I went because of a Groupon. It had expired, but the docents kindly honored it anyway, and I shall…read morestill argue with Groupon about it. The museum itself isn't that big physically, and is in a bunker attached to a working airport. Small plans, and you can see them land and take-off at the end of the museum. Do not go outside without a docent. The museum may be small, but is FULL of artifacts about WWII, Connecticut airplane production, and other wars as well. Items are well marked with explanations, and there are several full sized plans and helicopters. You can't go into them, but you can see inside. There is a restroom for patrons. There's no AC, but several powerful fans.

I'm not really into aviation history, but I saw this place online and thought I'd check it out!…read moreWhat a cool spot! Here's the scoop on this hidden gem: The CT Air & Space Center is located right next to the Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford (if you go out the back door of the museum building, you'll actually be on the airport property). Free parking is available in the lot in front of the building. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for veterans, and $5 for children 6-12. The museum is currently only open Saturdays and Sundays 10AM-4PM. The museum itself is fairly small, but there's a lot to see! Inside you'll find vintage aircraft and airplane memorabilia and artifacts related to CT's aviation history. The main display piece is a restored Corsair fighter plane, and they also have a few military helicopters. There are additional planes and a larger helicopter outside, you just need to ask a staff member to accompany you, as it is a working airport. You're even allowed to sit in the cockpit of one of the planes, the 1973 Cessna 150 that says "Conn Motor Club" on the side. The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers who are all very friendly and knowledgeable. I'd recommend asking one of the staff members to show you around, so they can tell you the history behind the different aircrafts. One of the most interesting things I learned was about Gustave Whitehead of Bridgeport, CT, who, according to some evidence, flew an aircraft in 1901 and 1902, which would have predated the Wright Brothers first flight in 1903. While small, the museum is currently working to restore the 1929 Curtiss Flying School Hangar (located right next to the current building), and this would allow for the museum to expand and have more room to display their aircrafts. Overall a very cool and interesting place, stop by and help support them in preserving CT's aviation history!

Located at the train station on the northbound side. Their hours are not great but when you do find…read morethem open, drop on by. The museum is free but they have a donation box. This is a small museum but the walls are filled with photos and posters depicting various historical milestones of the history of the helicopter. They also have some cool helicopter parts as well as helicopter toys. The volunteers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

This was a great pit stop for our 5 year old son while we were on our way from NY to MA. I was…read morepleasantly surprised. It is a very small museum but offers a lot and was the perfect stop to stretch our legs and break up a long car ride.

This place was super fun! It was bigger than I thought and…read morewith so many things for the kids, things that they can touch and learn from, it was very clean and the staff was also very very nice. They have some special activities as well on certain days at certain times that are educational and fun, we got to participate in a science demonstration about sound waves and that was cool. They also have a planetarium, it's small but the kids love it. I also really enjoy the fact that there's a place for the adults to sit, sometimes I end up with the kids backpacks and such that a nice bench is so helpful. The whole place was nice and clean and organized, which I was also surprised since kids tend to make a mess. The ticket for adult is - $18 And kids are - $15 They can spend as much time as they want in each section, it's deff worth every penny, so if you have any little ones, I highly recommend checking this place out.

It was fun for the kids and adults. Staff was friendly and engaging…read more There was enough for different age categories. Well definitely be going back.

"They took all the trees put 'em in a tree museum And they…read morecharged the people a dollar an' a half just to see 'em" (Joni Mitchell) The Fairfield Museum is undergoing renovations and we could just see two exhibits. The admission fee was accordingly waived for us. One exhibit was on quilts. The exhibits were drawn from their extensive textile collection. These colorful scenes of early New England life were gorgeous. If you ever wanted to know how quilts are pieced and stitched together or if you're just a quilt lover, you will enjoy this exhibit. The second exhibit was a biggie -it drew a TV crew (Cable Connecticut 12) into the room to film a segment. Guess who made a 2 second guest appearance in their piece? Ever seen those childrens books abiut "Busytown" by Richard Scarry? He was a Fairfield native and quite a few of Fairfield's businesses and landmarks ended up in those books. The exhibit is an immersive experience that allows you to select one of his animal cartoon figures and walk through the colorful streets of Busytown. You can teach your kids how communities work, what jobs people have, learn about transportation and all kinds of interactive exhibits- think opening doors and reading things inside the door. This has got to be a blast for kids or a nostalgic visit for anyone who grew up on Scarry's books.

Great local history museum! The front desk had great resources and the exhibits were wonderful.read more

Beautiful park to walk around and see some history. Dogs are welcomed too. They have a beautiful…read morerose garden. Also sunken garden is cool too.

Recent pumpkin fest and less recent car shows were both excellent! Such a great asset for our town…read moreand region!

