Loved the CHEM 101: The Science of Photography exhibit. The Salon and reception for the CHEM…read moreexhibit was fabulous. I got to meet the talented artists who contributed to the exhibit. The museum is on the UCONN campus and it is free admission but they accept donations. Excellent staff at the museum. Enjoyed two very pleasant evenings at the Benton. Definitely worth a visit and nice place to bring the kids.

From the owner: The Benton is Connecticut's State Art Museum, located on the University of Connecticut campus at…read moreStorrs. The museum draws largely from its collection of over 6,000 works to present exhibitions of art dating from the 15th-21st centuries. Special events include lectures, gallery talks, art forums, campus art walks, music performances, and family programs. Admission is FREE.

You should travel from far and wide to experience the visual fiesta of fair-trade arts & crafts at…read morethe Mansfield Art Center!! This is a truly local, small, family run business and the owners/shopkeepers have quite the tales to tell... The goods and crafts sold at the Arts Center are collected by the owners who have traveled to all these destinations around the world making connections with the artisans . The items here are more unique and vibrant than I see at a lot of boutique craft/jewelry shops and there is usually an interesting story the shopkeepers can tell about where the items come from/who made them. Just perusing the store feels like a trip around the world (or at least Epcot ) and is genuinely fun. Most locals know to come here for their Holiday gifts though I live in Boston and make a point to come every year! The store is typically open only seasonally as owners are traveling much of the rest of the year- so make it happen this Christmas season. Some good restaurants in nearby Willimantic, UConn on the other side, and the subtle beauty of the Quiet Corner of CT makes a stop here a lovely day trip. Check it out!

The perfect place to find a gift for almost anyone. I did much of my Christmas shopping here and…read moreeveryone loved their gifts. This is the place to find unique gifts and jewlery from all over the world. The owners go all over the world and come back with beautiful items to sell at a very fair price. I love the set up of this store also- differant sections for differant countries from India to Mexico to China. Also, the owners are so friendly. You will most definetly be offered free tea and maybe even cookies too when shopping.

This place was mostly good. It is small and well-contained, so it is hard to lose anyone there. The…read morewebsite reccommends ages 2 to 10 but ideally, I would not say it is for anyone over 7. The animals were nice to look at. My granddaughter wanted to hold one of the rabbits, but they were not brought out that day. The staff brought out one animal for the morning session, and one for the afternoon, but what they bring out is random. They one handling the animals seemed into the children, but other than that, none were out on the floor to interact with the childen. My granddaughter had fun, but it got old after a couple of hours.

An amazing fun place for children and adults , they have live entertainment and lots of fun…read moreactivities for kids . The place is decorated like a little town and they even have a small stage for indoor events . I love the fact that they also rescue and care for animals . The staff is incredibly warm and helpful :) Definitely worth a visit .

Located on Main Street in the Willimantic Arts and Eats District, the Windham Textile and History…read moreMuseum is a hub of activity, culture, and has a rich and diverse history that is an important part of the town of Willimantic, CT. The gift store features original art of all kinds from area artists and beyond. You can find unique gifts including those that focus on the frog culture of our city. You'll see lots of frogs in town including four 2-ton ones on top of spools of thread at the Thread City Crossing Bridge nearby. You can tour the museum, the factory next door, and even see the library where people who worked at the museum were tutored in English and life skills. You can come with children, too, as the museum is very doable in a couple of hours or more should you wish to stay longer. In nicer weather, you can have a picnic across the street at the part and even take a walk on the Garden on the Bridge which is very nearby. There is a Farmer's Market nearby during the May through October growing season as well as other fine eateries that reflect the uniqueness of the Town of Willimantic. Exhibits at the museum are ever-changing. A dedicated troop of volunteers keep the place up and running. Look to the museum for cultural events, interesting exhibits, and memorabilia from days and cultures through the years.

Well, this is a small museum and not something on the scale as the one on Harrisburg or Appomattox,…read morebut it's a great display of the local community's history. There are a lot of artifacts from GAR of the Northeast. It's very thorough in its exhibit, but it is free and should take about an hour. They also had reenactor, so you feel the passion for preserving history. He was constantly surrounded by some older ladies, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I appreciate the spirit. There is also a small gift shop, and the employees were very friendly and helpful.

REALLY tiny! Ok, so it was free and seeing a Muppet or two was cool, but not worth a special trip.read more

One more reason to come to storrs, I can't begin to express my new found respect for puppets and…read morethe art.. before my visit to this museum today I looked at puppetry to be child's play.... least did I know one can get a bachelors degree in it. This is Storrs "hidden treasure" the Ballard institute offers workshops, museum tours, lectures, performances, and programs that promote the art of puppetry. A marvelous collection of worlds puppets are displayed in the front lobby... from a 100 yr old shadow puppet from India depicting the epics to Egyptian shadow puppets, Vietnamese water puppets, Japanese rod puppets, masks from Brazil , Italian/American/Russian marionette .... some so complex..esp the Banraku puppets as the guide was saying takes 30 years to master..wow! the two other rooms display banners, cranks and cantastoria (a theatrical form where a performer tells or sings a story while gesturing to a series of images painted, printed on fabric or any material)....The tour was totally worth it, I learnt so much today. I'm definitely returning to watch a show here. They have shows scheduled almost every weekend this summer... check out the schedule on their website.

This yee ole train station here sure is sutin! Cool little place if you like trains. Was…read moreinteresting to be able to see things up close and even enter inside some of these old dogs. One recommendation I would make here is they need to make the signage much better so it is easier to see from the street where it is. You basically have to turn in and drive down near a park about a mile where you will find parking. From a visitor standpoint I would strongly recommend bringing bug or mosquito repellent as there are a decent amount of them! Choo choo, all aboard!

Grand opening is on 10/13/18! Best wishes for a great…read moreturnout. Wish I could've been there, but I'll be in very soon!

We were all excited to celebrate my grandson's 2nd birthday here today on the patio, with no more…read morethan 20 of us, but an employee named Carl made it extremely uncomfortable for myself and other guest. He was rude, loud, obnoxious and from what I witnessed a racist! He spoke to my daughter with extreme disrespect. When I said to him "you are very rude" he replied back and said "I do not care." But when three Caucasian guest who were not with us were leaving he spoke to them with the utmost respect and even offered to inform them about a bike that was recently put on display. He then tossed money and an envelope on the lap of a fellow employee who if I may add is a Black American and said... "That's $160 in cash and $50 in cash in the envelope." I'm leaving because of I have to yell at one more person." The party was extremely low-key not loud at all. The children played in the area where the party took place and no one at any point was disrespectful towards him. I would have given this place 5 stars had this not occurred. I highly recommend that if you are a person of color you will surely not feel welcomed here if Carl is on the schedule to work that day. It's unfortunate that we were treated this way, it's a beautiful building and there are lots of cool bikes for the children to enjoy looking at.

This Art Center includes galleries and exhibits displaying unique and beautifully created works of…read moreart. They also offer various classes and learning as well as monthly Drawing opportunities. The Gallery Exhibits are free and open to the public and feature both local and regional artists works. They have a beautiful building, off street parking, and are handicap accessible. Their volunteers are very helpful and informative.

This art center is a hidden, but easy to find gem! Located on the corner of Rte 30 and Center Rd in…read moreVernon, the actual driveway and parking are off Center Road. The center has regular hours on Thursday - Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00. The website is www.vernonarts.org and will let you know about current exhibits, classes, and other events.