FAMILY VACATIONS IN CONNECTICUT WITH CHILREN -WHAT TO DO IN CONNECTICUT WITH KIDS
FUN THINGS TO DO ON VACATION WITH KIDS - CONNECTICUT
Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Connecticut - To make the most out of the relaxation that you do get on your family vacation, you should take your family to a state that offers calming serenity. You should consider taking your family to Connecticut this summer.
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - WESTERN CONNECTICUT (For example - Danbury, CT - Ridgefield, CT - Bristol,CT - New Canaan, CT - Bridgeport, CT - Wilton,CT)
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The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art - Quarterly exhibitions, outstanding sculpture garden. Works inlcude paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed media.
Location: 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 Tel 203.438.4519
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Danbury Museum and Historical Society - The Danbury Museum and Historical Society, Inc. was formed in 1947 to acquire, preserve, exhibit and interpret New England's past; focusing particularly on the heritage of Danbury. Situated in downtown Danbury, the museum preserves the John and Mary Rider House (c. 1785), the Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), the Marian Anderson Studio, and the Charles Ives Birthplace. Huntington Hall, a modern exhibit building, contains the museum offices and a research library.
Location: 43 Main Street Danbury, CT 06810 Tel: 203-743-5200
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The New England Carousel Museum - One of the nation's largest collections of historic carousel art. A constantly changing panorama of priceless figurines and memorabilia create a fantasy world filled with spectacular images poised in flight, frozen in time. Hand carved by European and American craftsmen, many over a century ago, silent steeds offer an inspiring insight to the era and the artisans who created them.
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Institute for American Indian Studies - Artifacts and art from 10,000 years ago to the present; indoor longhouse exhibit, changing exhibits, gift shop. Outdoor simulated archaeological site, native plant trails, replica of a 17th-century Algonkian village, garden and rock shelter.
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Lake Compounce - Lake Compounce is the oldest amusement park in the United States, operating continuously since 1846.
Location: 822 Lake Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010 Tel: 860 583 3300
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The Brookfield Craft Center - National profile school for fine craftsmanship with gallery, gift and book store. Housed Colonial vintage restored mill overlooking the Still River at Halfway Falls.
Location: P.O. Box 122 Brookfield, Connecticut 06804 Tel: 203-775-4526
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Golden Age of Trucking Museum - Exhibition facility containing one of the rarest collections of antique trucks known to exist. Extensive toy collection, antique boats, fishing equipment, baseball memorabilia. Children's interactive area, indoor picnic area, gift shop.
Location: 1101 Southford Road Middlebury, Connecticut 06762 Tel: 203-577-2181
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Military Museum of Southern New England - The Museum, started in 1985, as a not for profit organization originally intended to preserve the history of Tank Destroyer history, specifically the 643rd TD Battalion, but has since expanded to include 20th and 21st Century Military and Home Side history. With over 10,000 artifacts (and growing) the museum is hard pressed to store, catalog and display more than a few of it's items. With the exception of the Executive Director the museum staff is composed of volunteers who are responsible for designing and installing the exhibits.
Location: 125 Park Avenue Danbury, Connecticut 06810 Tel:(203) 790-9277
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Timexpo Museum - Timexpo, The Timex Museum tells the story of Timex and its heritage dating back to the 1850's. A Time Tunnel leads to ancient mysteries. Magnificent timepieces, hands-on activities and much more.
Location: 175 Union Street Brass Mill Commons Mall Waterbury, CT 06706 Tel: 203-755-TIME
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Danbury Railway Museum - The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization staffed solely by volunteers. The purpose is to operate a railway museum in Danbury, CT, to educate the public as to the history of railroading and the role of the railroads as part of our local and national heritage, and to engage in any and all activities convenient to these purposes. The Museum, located in the historic station and rail yard in downtown Danbury, Connecticut, offers railroad history, rail excursion trips, a collection of railroad items including original and restored rolling stock, and opportunities for hands-on railroad work at "12 inches to the foot" scale.
Location: 120 White Street Danbury, CT 06810
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Glebe House & Gertrude Jekyll Garden - Experience the Glebe House Museum and The Gertrude Jekyll Garden -- birthplace of the Episcopal Church in the New World and graced by the only extant American garden planned by England's most venerated designer. Set in the picturesque Litchfield Hills in historic Woodbury's village center, the Glebe House Museum offers the visitor a glimpse of Revolutionary War era Connecticut.
