7 Best Towns in Connecticut to Visit in 2024
If you love movies, history, and nautical charm and your heart craves adventure, head to Connecticut, the Constitution State, abounding in small coastal towns! With plenty of seafaring sights and natural spaces, Connecticut, the third-smallest state by area, has a big spirit for the outdoors. All serious and historic from one side, the Nutmeg State shines in quality over quantity, with quirky characters that offer some of the best experiences.
The charming little nuggets include Mystic, the star from the favorite 1973 flick with Julia Roberts' sites through town. The famous Griswold Inn, the nation's oldest continuously operated inn, is just a stroll away from the Town Dock with the Connecticut River Museum in Essex. Topping our list alphabetically, this town placed a top spot on a guidebook's list of "100 Best Small Towns in America" and one of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
Essex
Jutting out into the Connecticut River, this picturesque town on the water is perfect, according to a list of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. From sightseeing Essex Steam Train rides to concerts on the Ivoryton Green and beaches for wetsuit lovers, there are plenty of ways to soak up the New England charm in Essex. Just a few miles south, the river empties into Long Island Sound, but you can hear about that in Old Saybrook, down below! Meanwhile, the deeply historic town of Essex, a top spot on a guidebook's list of "100 Best Small Towns in America,” is a fashioned destination for cultured and seafaring fans, offering to exchange the city skyscrapers for ambient architecture.
From the Colonial and Federal-era homes along the Main, jostling with village shops—a real historical treasure trove—one way or another, you'll wind up at the Town Dock to mingle with nautical views. Adjacent, the Connecticut River Museum in a warehouse from 1878 offers cool exhibits, eagle tours, and special events for all ages on the lawn sprawling to the water’s edge! Welcoming travelers since 1776, you can stay in timeless appeal or enjoy a meal at the nation's oldest continuously open inn, infamously, “The Gris.” The quaint atmosphere downtown, with perky shops and family attractions, offers natural outlets to parks and beautiful trails for walks and biking.
Guilford
Whatever your guilty pleasure is, indulge in Guilford, a charming coastal town from 1639. Named after a town in England, you can get insights into its heritage at the Guilford Historic Town Center, which has over 60 significant, perfectly preserved landmarks from the past. Hyland House is an immaculate saltbox-style home from 1660, turned into a museum with colonial exhibits, while the historic Town Green features one hundred and twenty-five trees for leaf peeping and more autumn adventures at Bishop’s Orchards. From strolls and picking through 110 acres of apples to an ice cream stand, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch, this is the epicenter of fall family fun.
Don't miss The Place, a seafood restaurant for an unforgettable outdoor dining seafood experience open on weekends in October, where visitors pull up on a tree stump around a real surf and turf feast on a common bright-red table cooked over a crackling wood fire! With quirky traditions continuing into November, this is your chance for a face-to-face with technicolor turkeys at the half-century-old Gozzi’s Turkey Farm, home to comic, Instagramable birds! In the summer, visitors can take the Connecticut Shoreline Bike/Boat Tour to soak up views on land and water, while the seaside Chaffinch Island Park is resplendent for strolls in aquamarine and verdant colors through the sea breeze.
Mystic
The good ol' town of Mystic is the star of Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts and home to Olde Mistick Village, an outdoor shopping center. Go on a holiday-themed shopping spree or tea time at the village's tea house, with eateries and other places happy to welcome two- and four-legged friends! Whether you're here for the Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tour or a walk around the movie sites, family experiences topple over each other to be the most memorable! There are wonderful sights such as Mystic Seaport, the nation's largest maritime museum with its scrollable gardens, or the beloved Mystic Aquarium, home to Beluga whales and penguins that just released seals into the wild!
Mystic, an unmissable part of the larger Groton and Stonington, is an ambient town for every taste, abounding in history and yummy eats, like Cider Donuts, where you can kayak or SUP down the Mystic River from Paddle Mystic. There is also the astonishing Mystic Museum of Art, with paintings, while B.F. Clyde's, in the cider-making business since 1881, has been a designated National Mechanical Engineering Landmark since 1994. Tree Trails offers to clamber around the treetops for unforgettable falltime views or get your fill of sparkling foliage against the shimmering waters aboard Breck Marshall!
Niantic
The seaside village of Niantic, part of East Lyme, sits on Niantic Bay and the Niantic River, with scenic, 360-degree views and seafaring experiences for young and old! Antique lovers enjoy the quaint vibes emanating from timeless architecture, like one of the area's first schools, the Little Boston School House from back in the 1730s, and even older, the 1660 Thomas Lee House! The Book Barn, a great shop to browse among thousands of books, doesn't mind visitors cuddling up with one at one of its three locations in town, offering gardens and pet cats, goats, turtles, and fish—a charming family experience!