"You tell me that you've heard every sound there is And your…read morebird can sing But you can't hear me You can't hear me" (Lennon & McCartney) Within a stone's throw of mega busy I-95 you'll find this lovely and serene nature walk. You can expect to find a flat and very walkable trail that winds through woods with plenty of pretty water views, boardwalks, and wooden bridges. You'll also see around a dozen informational panels that describe the various species of birds found in the park. One of the first things we saw was one of the coolest things we saw! The founder and first president of the CT Audubon Society was Mabel Osgood Wright, and after her 1934 passing, her will provided for the construction of a free-standing chimney to provide a nesting "home" for her favorite bird - the Chimney Swift. What is the CT Audobon Society? Their website says the Society "protects CT's bords, other wildlife, and their habitats through conservation, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1898, Connecticut Audubon manages 22 wildlife sanctuaries encompassing more than 3,400 acres of open space in Connecticut and educates over 100,000 children and adults annually." There is a museum on site, but it is under renovation and was closed.

We went for a nice long walk in the woods at the Connecticut Birdcraft Museum and Bird sanctuary…read more We were driving near there and saw a sign for it so,we drove straight there. We did hear a lot of birds singing but did not get any photos of them. The grounds were beautiful and an easy drive onto the highway from there. This is the first private bird sanctuary in the United States and the gardens are planted and taken care of by the Fairfield, CT garden club. They do a beautiful job, I am so glad I visited. It was also great to read about the founder of the sanctuary, Mabel Osgood Wright and see the chimney she had erected so a local chimney swift bird could nest there and raise their chicks.

"If a man could be two places at one time I'd be with you…read moreTomorrow and today Beside you all the way" (Bread) The Fairfield Art Museum has a split personality! That's because their wonderful painting and sculpture exhibits can be found in two separate and distinct buildings. The two locations are known as the Bellarmine Hall Galleries and the Walsh Gallery. You can walk from one to the other by following Bellarmine Road, it was a fairly easy walk. The Bellarmine Galleries are on the lower level of Fairfield University's main building. The space had previously been used for basement storage and underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation that opened the museum in 2010. They have some permanent exhibits dating from antiquity through the centuries, and many of them are religious themed. The paintings and artifacts are beautiful. The rotating exhibit displayed photographs. 'Famous & Family: Through the Lens of Trude Fleischmann'. She was a groundbreaking photographer that lived from 1895-1990. She loved taking portrait photos and I saw portraits of Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Leopold Stokowski among the 100 photos on display. The second museum space is known as the Walsh Gallery, and you'll find it inside the Quick Art Center. It's used to showcase special exhibitions and today's exhibition featured selections from Ireland's Great Hunger Museum. The exhibit looks at the impact of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 through artwork produced by Irish and Irish American artists. Some of the paintings and sculptures were truly haunting, especially "Famine Ship", a sculpture crafted in 2000 by John Behan. His sculpture looks like an ordinary three masted ship, but if you look closely at the masts and the riggings you'll unveil dozens of intertwined bodies representing those that perished along the journey from Ireland to America. There was a guard and a very helpful docent in Bellarmine, and a guard with no docent at Walsh. Both halves of the museum are free and the walk along the campus from one to the other was very scenic and enjoyable. In fact, the art on Fairfield's campus isn't restricted to the museum. We saw plenty of public art sculptures all over the university grounds.

This museum is split between two buildings on the Fairfield University campus. I suppose they're…read morewithin walking distance of one another, but it would be a longer, uphill walk and both have parking nearby. The Bellarmine Hall Gallery is on the basement of a beautiful stone building sitting on top of the hilly campus. There is handicapped parking off O'Neil Way, and parking directly in front of the building (four spots). The hall has a lot of beautiful religious art from the 1500s, 1600s.. They are associated with the Met, and have other small examples of art from other cultures, some dating back to BCE. There is also a rotating exhibit, which at this time, the rotating exhibit is Japanese lacquer boxes. The Walsh Gallery is located in the Quick Art Center, and seems to be rotating exhibits. At this time, they have pieces from six Cuban artists. Both Galleries have extremely beautiful pieces and detailed descriptions explaining what you're looking at. Admission is free. Since both Galleries are on campus, check before going to make sure nothing has changed due to school breaks.

The Housatonic Museum of Art is a fantastic resource both for college students and the entire…read morecommunity. In the few times I've visited, I've seen everything from photography and sculptures created by students to real Warhol and Picasso paintings. The location is easily accessible in downtown Bridgeport with plenty of parking in the garage and the train station just a few blocks away.

This is a small museum located on the Housatonic Community College campus, a quick few turns off…read moreRoute 8. The roads and campus were really quiet on Saturday, and parking seemed to be available in their parking garage for visitors. Whether there were visitor designated spots, I wasn't 100% clear so I pulled into the first available spot. The museum is located in Lafayette Hall and while there was a security guard located in the general area, there doesn't seem to be an employee on the weekend to provide information or answer questions on the art. The signage was not the most comprehensive I've seen, and it was very small (two rooms that seem to be for rotating exhibits, a hallway exhibit on Little Liberia, and other older pieces on the second floor). On the other hand, it was also free. The art was beautiful, the Little Liberia exhibit very interesting, and it must be great for students who will be on campus already to be able to enjoy the works of art. As a visitor, particularly on the weekends, you may want to note this will be a quick stop and have plans for the remainder of the day.