Location: Hollow Road P.O. Box 245 Woodbury, CT 06798 Tel:(203) 263-2855
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The Mattatuck Museum - The Mattatuck Museum, located on the Green in downtown Waterbury, is a treasure house of collections focusing on over three centuries of the heritage of the region and the master artists of Connecticut. The museum houses a 300-seat performing arts center, an art studio classroom, and a research library. An acclaimed cafe and store offer services to visitors year round.
Location: Mattatuck Museum 144 West Main Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Tel: (203) 753-0381
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Flanders Nature Center - Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust was founded in 1963 by Natalie Van Vleck, an artist, sculptor and farmer who raised sheep and turkeys on the 200 acres along Flanders Road in Woodbury, Connecticut, that are now the heart of Flanders. The mission of Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is to promote the understanding and appreciation of nature, and support the conservation, preservation, and management of our natural resources.
Location: Woodbury, CT Tel: 203-263-3711
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Quassy Amusement Park - Quassy, founded as an amusement park in 1908, sits on the south shore of Lake Quassapaug in Middlebury, Connecticut. On its 20 plus acres, it boasts of 24 rides including The Saturation Station interactive water play area, Yo-Yo Super Swing Ride, The Big Flush Water Coaster, a four-abreast Grand Carousel, thrill rides as well as rides for the very young. A sandy beach provides swimming in a clean, spring-fed lake.
Location: Lake Quassapaug, Rt. 64 - Middlebury, CT 06762 Tel: 203-758-2913
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Railroad Museum of New England - The RMNE was founded in January 1968. We have an extensive collection of New England rolling stock - locomotives of all types, passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses. We have New England railroad artifacts dating from the 1840's to the present ... everything from tickets to signal towers to the photo archive of the New Haven Railroad and Thomaston station.
Location: PO Box 400 Thomaston, CT 06787-0400 Tel: 860.283-7245
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New Canaan Nature Center - The New Canaan Nature Center is located on a 40-acre site which features unusual habitat diversity, including wet and dry meadows, two ponds, wet and dry woodlands, dense thickets, an old orchard, and a cattail marsh. Two miles of trails criss-cross the site (including a 350-foot marsh boardwalk), and two observation towers overlook the wetlands and cattail marsh. The property has both developed and undeveloped areas, offering a variety of horticultural experiences for visitors.
Location: 144 Oenoke Ridge · New Canaan, CT 06840 Telephone: (203) 966-9577
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Bush-Holley Historic Site - Located on the historic Cos Cob Harbor, home of Connecticut's first art colony, the Historical Society's facilities include the National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House (circa 1730 ); the Visitor Center, housed in a former village post office (circa 1805 ); the Hugh and Claire Vanderbilt Education Center, set in a mid-19th century barn and artists' studio; and the William E. Finch, Jr. Archives. The grounds and gardens have been restored to their appearance during the Cos Cob Impressionist art colony that thrived between 1890 and 1920.
Location: 39 Strickland Road Cos Cob, CT 06807 (203) 869-6899
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Housatonic Museum of Art - The Museum has one of the most significant collections of any two-year college in the country and includes works by master artists such as Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Chagall. Both art enthusiasts and casual observers have the rare opportunity to engage daily with original works of art and artifacts on continuous display throughout the College and campus grounds. The Museum also presents lectures, programs and changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries for our students and the community at large, serving as a rich cultural resource for the Greater Bridgeport area.
Location: Housatonic Museum of Art 900 Lafayette Blvd. Bridgeport, CT 06604 Tel: 203-332-5052.
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The Barnum Museum - Only museum dedicated to depicting the extraordinary life of P. T. Barnum and the enormous influence he had on 19th century America.
Location: The Barnum Museum 820 Main Street Bridgeport, CT 06604 Tel: 203-331-1104
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Weir Farm National Historic Site - American Impressionist painter, J. Alden Weir (1852-1919) summered at this country retreat for nearly 40 years. The 60 acre site includes Weir's home, studio, barns and outbuildings, a visitor center, and a second studio built by sculptor, Mahonri Young.
Location: 735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton, CT 06897 Tel: 203-834-1896
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Bruce Museum - Over the past 90 years the Bruce Museum has developed a collection of approximately 15,000 objects, with holdings in fine and decorative arts, natural science and anthropology.
