Came here with family on a 2 hour weekday tour…read more Our tour guide Sara(h?) was very informative, clear and engaging. She made the experience great. She also made sure guests who needed to take breaks and sit were accommodated. The compound itself is incredible. The buildings, vision, art collections - all very interesting. Even if you're not super into art, I bet you would enjoy the diversity of things to see here. Highly recommend!

I recently spent a long weekend in Connecticut with my husband and some friends. The impetus for…read morethe trip was - in part - to visit the Glass House. It definitely lived up to my pretty high expectations. So what is the Glass House? Also known as the Johnson House, it's a house designed by American architect Philip Johnson for use as his own residence. Johnson lived at the house (and the rest of the property, more on that below) on weekends for over 50 years. The house is one glass-enclosed room, which includes a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and living space (as well as one bathroom that is contained within the black cylinder in the right side of the structure. Because the house is almost entirely of glass, you can see through it to the landscape beyond, making it blend in to its surroundings and beautiful but different in each season. The house is an important piece of American architectural history and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. Now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can sign up for a tour to visit the home - you cannot visit or even see the house without signing up for a tour (the house is not visible from the street!). Tours are available April-December, typically, so check dates before you book a tour. They offer several different tour options: a 1-hour "Glass House Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House and the Brick House; a 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House, the Brick House, the Painting Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, outdoor sculptures, and Da Monsta, a visitor center and exhibition space); an extended tour lasting 2.5 hours; a self-guided tour (currently offered on Sundays only); group/private tours; and an in-depth 3-hour tour. The website has all of these options spelled out so you can choose the option that is right for you. We selected the 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," and I'm so glad we did. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the painting and sculpture galleries! You meet your tour at the visitor center (there isn't parking there, but there are paid lots nearby) - you cannot drive yourself to the property. Then you board a little shuttle bus with the rest of your tour and you're on off on a very short drive to the property. We walked down a path, while our guide pointed the studio and a few other notable things on the grounds (a Donald Judd sculpture that is enormous and very cool, just in front of the house, being one). Then you're at the Glass House. First a view of the outside while the guide explains the architecture and context of the design. Then you can wander through the interior of the space. It's minimalist (duh), but it's also incredibly beautiful. I found it an inspiring design. (FYI - no air conditioning in the house, so in the summer, it can be quite steamy in the house.) Since we were there for the Glass House, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed touring the other spaces! Then we were off to the Brick House, the Glass House's opposite, just a few steps away. The Brick House was such a pleasant surprise; it has a bedroom, reading room, and bathroom, connected by a skylit corridor. The design of the Brick House is so different from the Glass House (bright, colorful, lush - that bathroom with all its marble, that colorful reading room, and the vaulted ceiling and Fortuny-covered walls of the bedroom!?), but I loved it entirely. I could certainly see why Johnson would have spent quite a bit of his time in the Brick House. Then our guide pointed out a few more features and sculptures on the grounds before we visited the Painting Gallery. The gallery contains works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and more, so it's worth a visit to see what they have on exhibit. But it also features some amazing design features! The exterior of the gallery is a grass-covered mount, and the gallery's art is displayed by use of a rotating "poster-rack," which is operated manually (Johnson preferred to view six works at a time, but the system allows for the storage of 42 paintings). Then it was time for a visit to the Sculpture Gallery - another incredible building (this one inspired by the architecture of the Greek isles). Because I'm running out of characters (I have a lot to say about this experience), I will just say that the our tour ended at Da Monsta. Then it's back to the visitor center via the shuttle bus, where you can do some shopping at their very cool design shop. Our tour guide was lovely - informative, interesting, incredible well-versed in everything Glass House-related. It was a hot day, so I got a bit sweaty and overheated at times, but it was worth it to visit this bit of American architectural history. It was an American travel bucket list item for me, and I'm so glad to have made it there finally. I'd go again!

This museum was so mind blowing! I brought my friend here who is a workaholic and he said he…read moredefinitely needed this. The staff is very knowledgeable and helped so much with our journey through this magical place! From the outside it looks so small, but there is sooooo much to see on the inside. We didn't even finish the whole thing in the 2.5 hours that we were there. I loved the prison program art. How amazing!! I hope to be able to volunteer here one day :) Also, I must note that we ended up being there a little later than 5pm, but they didn't rush us to leave and wished us a nice day once departing. I can't wait to come back!

This is a small museum attached to winding country roads, and trees as far as the eyes can see…read more It's very country picture book-esque. They have two floors, and docents lurk everywhere available for questions. It's very open, it feels like a lot of space in the most of the rooms. They participate in the Connecticut Museum Passport, which made it worth the trip a little more... It was interesting, it was just small. The gift shop was also small, with very little personalized about the museum.

Free admission We parked on street close bye…read moreI enjoyed my visit here, many famous paintings Free audio tour as well Many shops and restaurants near bye

This is a nice mid size museum at the edge of the Yale campus. We spent about two hours here. It…read morehas everything from sculptures to modern art pieces. The current exhibit on Indonesian textiles was very interesting. I also enjoyed the many pieces from Picasso and Kandinsky. They even have a Calder mobile. We also enjoyed the William Blake exhibit with his poems and prints. The staff was nice and friendly. The museum was clean and their map flyer really helped us navigate through the many rooms. Free admittance and free lockers are provided in the basement for our big purses, coats, and water bottles.

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.

"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.

Granted, I haven't been to many colonial museums, but I thought this one was extraordinary. Had the…read moremost wonderful tour with the curator, Catherine, who knows her stuff inside and out. One of the coolest elements is the British cannonball still lodged in the original exterior. I had seen a man the night before go over and pull off a shingle and wondered what he was doing, but he put it right back. I got the big reveal on my tour and that is definitely something you don't see every day. What a fascinating history this whole place has. As the descendant of one of the town's founders, I will forever treasure knowing that generations of my family had stood within the walls of that building, since it served as the post office and tavern. The upstairs area with the lifting room dividers was so cool--never seen anything like it. Also gaining insight into how different generations traveled was fascinating.

Beautiful venue! I had my wedding there and it didn't disappoint. The grounds are gorgeous and very…read morewell lit at night. It was very affordable and offered plenty of space both inside and out for our guests and vendors. It was intimate and very classy. The coordinator was also incredibly helpful and accommodating. Even if you don't have your event here, you should check out the grounds and museum. The only reason I didn't rate this place 5 stars is because they had they awful carpets everywhere that people kept tripping on all night but overall a wonderful experience.

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.