McCook Beach and Park are scenic in every season for strolls and picnics, where anglers can depart on a sea tour aboard a Black Hawk fishing boat to catch bluefish, cod, and porgies. The village's Niantic Bay Shellfish Farm offers everything from local restaurants to fresh seafood, farmer's markets, and a combination at its Flanders Fish Market. In the summer, Niantic is the intimate coastal escape you seek when others are south- or Maine-bound for boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, or water skiing, all of which you can do right here. There are so many views to relish, with cherishable photo moments, such as swimming at McCook Beach and a fresh seafood feast at Skipper's Seafood!
Old Saybrook
Just south of Essex, Old Saybrook, a settled plantation in 1635 and a town since 1738, nestles at the mouth of the Connecticut River, where it meets Long Island Sound. Whether you're in for history with a bout of mystery, some sun lounging at the swimmable Harvey’s Beach, or leisurely coastal strolls, Old Saybrook is a pretty town to explore! Just offshore, Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse from 1886 is a destination in itself for a selfie against the prolific silhouette amid cerulean waters. It is one of the most photogenic lighthouses in New England. Stop by the iconic Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center before a drink at Penny Lane Pub, and start the next morning fresh on a sunrise watch from the South Cove Wildlife Area!
This small town with friendly locals and tradition abounding nestles in between two beautiful natural resources: the beach and the coastal forest. Almost entirely engulfed in water, Plum Bank Marsh Wildlife Area, South Cove, North Cove, and Black River are all within city limits. One of the oldest golf courses in the country, the Fenwick Golf Course, with roots dating back to the late 1800s, is well worth a visit. The 195-acre Fenwick Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places, features a "shingle" style among its 60 buildings. Aside from a trove of history and implied culture, Downtown Old Saybrook's modern fare of eclectic shops and unique restaurants will tease your senses.
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook, a tiny village in Newtown, is a destination for a wide array of local dining experiences in between unforgettable outdoor adventures. There's plenty to explore over hikes and horseback riding in Sandy Hook, with its Ridge Equestrian Center and Rocky Glen State Park, home to a 400-foot, over 130-year-old iron arch for an epic selfie! Visitors can picnic and play sports at the Treadwell Memorial Park, with a field just east, while Upper Paugussett State Forest is a few minutes drive northwest, where the spectacular snaking Lake Lillinonah connects to the Housatonic River. Cover Two Sports Cafe is your go-to for wings and quesadillas over big-screen televised sporting events!
Filled with eateries downtown, don't miss Foundry Kitchen and Tavern, with great food and brews overlooking a stream, while the upscale bistro, Nouveau Monde, doubles up as a bar for wine-os. Visitors can score unique finds on a local shopping spree, like Pip's Curiosity Shoppe for one-of-a-kind vintages and the New Insights Metaphysical Boutique for spiritual and wellness discoveries. The Mediterranean-inspired winery, Aquila's Nest Vineyards, offers wining in an igloo or around an outdoor fire pit, while Ferris Acres Creamery will soon be open to delight old and young tourists with frozen specialties like a variety of ice cream, Dolce Italian Ice, Gelato, and Italian desserts.
Southport
Southport, a former hub for trade and commerce in Fairfield with a section on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971, is more than a scenic harbor town today. With a role in the Revolutionary War, its legacy is the impressive Greek Revival and Victorian buildings in the Southport Historic District. Mostly constructed following Fairfield's destruction in the war by the British, the oldest samples date back to the second half of the 18th century. The modern-day humble hamlet, Southport, may have scaled down its commercial size but expanded tourism for boating, while its member destination for the Pequot Yacht Club from 1920 keeps it anchored to the sea!
Start your day at Sono Baking Co. or Driftwood Sandwich Shop for a coffee over breakfast sandwich, and stop by a picturebook-like Pequot Library before wandering down to the waterfront for views. Visitors can enjoy yacht races in the sea-salt breeze against the shimmering, clean harbor waters and venture by the scenic Ye Yacht Yard, most ambient at sundown. Abounding with greenspaces and parks all along its through-running Hwy. 95, the top-rated Southport Beach, is at the southern tip of town. From refined American cuisine at the Artisan Restaurant to the Italian Paci Restaurant, the favorite local Horseshoe Tavern & Cafe watering hole serves pub fare over live music on Mondays.
Dotted throughout the state, these seven showcase the state from the best side for a wholesome Connecticut experience over varying scenery with fun in the outdoors to cherish lifelong memories! Boasting authentic New England vibes, ambient downtown areas, and friendly locals, these are the best towns to visit this year in Connecticut.
With beautiful scenery abounding, these towns, with their anchors deep in the water for summertime tourism, only glam up with views through falltime foliage. Come for some sun lounging at the swimmable Harvey’s Beach and take a swing at one of the oldest golf courses in the country, the Fenwick Golf Course, from the late 1800s!