Location: One Museum Drive Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel: 203 869 0376
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Bridgeport Discovery Museum - Museum seeks to enhance public understanding of the science and technology by providing instructive experiences encouraging participant interaction with hands-on physical science exhibits, Planetarium programs, the Challenger Learning Center and various other educational programs. The Museum provides a broad range of educational programs in science and technology, as well as in the area where the two disciplines interact.
Location: 4450 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Tel: (203) 372-3521
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Stepping Stones Museum for Children - Stepping Stones mission is to broaden and enrich the educational opportunities for children ages ten and under and to enhance their understanding of the world. The museum seeks to create an environment that inspires lifelong learning, and supports parents, caregivers and educators as facilitators of children's explorations.
Location: 303 West Avenue Norwalk, CT 06850 Tel: 203 899 0606
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The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum - The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as one of the earliest and finest surviving Second Empire Style country houses ever built in the United States. The 52-room mansion was built by banker-railroad tycoon LeGrand Lockwood, who, in 1864 began construction of his estate on the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut. Designed by European-trained, New York-based architect Detlef Lienau, the mansion, which was completed in 1868, is considered his most significant work. American craftsmen, along with many immigrant artisans, were employed to execute construction of the grand castle.
Location: 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850 Tel: 203 838-9799
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The Maritime Aquarium - Explore the marine life and maritime culture of Long Island Sound. Watch sharks, jellies, sea turtles, and more than 1,000 other marine animals. Or enjoy a film in the IMAX movie theater.
Location: 10 North Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854 Tel: 203.852.0700
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Beardsley Zoo - Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo provides a wonderfully wild experience for families, students and you! We have a proud history of over 80 years as Connecticut's only zoo. And, as an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP), we are committed to the preservation of endangered animals and are continually developing strategies that will protect species and preserve their wild habitats. Open year-round and exhibiting almost 300 animals – including several endangered species such as tigers and bears – the Zoo is a great place to spend the day (and to visit often for our many special events).
Location: Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06610 Tel: (203) 394-6565
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Stamford Museum & Nature Center - 118 acres; includes New England working farm, country store, woodland trails, picnic area. Nature’s playground, live pond life exhibit, boardwalk with seating niches along a stream. Seven galleries exhibit fine art, Americana and much more.
Location: 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT 06903 Tel: 203 322 1646
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Sheffield Island Lighthouse and Nature Trail - Picturesque boat ride to the 3-acre park with picnic area and 1868 lighthouse. The ten room lighthouse showcases period furniture, and offers a chance to see what life was like for the families of 19th century light keepers. A viewing platform on the nature trail allows visitors to see a variety of wildlife including nesting herons and other birds.
Location: 132 Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854 Tel: 203 838 9444
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - CENTRAL CONNECTICUT (For example - Hartford, CT - New Britain, CT - New London,CT )
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Wadsworth Atheneum - Considered among the dozen greatest art museums in the United States. Its world-renowned collections include Hudson River School landscapes, Old Master paintings, modernist masterpieces, French and American Impressionist paintings, Meissen and Sevres porcelains, costumes and textiles, American furniture and decorative arts of the Pilgrim Century through the Gilded Age.
Location: 600 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103 Tel: (860) 278-2670
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Dinosaur State Park - We are one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America. Beneath our geodesic dome, you will find an exceptional display of early Jurassic fossil tracks that were made 200 million years ago. Surrounding our Exhibit Center are more than two miles of nature trails and the Dinosaur State Park Arboretum, containing more than 250 species and cultivars of conifers, as well as katsuras, ginkgoes, magnolias and other living representatives of plant families which appeared in the Age of Dinosaurs.
Location: 400 West Street Rocky Hill, Connecticut USA 06067-3506 Tel: 860-257-7601
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Gillette Castle - Unique fieldstone castle was home to legendary stage actor, William Gillette. The 184 acre park is situated on a hill overlooking the Connecticut River. Gillette, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on stage, designed his house with intricately carved locks and elaborate wood doors. The grounds have extensive hiking trails and picnic spots.
Location: 67 River Road East Haddam, CT 06423 Tel: (860) 526-2336
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New Britain Museum of American Art - Over 5,000 American works of art from 1740 to the present. Works include Benton, Cassatt, Church, Cole, LeWitt, Sargent, Stuart, Whistler, and Wyeth; changing exhibitions. Gift shop.
