This is a fun spot to kill an hour or so. It's priced decently at $15 per adult, and kids under 6…read moreare free. The history and submarine are cool, but what really stood out was the train exhibit on the top floor. Just a super cool and detailed train set. Very fun for younger kids!

We recently visited the Connecticut River Museum. I had learned that a ship that my great-great…read moregrandfather emigrated on was built in the shipyards near Essex, Ct. Wanting to learn more about the shipping history of the area we stopped in to the museum. It is packed with three floors of ship building and shipping history. The staff was excellent and helpful, and we learned so much about the history of the area. There is a replica of the "turtle" considered to be the first submarine and the history of wars and British ships in the harbors. Some exhibits are interactive. On our visit the third floor covered the history of boat racing on the river which was fascinating. We were thrilled with what we learned and saw. The museum is very well done. There is plenty of parking and it sits right on the water. Definitely worth the visit if you are in the area.

The Florence Griswold Museum is more than just a beautiful museum. To show even more support this…read moreyear, I decided to buy a family membership. For years my family has been visiting the museum in the fall for the Wee Faerie Village, an extraordinary outdoor display of faerie villages that are created by local businesses and individuals. There isn't enough room for me to gush about this event. The beauty, creativity, and the scavenger hunt keep us coming back. The museum offers a glimpse into history, beautiful art, extraordinary gardens, breathtaking views of the river. and more.

We ventured to Old Lyme, Connecticut on Sunday for the final day of Mystical Murmurs: An Enchanted…read moreEnvironment by Adrien Broom. The exhibit features a fairy ring of gigantic mushrooms. The artist was born and raised in Old Lyme. The installation is meant to encourages us ponder the magical mysteries of the forest. We also really enjoyed the Amanita sculptures outside the main building housing the museum's permanent collection. We were able to photograph these just before one of the museum staff sold them off to a local mushroom enthusiast (since Sunday was the last day of the mushroom exhibit). While we came specifically for the mushroom installation, we also really enjoyed our visit to the other galleries. The museum showcases the work of the artists of the Old Lyme Artist Colony, a nexus of American Impressionism and has some beautiful impressionist landscape painting, including many by female artists of the 19th and early 20th century. The grounds here are also beautiful with gorgeous views of the Lieutenant River. There was also an exhibit of small fairy houses when we visited. Beautiful spot with nice staff and docents. Would definitely return here!

Wow- Molly gave us the best tour of this house that really brings you back in time. It's a great…read morething to do if you are in the area.

This famous house museum is a must see in the area. Wonderful reenactments, a view of the harbor,…read moreand a house that feels like it was left untouched after the original owners left it. Because it is a "living" house museum, everything looks like it was recently used which makes the place really come alive. The staff here are dedicated to their work and it adds the finishing touches on an already incredible experience. Fun fact - did you know there were over 10 different types of spoons used at a typical dinner service?

Don't be intimidated! Yes, this is the real deal, tucked away on the cobblestones of Inn Street,…read morebut even though it feels like I'm visiting a museum every time I go in, I am soon lost in the imagination and creativity of every amazing artist on display here. So far, I only have one tiny but utterly breathtaking painting that I was lucky enough to squirrel away from the Churchill Gallery, but I visit my next new painting in their online gallery often. Even when I'm not buying, I'm always asking questions, and the lovely (Belgian?) woman who tolerates me is always very gracious and polite.

Stopped by to check out how maple syrup is made, good presentation and friendly staff. Nice little…read moremarketplace on premises with local vendors. Recommended visit!

The Dudley Farm Museum is a gem. The docents were extremely knowledgeable. The museum captures…read morefarm life from 1854 which is amazing and serves to understand how life arrived at where it is today. There is also a Quinnipiac native American museum building colocated on the site which capsulizes native American life in CT from over 12,000 years ago just after the glaciers receded. It takes a moment to grasp the significance of the timeline, but there are a number of stone tools and spear/arrow heads dating back 12,000 years! Incredible! There are over a dozen specialty buildings on the site representing an enterprise of some scale. The docent revealed very interesting information regarding the State of CT's relationship with the South and its slaveholding situation and relatively late abolition of slavery. Excellent museum not adequately advertised.

The tour is about 45 minutes long and it's just ok. It's more about the life of Dr. Harvey Cushing,…read morethe egomaniac who collected brains, than a review of the brains on display. It's free and it should be. Parking is around the corner and $6 for two hours.

What an amazing person to have collected such a unique collection on his undergraduate years of…read morestudy! Highly recommend going and thanking your tour guide if you have one with you- it's not exactly a cheerful place! Try going at the less busy times if possible! Yale also has other great architecture to see, mainly the gothic architecture that was originally modeled after Oxford. Trying to get a sense of the history behind the buildings may very well bring you to the Cushing Center and other places like it! Cameras are allowed so feel free to bring them!

One of the best places to go in the Hartford area. It has an amazing collection of classic artwork…read moreand rotating collections of modern art. I've been many times and somehow I'm still surprised by some of the pieces on display (Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, etc.). They run various events and community days, and membership costs are very reasonable. Support the Arts!

