We were a group of four. One person was mid-tour when we arrived. As there is only one docent, she…read morebegan the tour over. We were 3/4 way through our first floor tour when another party arrived. Instead of adding them to the tour, and then covering what they missed, she asked them to wait. The living room is beautiful. Plaster work, beautifully hand painted walls (by a modern artist), elegant furnishings. Photos of the home pre-restoration are showed and discussed in this room. So much work has been done! There are also photos of the family and you learn a bit about them here. We also had the opportunity to ask questions about the home and family. Through this Q&A we discovered in what types of 'shipping' the family were involved. The dining room table displays a variety of period china. The fireplaces on this floor are marble. The dining room light fixture is very interesting, and although not original fits very well and makes a statement. Sadly, the kitchen is not restored for guests to view. There is however a butlers pantry in the dining room displaying more serve ware. An Antarctic research station is named after Captain Palmer and a live feed is shown in the next room as well as several ship models including the one Capt. Palmer was on when he discovered the continent. Information on the gentleman who created these models is also presented. There is a variety of information in this room about Capt. Palmers Antarctic discovery and one of his shipping trades: seal pelts. The short hallway between dining room and this include other items of trade such as Palmer tea and jade. The upper floors are self toured and there are three of them. Stair cases narrow as you ascend. The highest point is a small cupola surrounded by windows with a small bench seat that fits about three. There was a nice breeze with the windows open and long views. The two floors between include bedrooms, 'toilet' rooms, children's play room, fire alarm display, sewing room, office space and storage. Plenty of old furnishings, linens, toys etc. I particularly love the sewing box. Beautiful, intricate work. The price for the two locations is very reasonable and if you have time, are looking for an air conditioned space, love history/architecture/home décor, then this is going to be a nice stop. Free parking is available at the side of the house. Enter at the grand front door. A gift shop is located just inside to the left of the entrance. A restored ice house, storage and out houses are behind the home. I saw no public facilities (but didn't ask). There is a fair amount of land with the home including a small pathway with bench seating along the water on the other side of parking. In July there were plenty of mosquitos. Picnic tables are located behind the research library next to parking. Tickets may be purchased on line through their website as well as at the Stonington light house museum. Stonington residents and historical society member admission is free. Military, senior and first responder discounts are available. July and August the museum is open daily 10am - 4pm. The rest of the year hours are limited - check the website for information.

We visited after being informed that our Stonington lighthouse entrance fee also included entrance…read morehere. It's right down the street Who was Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer? He was credited with discovering Antarctica (whilst hunting for seals) in 1820 at the young age of 21 with a minimal crew. He grew rich and built a stately home in his birthplace of Stonington, CT. After his brothers wife died, Nathaniel and his wife (who were childless) shared the home with his widowed brother and his 4 children. It was great to learn the history of this family and home, feeling transported to another time and imaging what it must have been like. I want to know more. Beautiful furnishings, interesting history and a beautiful setting. Parking is free and plentiful and the grounds are serene and quiet. A great way to spend an hour or so in this quaint town.

This is a must stop for the holidays. The 30 foot high tree is made from lobster traps that are…read morewrapped with colorful lights and hand painted buoys of all creations that are wonderful to see. you can even go inside the tree. Very simple and fun to see what the artists created on the round buoys

We went after Christmas and it was a nice way to enjoy without the crowds. The buoys are…read morebeautifully painted and each very different and unique in its own way. Definitely a must if you are in the area.

Took a road trip out here this holiday break to check out the sea food market and the lobster bouy…read moretree what a treat to run into this lighthouse!! The architecture is beautiful!!! The views are breathtaking along the shore line of the east lawn!!! Of course in December it was chilly and we missed being able to tour the lighthouse and the captain house by a week , but we will be back in the fall when we can get into the home . We were able to tour the grounds! I look forward to getting back up there to see this beautiful piece of historic architecture!!!

From the owner: Celebrating Stonington's more than 350 years of history with America's first lighthouse museum The…read moreStonington Lighthouse, National Historic Landmark The Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House Museum, Richard W. Woolworth Library, events and more.

To live in a…read morelighthouse Latimer Reef Lighthouse is a 49 foot tall, brick lined, cast iron light that was build back in 1884. It is the oldest cast iron lighthouse that is still operational in the east and his area was so important and treacherous that reports indicate that the first small tower was place here back in 1804. This is a typical spark plug type of light that became popular at the time because of it's relatively inexpensive construction costs and durability. The light and surrounding reef was named after James Latimore, the revolutionary war hero. It originally had a 4th order Fresnel lens but the lens was moved to another lighthouse in Delaware when Latimer was modernized. In a bid to say money on maintenance costs the light recently went up for sale. Private bids that started at 10,000 were accepted. Sounds like a pretty cool idea to buy a lighthouse and my first thoughts were that it would make a great little place to entertain, relax and enjoy the water. However there is a catch and a rather big catch at that. The interior of the light of these spark plugs is actually tiny and Latimer will remain an active light. That means the lights stays on and the horn keeps blasting twice every 15 seconds day and night. The horn almost blows me off my kayak from hundred feet away so I suspect that actually being on the light isn't exactly relaxing. Plus the all maintenance must be keep up and paid for by the new owner and the light must keep all historically features. Not an insignificant cost but the light did finally sell for 225,000 dollars a short time ago. No word about why the new owner bought the light or what he or she is going to do with it. There are still several lights for sale in the area but the maintenance arrangements are the same. You aren't just buying the light, but also the responsibilities of maintaining it. Owning a lighthouse would be cool but for now it's enough just to admire them from a distance.