Location: 56 Lexington Street New Britain, CT 06052-1412 Tel: (860) 229-0257
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Hill-Stead Museum - Immerse yourself! Whether visiting individually or as part of a group, you will want to spend at least an hour-and-a half savoring the art, architecture and landscape that make up the Hill-Stead experience. To view the art, plan to spend 50 minutes on a guided tour, offered every half-hour.
Location: 35 Mountain Road, Farmington CT 06032
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New Britain Youth Museum - The New Britain Youth Museum, founded in 1956, encourages children and families to explore the history and cultures of Connecticut and the world.
Location: Tel: (860)225-3020
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LUTZ Children's Museum - The late Hazel Lutz was a beloved art teacher and also a world traveler. During her travels, she collected a variety of artifacts and trinkets that she believed would be of interest to children. Hoping to use these items as educational tools, she established a “museum” in the storage closet of her schoolroom. Her collection grew through the donations of others and began to include items that could be related to most academic disciplines. From her storage closet, the collection was moved to progressively larger and more public spaces. The Lutz Children's Museum was founded by the PTA in 1953 and named in her honor. To this day, the museum offers children educational and cultural opportunities that they may not have otherwise and gives teachers an additional source of enrichment and resource materials.
Location: 247 South Main St. Manchester CT 06040 Tel: 860 643 0949
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International Skating Center of Connecticut - The International Skating Center of Connecticut is a world-class, twin-rink facility designed to meet the needs of both the figure skating and hockey communities. Our building serves the first time competitor and Olympic Champions alike. National, International and Olympic and World Champions Alexei Yagudin, Shizuka Arakawa, Andre Gryazev, Galit Chait & Sergi Sakhovsky, Evgenia Shishkova & Vadim Naumov, and Katie Orscher & Garrett Lucash headline an international list of skating Champions who call ISCC home.
Location: 1375 Hopmeadow Street - P.O. Box 577 - Simsbury, CT Tel: 860-651-5400
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The New England Air Museum - The New England Air Museum is the largest aviation museum in the Northeast, with more than 70 aircraft dating from 1909 to modern jets.
Location: Bradley International Airport Windsor Locks, CT
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Connecticut River Museum - The 1879 Steamboat Dock, at the foot of Main Street in historic Essex Village, served as a port of call for steamboat service from New York City to Hartford, Conn. This National Register site replaced earlier commercial wharves dating back to 1650, when colonial ships started trade with the West Indies. Today Steamboat Dock is home to the Connecticut River Museum where the Connecticut River Valley story is told through year round changing exhibitions, activities and programs.
Location: 67 Main St., Essex, CT 06426 TEL: (860) 767-8269
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Amy's Udder Joy Exotic Animal Farm Park & Nature Center - Leisurely stroll through 50 or more indoor and outdoor exhibits of permanently injured, abused and unwanted exotic and wild animals and read the informational signs. Feed Llamas and Rare Sheep! Pet/hold animals such as, Baby Chicks, Giant Hissing Cockroaches, Land Hermit Crabs and Large Land Tortoises.
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Lyman Allyn Art Museum - Lyman Allyn Art Museum was established in 1926 by Harriet Upson Allyn in memory of her father, Lyman Allyn, as a place for local citizens to learn about art and culture. Housed in a handsome Neo-Classical building designed by Charles A. Platt, the permanent collection of over 15,000 objects includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, furniture, decorative arts, and American art from the 18th through 20th centuries.
Location: 625 Williams Street, New London, Connecticut
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Old State House - This is where Connecticut's citizens have shaped and reshaped the state's democratic heritage. The building was designed by the noted architect, Charles Bulfinch, and completed in 1796. Tourists from around the world, school children, neighborhood and civic groups, corporations and public officials can enjoy the restored rooms, educational programs and special events at the Old State House..
Location: 800 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103 Tel: 860.522.6766
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Harriet Beecher Stowe House - A tour of the Stowe House provides an intimate glimpse into the life of the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Day House offers magnificent interiors with changing exhibits and a research library. Visitors will enjoy the Center's tranquil surroundings, accented with historical Victorian gardens.