I was miserable most of my time there. BUT. This was a great museum. I was miserable because the…read moreonly time I could go was on a Saturday, a free Saturday no less, on a day they had a festival, arts and crafts, and a Christmas tree event. So the crowds were INSANE. Like NYC level insane. That being said, I have lots of great things to say about this place, which underwent a huge renovation and modernization several years ago that was so good that the New York Times wrote an article saying it was "a masterpiece of renovation." The great hall is beautiful and though I don't care much for old school colonizer art, I was bummed it was teeming with Christmas trees and families, hindering my ability to take an artful photo to capture that masterpiece. The museum does a great job of mixing colors, styles, appreciating the classical, while also mixing in fun and modern elements. They have European art. Impressionist art. All that gold religious stuff. Modern art that's just some blocks and colors and makes you wonder, "is this really art?" They have a great surrealist section and a huge Dali painting, which is actually the marketing they used to get me here. They have some sculpture, some Greek sculpture and some contemporary art. I enjoyed the art by Black artists and art focusing on Black struggles in the Amistad Center, located on the third floor, though I wish this section was bigger. They had an Islamic art section, Chinese art, American art (most of what I saw was from the 20s through the 90s). I loved how each space was painted a rich, moody color. And the common spaces were full of patterns, stained glass, and multi-colored walls winding up the staircase. The staff were nice and helpful. I paid 20-something bucks for admission, but since I bought a ticket for a free Saturday, the staff was cool enough to contact me and ask me if I wanted a full refund. I told them to take the fee as a donation. I've seen almost all the museums in New York City, which is my favorite place in the world. But this one can hold its own. But if I ever visit again (which I doubt, cus who needs to see Hartford twice?)--I will avoid weekends and free days and definitely the Christmas tree festival!

This was a nice little place to make a stop. It's very interesting with history of Pez and quite a…read morecollection of Pez dispensers. Everyone walks away with a free Pez dispenser!

Saw the sign for the Pez museum while we were driving around on the first full day of our trip to…read moreConnecticut. Didn't plan on coming here, but glad that we did. The visitor center is located adjacent to the Pez Factory in Orange, CT, being the sole manufacturer for the Pez candy (not the dispenser) for the United States since 1973. Thus most of the large parking lot is filled employee cars, but off to the side is the visitor center along with an ample parking area. Admission is $5 per person, with the remark that $2 of it could be used as credit to purchase anything in the company store. Products for sale are intermingled with antique Pez dispensers, and consists of two stories. Most of the time is spent glancing at dispensers behind glass. To encourage this, a game sheet was given to every entrant: The Close Up Hunt. The goal was to identify the eight close up views of different dispensers, found throughout the museum: basically a scavenger hunt. My wife and I were able to finish it (thanks to her) and the prize was a spin on the prize wheel. I got the emoji Pez while she got the My Little Pony. My wife likes Pez candy (a lot more than the dispensers), so our obvious choice was to buy a self-service bucket of pez candy for $6.99. There were eleven flavors to choose from, and I had fun filling the bucket (and didn't spill any!). The cashier let us know that there was a minimum purchase of $5 for a credit card charge, so ended up choosing a Pikachu dispenser to reach that amount One game was to find and identify 8 different Pez dispensers in the display cases. There were two floors. We were able to identify all of them, and as a prize got to spin a little wheel. I got the emoji Pez dispenser and Odette got the my little pony one. Each $5 ticket gives $2 in credit which we used to buy a bucket of candies. You have to spend at least $5 to use credit card, so bought a Pez dispenser of Pikachu ($2.49) as well. The entire stay was about an hour. The employees are behind transparent glass so we can see them and they us. It's the main packaging area. Guessing the actual making of the candy isn't that fun to watch, and the dispensers are made overseas.

Great collection. Totally worth the trip to New Britain. A little known gem in Connecticutread more

Needed to visit an art museum for a final assignment requirement and came here by default, because…read morethe museum closer to my house was closed for summer maintenance. When I pulled up, I was happy to see how convenient their parking lot was. I was eligible for a student discount and paid $10 for my admission, my professor could have scored me a free pass, but coming here spontaneously left me no time to obtain one; it's considered charity, so I wasn't upset about it. I told McKayla at the front desk it was my first time visiting and she enthusiastically showed me everything I needed on a map. I like that the space wasn't overcrowded with people, because that would have triggered anxiety. I was surprised to see they had work by Andy Warhol, an artist I am familiar with. They had a wide selection of older and newer pieces of work. I ended up choosing to do my report on Lilly Martin Spencer's 'This little pig went to market' oil on cut arch board 1857. She was the breadwinner of her household which was rare at the time and portrayed women in a respectable way; that won me over. Overall, I am happy the universe brought me here and I got a 105%, extra credit for submitting early!

Great experience. I enjoyed the museum staff doing live, in-person educational demonstrations…read morethroughout the museum. Learning about Egyptian hieroglyphics--especially the signature pendants--was a highlight. The beautiful earth minerals were also fascinating to see among everything else. I'd definitely recommend a visit.

Interesting place to visit, they have a nice mineral collection and Animal collection…read more Admission is free and I literally parked in front of the front door.