Four stars because it was pretty and the old asylum was a sight to see. The parking area is…read moreneedlessly far away from the building, under some shady trees. There are actual paved spaces that must have once been parking sports (maybe one a low budget basketball court) that would bring you closer and prevent walking exposed to the boiling summer sun. I cannot speak to any actual walking trails, but the dogs that were playing seemed to be having a great time. The old building is gated off, understandable, but you can tell from the outside it was made in an older era where aesthetics meant something and it wasn't all about saving a penny.

The Seaside State Park is quite a unique place as it hosts the infamous and now abandoned Seaside…read moreSanatorium, a building that was commissioned in the 1930 when tuberculosis was a major affliction. One of the treatments for this disease was fresh air, so many of these sanatoriums were built around the coast and around lakes, copying a trend that had taken over European lands. Over time it was discovered that fresh air not only helped tuberculosis but all types of diseases, particularly mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. As tuberculosis became a controlled ailment, the Seaside became a host to more people with mental illnesses as well as the elderly. Supposedly, during this period of the Seaside as a psychiatric ward, many irregularities took place and the consequence resulted in patient's deaths. I have no proof of this but that is how the story goes. All this information is found on the Connecticut .org websites. Arriving to this "haunted" and "damned" place, as many publicize it, is a unique experience. I parked in a lot with an abandoned garden house next to it, making even the parking area spooky. The building sits at the distance, and some people jog around or walk their dogs. The peculiar feeling of being watched is pervasive though, even though there aren't many people around. I walked the garden, walked a covered bridge that is very spooky, touched a water well that has dried up, walked by the beach and over a wall that protects the shore from erosion. I stayed on the paved path as much as possible because I felt that a certain order needed to be followed, even if there are no signs that say "Keep off the grass". One lap around this property is more than enough. I started on the left, and exited on the right. Once I exited, I didn't look back because I felt that I was being watched from behind the boarded windows. I was not interested in seeing a ghost looking at me or waving goodbye from the broken glass window... Spooky as it may seem, this is a beautiful place, the building is gorgeous, the view is amazing. If you are looking for serenity, this is a good place for it. The views of the Connecticut coast are amazing as well. I was very happy to have visited this active site in Waterford. This place is also known as The Seaside Sanatorium.

This place is such a little treasure. This place is so well-maintained. It's stunning. There are so…read moremany different types of trees here and they are labeled so you can get an idea of what type of trees that you're looking at. There are several loops in this place that you can loop around different sections. The main loop is around the pond but there's other shoots so you can spend a couple hours here just wandering around checking out the different things. The trails are well maintained. You may get turned around a little only because there are so many loops but just keep your eye on the pond and you won't get lost. I recommend thisplace. It's very easy walk. My friend and I walked around for about an hour and a half half or so just taking in all of the scenery. We definitely plan to come back here in May or June when the mountain is at its peak because there is so much mountain Laurel here. I think that will be stunning at this time of year. I also want to come back in September October to watch the colors of the leaves change. The parking is off street parking. There are signs for two hour parking. I did not see any charged parking, but it looks like you can park on both sides of the roads up and down the street.

What a hidden gem! Wanted to take a walk along the water on a summer weekend day but finding a good…read morespot that allowed for social distancing was a challenge. Although the arboretum is not on the the sound, this place was perfect. Very quiet and incredibly expansive. I didn't do tons of exploring in here but it looks like there are plenty of paths to walk! The paths aren't paved but to be expected in this environment - very natural wooded area. If walking isn't what you are looking for there is space to spread out and have a picnic (no tables) overlooking some small ponds. This place is easily accessed from a Williams Street. Many of the addresses online have you enter through the gates on Monhegan Ave, you won't be able to access the arboretum here. Had to up on theto drive back out to the main road and drive to the other side of campus where you can access the arboretum. Easily found free 2-hour street parking. Not sure how easy it would be during the academic year but it wasn't an issue when I went but spots had definitely filled in by the time I got back to the car. Looking forward to coming back and this time more prepared to fully experience this wonderful spot!

A playground near the beach with grass areas and trees, I mean what more could a kid ask for! There…read moreare multiple play areas for varying age groups. The park is in good condition, all new rubber mats along the bottom and trees surround the park so it's a beautiful spot to picnic that overlooks the water. During fall months there was no fee, I'm sure the summer it is packed here due to the beach. But if you have kids this is a fantastic place to spend a a few hours.