Location: 77 Forest Street Hartford, CT 06105 Tel: 860-522-9258
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Roaring Brook Nature Center - Roaring Brook Nature Center was founded in 1948 by Canton resident Una Storrs Riddle and was originally known as the Canton Children’s Nature Museum. In 1964, as a result of a bequest to the State of Connecticut, the adjacent 100 acre Werner Farm became available to the Nature Center as a wildlife sanctuary and outdoor classroom. A new building in 1966 provided larger exhibit space and allowed for expanded programming opportunities. In 1973, the Nature Center became affiliated with the Science Center of Connecticut, providing members with a wider range of programs and services for all ages.
Location: 70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT 06019 Tel: 860-693-0263
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Vintage Radio & Communications Museum - Displays of radio, television, motion picture and telephone equipment, as well as vintage advertising and memorabilia
Location: 33 Mechanic Street, Windsor, CT 06095 Tel: (860) 673-0518
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The Connecticut Audubon Center at Glastonbury - Offers a wide range of environmental programs and events throughout the year for all ages. The Center is adjacent to the 48 acre Earle Park with its forested trails, Tom's Pond, meadows, Holland Brook, and bluffs along the Connecticut River.
Location: CT Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury 1361 Main Street Glastonbury, CT 06033 Tel: 860-633-8402
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Science Center of Connecticut - Hands-on museum that explores science, nature, and technology. Planetarium, Turtle Town, Idea Zone, World Weather Window, live animals and more.
Location: 950 Trout Brook Drive W. Hartford, CT 06119 (860) 231-2824
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Antiquarian & Landmarks Society - The Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, Connecticut’s only statewide museum-based historical organization, promotes interest in special places by preserving and interpreting properties and collections of importance to Connecticut’s heritage.
Location: 255 Main Street Hartford, CT 06106 Tel: 860-247-8996
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The Mark Twain House - Step back to the Gilded Age during guided tours of the 19-room, Tiffany decorated mansion where Mark Twain wrote and raised his family from 1874 to 1891. During this productive period, Twain created such classics of American literature as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
Location: 351 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06105 Tel: 860-247-0998
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Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Ride - The steam train will take you through some of the most beautiful country in the state. You will find forests and streams, beautiful vistas and nostalgic towns, and some gorgeous views of the Connecticut River. The riverboat will take you for a relaxing and informative ride up the beautiful Connecticut River, from Deep River to East Haddam.
Location: One Railroad Avenue, P.O. Box 452 Essex, CT 06426 Tel: (860) 767-0103
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Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine - Mining operations began at the Old New-Gate location in 1705. However, mining was not profitable, and in 1773 the Colony of Connecticut began to use the abandoned tunnels as a prison. It was used to house prisoners during the American Revolution, and in 1790 became the state prison. Closed as a prison in 1827, Old New-Gate has primarily been used as a tourist attraction since the 1860's.
Location: Prospect Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Tel: 860 566-3005
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Goodspeed Opera House - Goodspeed Musicals was formed in 1959 to restore the 19th century Goodspeed Opera House and reactivate it as a professional theatre in 1963. Under the direction of Michael P. Price since 1968, Goodspeed has achieved international acclaim as the home of musical theatre. Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre and the development of new works to add to the repertoire, Goodspeed pioneered the practice of rethinking, restoring and revitalizing America’s musical theatre heritage.
Location: 6 Main Street East Haddam, CT 06423 Tel: 860-873-8664
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - EASTERN CONNECTICUT (For example - Willimantic, CT - Mystic, CT - Canterbury,CT )
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USS Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum - The Submarine Force Museum, located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut, maintains the world's finest collection of submarine artifacts. It is the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, and as such is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. Submarine Force history. The museum traces the development of the "Silent Service" from David Bushnell's Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War, to the modern Los Angeles, Ohio, Seawolf and Virginia class submarines.
Location: Naval Submarine Base New London Groton, CT 06349-5571 Tel: (860) 694-3174
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Windham Textile & History Museum - The Windham Textile and History Museum, affectionately known as the Mill Museum, was once the textile mill's store, library, and store warehouse. The buildings were built in 1877.
Location: 157 Union Street and Main Street, Willimantic, CT 06226 Tel: 860-456-2178
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Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut - The Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut is an interactive, hands-on, educational opportunity for the children in your life. We engage, encourage, and challenge children ages 1 through 12 -- and adults as well -- in the arts, sciences, safety & health, and culture & history. Visit the Health Discovery Center. Climb into the kids' clubhouse in a literary exhibit: Mythical Beasts, Legends, & Heroes. Discover the legacy of a young girl caught in the prejudices of World War II in the Anne Frank's Attic exhibit. Don't miss Nursery Rhyme Land for toddlers and the Global Village, a celebration of diverse cultural heritage. Would-be builders create wonders in the CAN-STRUCT building exhibit. Our renovated outdoor garden, "X-Play-Nation Park," delights youngsters with giant chimes, whale drum, echo tube, dino dig, climbing wall, pond exhibit and more! The Museum has live critters, arts & crafts, a pipe organ, a real 2-person research submarine, and many exhibits that change regularly for your enjoyment!