I'm going to be honest...we went for the hand. I heard there…read morewas a place in CT that had a mummified hand of a Saint and we made plans to go! We aren't a religious family but we do like history and that's not something you see everyday! There were four of us and we made a day of it as some UrbEx kids version. The drive to Mystic for us is about an hour and a half. Weather was perfect! You have to go thru Mystic, then Mason's Island then over a skinny bridge to get to Ender's. It's very well kept and run by the Catholic Church as a recovery program and retreat. But you can visit as a day trip. Lots of flower gardens, statues of Mary, a scenic view of the ocean. The Seaside Chapel is literally next to the water; we were wondering how it can be so close and not flood. The hand is in a glass case inside of the church that they use for Mass. It tells St.Edmund's story and has some trinkets in a case under the hand. I THINK they were from other Saints, like a special belonging. There are several picnic tables around the little island and we had come prepared. We brought out our food, sat seaside, and enjoyed a delightful lunch with the kids. It wasn't crowded and no one was loud, which was a nice change. I didn't take a lot of pics out of respect but here are a few. I would recommend it if you're interested in doing a little exploring.

A must see stop while in Mystic Seaport. Beautiful gardens and views . Yale graduate Dr.Enders…read morepurchased and begins building in or around 1910. Wife ultimately gifts to the Catholic community

I was visiting family in CT and they wanted to bring me here. Upon entrance, staff were very…read morefriendly and helpful with schedules and must sees. I immediately noticed a newfoundland safety rescue presentation and couldn't miss it. There were at least 10 dogs set up for various rescue scenes. It was interactive for children and a sight for dog lovers. Pets and slobber came free. The village experience was interesting, the ship tour and interactive chant/rope pull was also fun to watch. Food was delectable even if water just couldn't stay cold in the heat. We missed the boat ride by a couple minutes so caught the newfoundland show again (not the least bit mad). I'm a little old for a late night Lego movie, but the set up would be perfect for children! I can't wait to go back with the younger kids in our family.

Dear Yelp, Haven't…read morevisited here since I was a kid. Came here for the day, had no clue it was the wooden boat show weekend. $40 for adult tickets, $25 kids under 12. While the ticket prices are steep, everything is preserved amazingly well. We spent two hours there and could have definitely spent more if it wasn't so humid. Would love to return if ever in the area again. Love, Nicole

Completed in 1922, it was designed by Thomas Ellis Brown, a former chief engineer at Otis Elevator…read moreCompany, and built by the J. E. FitzGerald Construction Company of New London. What sets it apart is its rare implementation of the Brown Balance Beam Bascule, a patented design that was revolutionary for its time. Brown's design makes use of a multi-link counterweight system, in contrast to conventional bascule bridges, which pivot on permanent axles. This enables the bridge's enormous concrete counterweights to rotate only 69 degrees, but its 85-foot movable span spins a full 90 degrees. The key to a smoother, quieter functioning is a double-pivot hanger linkage that moves the effective lever arm while in motion. The bridge uses a self-locking worm gear system and its own imbalanced mass to maintain position instead of toe locks. The bridge's architecture is simple yet attractive. The bridge is framed like bookends by squat concrete towers that hold its exposed mechanical components, which include driving motors, bull wheels, and counterweights. Even though these towers aren't decorative, they have an air of industrial elegance, particularly when the bridge raises to allow sailboats to pass across. There was way too much traffic and zero parking nearby so we were not able to stick around to see the bridge open today. [Review 1069 of 2025 - 122 in Connecticut - 24623 overall]

This is a moveable bridge that goes over the Mystic River. It opens for the boats to float on by; I…read morewas lucky enough to see it in action while waiting in line for ice cream. It opened in 1922 and serves pedestrians as well as vehicles. This bridge was built to replace the 1866 bridge that used to be there. I am a fan of bridges and historic landmarks, so of course I had to review it! I enjoyed walking on it, driving on it, and seeing it open/close. It's definitely an iconic landmark in Mystic, you can't miss it!

This is exactly what the name applies, a scenic overlook. Located off 95N, like me you've probably…read morepassed by this hundreds of times. Today I finally checked it out. Nothing fancy, just a small view of the mystic waterfront. No binoculars, no vending machines, no picnic tables, no restrooms or porta potties, no information, and only 6-8 spaces to park. It's as simple as it gets. Yet it serves its purpose. There's no landmark or oddity in the sitelines, but it is a calming oasis off the highway. Would I make a trip to see this? Heck no. If you're traveling 95N in the area is this worth a 2-5 minute stop ti check it out? I'd lean towards yes. It's not going to blow your mind, but happiness comes in small doses and this does the trick.

Perched atop a modest rise off I-95, the Hoxie Scenic Overlook offers panoramic vistas of Long…read moreIsland Sound and Mystic Harbor. Historically, the overlook's name traces back to the Hoxie family, whose legacy is woven into the fabric of Mystic and the greater New London area. Benjamin Franklin Hoxie, a prominent 19th-century businessman and civic leader, helped shape Mystic's development through shipbuilding, commerce, and public service. He founded the downtown fire department and built several notable structures, including the original Hoxie House in 1861. Though the overlook itself wasn't part of his holdings, its name honors the family's enduring imprint on the region. On a clear day, it's the kind of view you would expect to see painted and hanging in a museum. And since it's free, I'm a fan. One tip - be aware of your surroundings and question anyone walking towards you. [Review 1067 of 2025 - 120 in Connecticut - 24621 overall]