9 Best Museums In Connecticut

You can tell a lot about a place from its museums. Connecticut’s are the perfect way to explore the many faces of this intriguing New England state. From its early Native American inhabitants to its colonial beginnings and from its artistic and cultural legacy to its dazzling natural wonders, these museums cover a whole lot of ground. Go birdwatching at the country’s oldest songbird sanctuary, take a trip on an 1800s whaler, see Mark Twain’s dream home, or take a ride on a centuries-old carousel. A trip to any one of these museums will keep the whole family entertained and introduce you to a side of Connecticut most visitors miss.

The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford

In 1873 Sam Clemens and his wife Olivia commissioned a New York architect to build them their dream home in Connecticut’s capital, Hartford. The couple moved in a year later and spent many happy years there while Sam carved out a reputation as one of America’s greatest novelists under his pen name, Mark Twain.

The attached Mark Twain Museum features permanent displays on Twain’s life and career as well as rotating exhibits that change regularly. The museum is open seven days a week, except holidays, but the home is shown by guided tour only. Tours fill up quickly so Twain fans are advised to purchase tickets in advance.

While you’re in Hartford, drop in on another famous face from history and visit the Stowe Center for Literary Activism. Once the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the center is just a short walk from the Twain House, through the scenic Stowe Center Gardens. Guided tours provide insight on Stowe’s life, Hartford in the Victorian era, and the abolition movement.

Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic

Known as the ‘nautical jewel of New England’, the charming town of Mystic has a long seafaring tradition. Step back into its fascinating past at the Mystic Seaport Museum where you can learn about the sea, the shipping industry, and the people who made Mystic a maritime treasure.

Board one of the museum’s four national historic landmark vessels to see life below decks on a 1841 whaler or a 1908 steamboat, browse sea-inspired art, and view the museum’s collection of ship figureheads and carvings from around the world. You can also see what it takes to build a seaworthy vessel at the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard, the first of its kind in the United States. The museum, which is open daily, also offers regular events and programs including PIrate Days, an annual celebration of piracy on the high seas with games, costumes, and a pirate parade.

The Seaport Museum is located near the waterfront, a short drive from Main Street which takes you over the Mystic River and into the heart of the town’s historic downtown. There you’ll find boutique shops, quaint cafes, and delicious dining. You can’t come to Mystic without tasting the local seafood. Grab a lobster roll or the catch of the day at Off The Hook, a family-fun favorite with a reputation for fresh, quality fare.

Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme

Old Lyme, in southeastern Connecticut, has an unusual claim to fame. In the late 1800s, this quaint small town became the home of the Old Lyme Art Colony and, eventually, the hub of American Impressionism. Matilda Brown, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf and other pioneers of the movement were heavily inspired by the landscapes around the coastal town. When they were in town, these legendary artists stayed and worked at Florence Griswold’s boarding house. Fast forward a few centuries and the boarding house is now the centerpiece of a sprawling museum campus that offers the perfect day out for visiting art lovers.

The museum contains a gallery showcasing American art from the 18th to the 20th centuries and a gift shop while the Florence Griswold House, a Georgian-style mansion built in 1817, is also open for tours. The property also includes a cafe, an education center, and beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens. Take the half-mile ‘Artists’ Trail’ which meanders around the museum, giving a self-guided tour of the site’s history and ecology. The museum is closed on holidays and Mondays.

Once you’re finished exploring, refuel at local hotspot, the Hangry Goose. This riverside restaurant offers beautiful views over the Lieutenant River and serves up hearty fare that will power you up to explore more of Old Lyme.

CT Audubon Birdcraft Museum, Fairfield

Founded in 1914, the CT Audubon Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary is the oldest private songbird sanctuary in the United States. A National Historic Landmark, the 6 acre preserve contains a tranquil pond and scenic gardens, designed as ideal habitats for birds and butterflies. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars — hiking trails lead visitors around the lush grounds to the best birding spots.

Events and programs at the museum include a tour of the sanctuary’s bird banding station where more than 18,000 species of birds have been recorded. Learn more about the local wildlife and conservation efforts by browsing the museum’s exhibits which include dioramas, wildlife displays, and even dinosaur footprints. The Birdcraft Museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays while the trails at the Bird Sanctuary are open daily year-round, from dawn to dusk.

Just a few blocks south of the museum you’ll enter the heart of Fairfield with plenty of dining and shopping options. Drop into the Brick Walk Tavern on Post Road to enjoy award-winning upscale gastro-pub cuisine and, after getting some refreshment, continue your stroll to the Fairfield Village Green, a community space that hosts a free summer concert series, ‘Groovin on the Green’.