Fantastic beach! It's not huge, but it's still a decent size. Brought my 4 yr old here on a Sunday…read moreand had a great time! We arrived about 10:30 and there was plenty of space. The nice guy in parking told us it was $30 to park for nonresidents (assume that's both parking and pass, though not sure), but free parking was available a short distance up the road and entry fee would be just $10. We went with that even though it meant I would be carrying everything to the beach. The parking was really not far... maybe one wide city block. It's literally across the playground (which you can't cut to since it's part of the park and fenced in). Then you go down the hill which is all sidewalk (good when you have kiddos), and down to the paid parking and beach. Once you arrive to the parking, you go to the restroom building on the left and there's a sign that says "passes" on the right side. Go there to pay the $10 pass. There were some rules I wasn't aware of, so some tips: umbrellas need to be behind the cones. I believe the life guard said it was to keep the incoming tide from washing it out? The tide did come up a little during the day we were there. Also, no boogie boards allowed anywhere at the beaches with life guards. What I didn't know, was it was allowed at the private beach strip between the two public beaches. There are houses overlooking the private beach area, but everyone seems to use it or at least walk it to get from one public beach to the other. I'm sure if someone really didn't want you hanging out there, they'd tell you, but we seemed to be allowed. We also were just 2 people and not a party hanging out, so that probably helps. The water was warmish in the shallow waves but cooler once in. Water is pretty clear and some areas had more seaweed than others, but not bad. There are a ton of boat type shells and not much of others. The sand and waters are full of nice pebbles, stones, and larger stones. There is also a floating raft a short distance out (of both public beach areas) that you can swim to, although we did not since my daughter still doesn't swim well. The beach gets busy after noon, but it wasn't too bad. There are a couple outdoor showers by the bathrooms that worked really well. We didn't use the bathrooms so not sure how they were. I don't know if there's a concession stand; I didn't see one. But there was an ice cream truck that came by at the main beach. A nice playground is up the hill a little bit from the beach that we were going to visit, but decided to keep moving and go home. I'd definitely come here again. For $10 and a little hassle of carrying your things a short distance, it's a really pretty and clean beach, with nice views of sailboats on the water. The waves are gentle too, so it's good for little ones. Still watch them though bc as the day went on, the waves got a little bigger and has a good pull for small kiddos.

Great historic site/battlefield. Climbing the monument/tower is exhausting and your workout for the…read moreday. The tunnel is interesting too, as I'm only 5'6 and had to hunch down to get through. I didn't check out the musuem, as the monument climb took a lot out of me, but otherwise the site was interesting and fun experience. Some nice views as well, while also remembering those that passed here

Such a great piece of history right here in CT! It's a quick visit - I looked at every part of this…read morefort and walked down the street to the water in about an hour visit. I really enjoyed my time here! I am not super knowledgeable about American history , so I really loved all the signage (see photos). There is no parking lot but plenty of street parking. There ate public bathrooms and a water fountain, but they were closed due to Covid.

After coming back recently from vacation, then taking more time to enjoy what is left of Summer…read more This was a perfect spot and a wonderful time spent at Ocean Beach Park at New London, CT this past weekend. I dabble in a couple of hobbies and Photography is one of my many hobbies. We made a decision to be off technology and enjoy the time. Next time, more photos Our time spent was overall enjoyable and relaxing with family. There is plenty to do Arcade, Amusement Rides, miniature golf, Pool, Water Slides, Sandbar Cafe, etc. Some of their attractions appear old, but appear to be properly maintained. In respect of the Beach, Beautiful... The most part it is refreshing to view the scenery and soak in overall. We will be coming soon again to events at Ocean Beach Park, New London, CT

The website was definitely uninformative as to the amount of things would be open. We showed up and…read morenone of the stores, restaurants, or attractions were open. Nobody on site (which all were maintenance staff) could tell me any information as to when anything would open. $30 to park and do nothing was not cool.

Beautiful state park and free to walk about. It's something about that fresh crisp ocean air here…read more I love to just come here and walk around. It's really peaceful here. They also have public restrooms available during season.

Another informative historic site. There is also a waterfront walk and fishing pier on site. Part…read moreof the park was blocked off and required an admission ticket, but the site still offered up some nice views. On site parking too which was a nice surprise. Nothing too substantial here, but if it's free it's for me and I enjoyed walking the grounds.