during the pandemic and that we didn’t need timed tickets, giving a lot of flexibility in terms of the time of our arrival. The only issue we had with our visit was that we were not able to park close to the museum.
5. Mystic Seaport Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,309 reviews
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation's leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America's oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum's grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT and include a recreated 19th-century coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT.
6. The Mark Twain House & Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,622 reviews
The Mark Twain House & Museum, a National Historic Landmark in Hartford, Connecticut, was the home of America's greatest author, Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) and his family from 1874 to 1891. It is also where Twain lived when he wrote his most important works, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and The Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. A stunning example of Picturesque Gothic architecture, the 25-room home features a dramatic grand hall, a lush glass conservatory, a grand library and the handsome billiard room where Twain wrote his famous books. The Webster Bank Museum Center at The Mark Twain House & Museum offers visitors an opportunity to learn more about Mark Twain, his family, the historic house, and the author's legacy. This state-of-the-art facility houses our ticket desk; the Aetna Gallery with a permanent exhibition on Twain's life and work; a rotating exhibition hall, The Hartford Financial Services Theatre, showing a Ken Burns mini-documentary on Twain; classroom space; the lecture hall-style Lincoln Financial Auditorium; The Mark Twain Store; entertaining spaces like the soaring Hal Holbrook and the sunny second floor cafe/patio area.
Reviewed By christinerH1415MU
Located right in Hartford, but tucked away in it's own little area, the Mark Twain house is a must see if you are in the area. It's available only by prebooked tour, and they do book up ahead of time so purchase tickets before driving out there. The cost of an adult ticket is $20, which seemed a little pricey until we were on the tour, and it quickly became apparent the price is worth it. Our tour guide Brendan was phenomenal, his knowledge of the history of both Mark Twain and the house itself was unmatched. The house is rich in history and was very advanced for its time, including having one of the first residential telephones which is still there today. The tour takes about 60-90 minutes, and then plan an extra 20-30 for time at the museum and gift shop.
7. Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 403 reviews
Pequot Museum, located in an ancient cedar forest minutes away from Foxwoods Resort Casino, is the largest Native American museum in the world. REOPENING MAY 19TH!!
Reviewed By GregK1239 - Contoocook, United States
We went here for the first time on our recent trip to Foxwoods. We were all very impressed with the size and scope of the museum. The exhibits were all top quality, and the recreated village is spectacular. I would definitely recommend spending a few hours here if you are in the area.
8. Yale University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 806 reviews
One of the country's oldest and most prestigious universities.
Reviewed By veniag2019 - Fajardo, Caribbean
Loved Touring Yale. Made me want to go back in time and attend College here. Awesome guide and Great end of Summer Day to See a Beautiful Campus. Will go visit the Libraries more in depth the next time Im in town. If your thinking of going back to school or just want to see a Great Campus with wonderful people. Make sure you stop over to the Campus Tour best thing about it is its FREE.
9. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 563 reviews
This museum has a diverse collection ranging from Indian artifacts to Egyptian art to a large bird collection.
Reviewed By joannebY8878ZI - Blairstown, United States
From dinosaurs to beautiful minerals to dioramas to a wonderful Discovery Room (where kids can watch ants work, observe stick bugs and newly hatched butterflies, work on puzzles and do other fun activities), this museum is designed to entertain children and visitors of all ages. Exhibits promote the study of natural history, conservation and the love of science. The museum is a manageable size, and we had a wonderful time with our young grandsons. Don't delay your visit--the museum is closing at the end of the year for renovations!
10. Rainmaker Statue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 183 reviews
A 12-foot statue in the Foxwoods Town Square that displays the history of the Pequot tribe.
Reviewed By vacations4u
There are lots of things to see and visit when at Foxwoods and although I miss the show that use to take place at this statue it is certainly beautiful when lit at night. Check it out and see for yourself.