Connecticut Children’s Museum, New Haven

If you struggle to keep the little ones entertained on vacation, head for New Haven where you’ll find a museum they’ll never want to leave. The Connecticut Children’s Museum is an educational playground where kids can get hands-on with different exhibits. Rooms include the Music Room where aspiring musicians can try instruments from around the world, the Logical-Mathematical Room which is stocked with puzzles and mazes, and the Naturalist Room which is home to a real observation hive where you can see bees hard at work in their honeycombs. The museum is aimed at kids aged 2 to 9 and is open Friday and Saturday afternoons.

If the kids are still eager for more after your museum visit, take them for a stroll around the nearby Yale University campus stopping in at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History where they’ll be mesmerized by the Hall of Dinosaurs and the Living Lab, stocked with living animals and plants. After all that excitement, slow things down with a stroll around the historic park, New Haven Green, and finish the day with a sweet treat at Be Berries dessert shop.

Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Ledyard

The largest Native American museum in the United States, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum in Ledyard tells the fascinating story of the earliest inhabitants of the northeast with displays and dioramas on almost all aspects of Native American life. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the museum features permanent exhibits, a gallery, auditorium, restaurant, and gift shop selling authentic crafts from Native American artists. Permanent exhibits include a recreated 16th century Pequot village, a 1780 Pequot Farmstead, and a Tribal Portrait Gallery. The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday except for November when it is open Tuesday to Saturday.

The museum is located on the outskirts of Ledyard, within the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation. Nearby is a local landmark, Lantern Hill, one of the highest points in Connecticut where you can enjoy some of the most breathtaking views of the state. To summit Lantern Hill, hike the 1.5 mile Lantern Loop Trail which was established by the Mashantucket Nation, or try the more challenging 21 mile Narragansett Trail. The moderate climb is well worth the stunning views at the top.

The Carousel Museum, Bristol

If you like your museums quirky and whimsical, look no further than the Carousel Museum in Bristol. This one-of-a-kind attraction is a tribute to the artistry and history of the popular fairground ride throughout the ages. The museum’s Main Gallery covers 100 years of horses of all kinds, from simple carvings to ornate works of art. There are hands-on activities for kids, a carving bay, and an indoor Venetian carousel. Guided tours are available by appointment. The Carousel Museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Keep the carousel theme going after your visit with a trip to the aptly named Iron Horse Pub, located nearby in the former bank building on Bristol’s Main Street. Here you can try their craft beers or sample the upscale pub grub menu.

Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington

A National Historic Landmark, the Hill-Stead Museum is a historic hidden gem tucked into the rustic farmlands of Farmington, west of Hartford. The house and grounds are known as one of the best examples of Colonial Revival design in the country. Constructed in 1898-1901 for the industrialist Alfred Pope, the 152 acre property now contains a museum, the Carriage Barn Visitor Center, and the landscaped grounds which boast a beautiful octagonal sunken garden.

Admission to the house is by guided tour only. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and lead visitors around the home’s extensive collection of Impressionist art. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday while the grounds are open Monday to Sunday.

If you still can’t get enough of period homes, visit the nearby historic site of the Stanley-Whitman House, originally built in 1720 and one of the oldest structures in America, or call into the Farmington Historical Society to discover more sites of interest in the historic village.

Bruce Museum, Greenwich

In 2023, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich doubled in size and tripled its exhibition spaces after a significant expansion project that cemented its reputation as a world-class art, science, and natural history museum. First opened in 1912 and now welcoming over 100,000 visitors a year, the museum contains over 30,000 art and science artifacts spread across temporary exhibits and permanent displays. These permanent collections include modern and contemporary art from the 1870s to the present day, fossils from the Triassic and Jurassic Periods, and women’s fashion and accessories from the 1830s to the 1960s.

The Bruce is open Tuesday to Sunday, with free admission on Tuesdays. The museum is located in 60 acre Bruce Park, Greenwich’s oldest public park where you’ll find beautiful walking trails, tree groves, ponds, the historic Davis Mill, and a playground. Named as one of the 10 Best City Parks by USA Today, Bruce Park is well worth a visit once you’ve explored everything the museum has to offer.

Tracing Connecticut’s Culture and History in its Museums

Whether you’re looking for somewhere to spend a rainy afternoon, on the hunt for some local lore, in the mood for a history lesson, or trying to keep the kids entertained, consider a visit to these fun and fascinating museums. Catering to artists, historians, nature-lovers, and families, they’re a must for a memorable vacation. Connecticut’s world-class museums are as diverse as the state, ranging from historic homes to natural sanctuaries and from galleries to shipyards. They also offer something you won’t find anywhere else, an entertaining and educational look at Connecticut’s culture, history, and heritage.