Location: 409 Main Street, Niantic, CT 06357 Tel: (860) 691-1111
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Science EpiCenter - The DNA EpiCenter is a leading science educational institution, offering intellectually challenging programs, involving cutting-edge and provocative subjects stimulating life-long learning.Over 100 activity stations. Science theater, early childhood center, puzzle parlor, science store, hiking trails, and picnic area.
Location: 33 Gallows Lane, New London, CT 06320 Tel: 860-442-0391
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Mystic Aquarium - Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration is so much more than an aquarium. It's not just a place to visit ocean life, it's a unique experience in living marine creatures and the latest discoveries of our underwater world. In addition to a beautiful aquarium setting supported by a team of highly dedicated marine animal research experts, we have assembled some of the finest talent in oceanographic and deep-sea archeological research
Location: 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355-1997 Tel:(860) 572-5955
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Prudence Crandall House Museum - The Museum, located at the Junction of State Scenic Routes 14 & 169 in Canterbury, Connecticut includes three period rooms, changing exhibits on a variety of themes, a small research library available by appointment for in-house study, and a museum gift shop. The museum's first floor is handicapped accessible.
Location: P. O. Box 58 Canterbury, Connecticut 06331 Tel: (860) 546-9916
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Route 169 - Consider everything you know about New England -- spectacular autumn color, historic buildings, charming cities -- and you will have an idea of what you will find on Connecticut Route 169.
Location: Tel: 860 444 2206
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Florence Griswold Museum - Here is a collection of important American paintings on the walls of an house -- an architectural treasure itself -- where the artists lived and worked, in a setting much the same today as it was at the turn of the century. Here, too, is the repository of the area's history, collected in the archives and artifacts of the Lyme Historical Society.
Location: 96 Lyme Street Old Lyme, CT 06371 Tel: 860-434-5542
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Captain Bob's Thimble Island Tours - Board the Volsunga IV for a tour of the Thimble Islands and take a voyage back in time. Located just off the shoreline town of Stony Creek, "The Thimbles" have often been described as "a piece of the Maine coast that drifted into Long Island Sound and came to rest at Stony Creek".
Location: Volsunga IV P.O. Box 3284 Stony Creek, CT. 06405 Tel: 203-481-3345
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Mystic Seaport - Take part in all three Mystic Seaport adventures - the bustling 19th-century village of tall ships and historic buildings, exhibit galleries brimming with the culture of seafaring lives, and a unique shipyard where the nearly lost art of wooden shipbuilding endures - to find out how the sea has touched you, your family and our nation.
Location: 75 Greenmanville Avenue PO Box 6000 Mystic, CT 06355-0990 Tel:860.572.5315
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Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center - The world's largest and most comprehensive Native American museum and research center offers an array of engaging experiences for young and old, from life-size walk-through dioramas that transport visitors into the past, to changing exhibits and live performances of contemporary arts and cultures. Four full acres of permanents exhibits depict 18,000 years of Native and natural history in thoroughly researched detail, while two libraries, including one for children, offer a diverse selection of materials on the histories and cultures of all Native peoples of the United States and Canada.
Location: 110 Pequot Trail P.O. Box 3180 Mashantucket, CT 06339-3180 Tel: (800) 411-9671
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Nathan Hale Homestead - Here you will find information about Captain Nathan Hale, famous American Revolutionary War patriot and the official Connecticut State Hero. You will also learn about his family, their homestead, and the many education programs, tours, and resources that are available at Hale Homestead.
Location: Nathan Hale Homestead 229 South Street Coventry, CT 06238
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Roseland Cottage - Roseland Cottage depicts the summer life of a prosperous family in mid 19th-century America. Built in 1846 in the newly fashionable Gothic Revival style, the house provided a seasonal escape from a more formal city existence for Henry Chandler Bowen and his family. Bowen, a Woodstock native, made his fortune in New York and became an active abolitionist, Congregationalist, and Republican. The entire complex, with a boxwood parterre garden, an icehouse, garden house and a carriage barn with a private bowling alley, reflects the principles of writer and designer Andrew Jackson Downing.
Location: Route 169 Woodstock, Conn. 06281 Tel: (860) 928-4074
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT (For example - New Haven, CT - Fairfield, CT - Madison,CT )
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The Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum - The museum is a regular world of comic strip, cartoon, western, TV and advertising character memorabilia. In fact it has mementos from just about every major and minor studio and famous toy manufacturer.
Location: 1188 Highland Avenue Cheshire , CT 06410 Tel: 203 699 3822
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Peabody Museum of Natural History - Step into the world’s cultures through outstanding exhibits on Ancient Egypt, and the peoples of Mesoamerica, the Andes, the Pacific, the Great Plains and the Northwest Coast.
Location: Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University 170–210 Whitney Avenue New Haven, CT 06511 USA
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The Eli Whitney Museum - One of America's premier inventors. The Museum has two permanent exhibits, Inventing Change and The Gilbert Gallery which are open year round. From November to January see the Annual Toy Train exhibition in which visitors may run as many as four separate train lines on a 30 x 15 foot layout. Also displays and activities on aeromodeling.
Location: 915 Whitney Avenue Hamden, CT 06517-4036 Tel: (203) 777-1833
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Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center - Founded in 1898, Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent, statewide, nonprofit membership supported organization dedicated to providing excellence in environmental education, encouraging conservation of the state's natural resources and advocating for enlightened leadership on ecological matters. The Society operates facilities in Fairfield, Milford, Glastonbury, Hartford, Pomfret, Hampton and an EcoTravel office in Essex. Connecticut Audubon Society manages 19 wildlife sanctuaries around the state preserving over 2,200 acres of open space.
Location: 2325 Burr Street Fairfield, CT 06824 Tel: (203) 259-6305
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Freedom Schooner Amistad - Connecticut's Flagship and Tall Ship Ambassador. Amistad’s home port is Long Wharf Pier in New Haven. The Freedom Schooner visits ports nationally and internationally as an ambassador for friendship and goodwill. It serves as a floating classroom, icon and monument to the millions of souls that were broken or lost as a result of the insidious transatlantic slave trade.
Location: 746 Chapel Street, Suite 300 New Haven, CT 06510
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The Yale Center for British Art - Presented to the university by Paul Mellon (Class of 1929)‚ the Yale Center for British Art houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. The collection of paintings‚ sculpture‚ drawings‚ prints‚ rare books‚ and manuscripts reflects the development of British art‚ life‚ and thought from the Elizabethan period onward. The Center offers a year-round schedule of exhibitions and educational programs‚ including films‚ concerts‚ lectures‚ tours‚ and special events.
Location:
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Yale University Art Gallery - A tour of the Yale Art Gallery will take you through outstanding collections of Egyptian, Etruscan, and Greek art, early Italian panel paintings, European, Asian and African art from many cultures, impressionist, modernist, and contemporary paintings and sculpture as well as changing selections from over 30,000 master prints, drawings, and photographs.
Location: P.O. Box 208271 New Haven, CT 06520-8271 Tel: 203.432.0611
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The Dudley Farm - The restored and furnished 1840 Farm House is the hub of the farm. Tours of the house introduce visitors to a typical kitchen, dining room, parlor and bedrooms, while sharing lifestyle information and stories from the house's previous inhabitants. The Farm is open to the public and invites visitors to experience life on a turn of the 20th century farm.
Location: Rt 77 just north of Rt. 80. Tel: (203) 457-0770.
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Hammonasset Beach State Park - A visit to Hammonasset Beach State Park, is more than just another day at the beach. Connecticut's largest shoreline park offers over 2 miles of beach to enjoy swimming, strolling along the boardwalk, or just relaxing in the sun and surf.
Location: 1288 Boston Post Road P.O. Box 271 Madison, CT 06443 Tel: (203) 245-2785
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Shubert Performing Arts Center - CAPA's programming includes the nation's most successful classic film series (Summer Movie Series) its widely hailed blue-ribbon classical performances (Signature Series), and an eclectic mix of pop, folk, jazz, country, world entertainment, comedy, theatrical presentations, magic, and children's programming.
Location: 247 College Street New Haven, Connecticut 06510 Tel: (203) 624-1825
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