Top 10 Attractions in Rhode Island

From outdoors activities and zoos, to museums and even an Ivy League university, here are the Top 10 Connecticut attractions.

1. Peabody Museum of Natural History
   170 Whitney Avenue
   New Haven, CT   06511
   203-432-5050
   

   This functionality of Yale University ensures that the containments therein will be both academically and intriguingly satisfying. The Peabody Museum of Natural History passes in our books, and you can give the institution a letter grade yourself by heading on down there and gazing at the Brontosaurus and Stegosaurus which haunt the Great Hall of Dinosaurs. See famous murals of lesser-known reptiles, and enjoy live animal exhibits and displays on the Native American culture, Ancient Egypt, and more.

2. New England Air Museum
   Bradley International Airport
   36 Perimeter Rd. (off Route 75)
   860-623-3305
   

   The lover of all things airborne has come to the right state, as Connecticut houses what is not only the state’s own Air Museum but also that of New England, an American region which has been instrumental in the development of aircraft technology and facilities. Experience the wonder of standing before 80 sizeable metallic creatures with wingspans so large there’s no way they could be mistaken for a bird. Three display buildings house the aircraft, and after you’re done gaping at the cabins you’ll want to head North by Northeast to the gift shop before coming back down to earth.

3. Hatheway House
   55 South Main Street
   Suffield, CT   06078
   860-623-3305
   

   In the Revolutionary era in America, the “Patriots” were those who were pro-separation; the “Loyalists” were those in favor of remaining in a union with the British Empire from which the Patriots came forth. The Hatheway house was the residence of a Loyalist, who in 1761 purchased the house and for reasons unbeknownst passed it on to Oliver Phelps. Phelps went on to become an instrumental figure in the opening of New York State for settlement. With his increased wealth, Phelps buffed the house up, and the result is a historic glimpse into architectural brilliance.

4. New Britain Museum of American Art
   56 Lexington Street
   New Britain, CT   06052
   860-229-0257
   

   Celebrate our country’s rich heritage and cultural traditions through the medium of expression commonly known as visual art. The New Britain Museum of American Art hosts over 5,000 American works of art in its walls, ranging from pre-revolutionary times to the present. Works of art as old as the year 1740 by influential American painters and artists will give visitors a unique perspective on the development and nature of our country as we know it today. Visit the gift shop afterwards to get something to remember.

5. Yale University
   149 Elm Street
   New Haven, CT   06520
   203-432-2300
   

   Imagine yourself going to school in 1776. America has just won its Independence from the British Empire after a long and grueling war, and you’re celebrating by instilling the values of liberty and justice in your head Monday through Friday at a prestigious higher institution of learning. This institution will one day become renamed; and hence will be the nativity of the nomenclature: Yale University, one of the most revered and respected academic institutions to grace this planet’s surface and to grace the minds of thousands of young and old alike with knowledge that goes back centuries.

6. Mystic Seaport
   75 Greenmanville Avenue
   Mystic, CT   06355
   800-448-3883
   

   Imagine what might be held inside the vast contains of America’s leading maritime museum. Certainly whatever is dwelling inside must be aquatic and designed to stay afloat. The Museum of America and the Sea will actually afford you the opportunity to find out exactly what comprises the nation’s leading maritime museum, but we’re going to give you a little spoiler in the meantime. Historic tall ships and schooners, a working shipyard and even a planetarium are some of the enticements which await seafarers and landlubbers alike at Mystic Seaport’s Museum of America and the Sea.

7. Roseland Cottage-Bowen House
   556 Route 169
   Woodstock, CT   06281
   860-928-4074
   

   The Roseland Cottage-Bowen House has seen many inhabitants. Built in 1846, it has housed presidents Grant, Hayes, Harrison and McKinley for their summer escapades into New England. Now you can find out for yourself exactly what enticed these powerful men to claim temporary residency in this majestic building. A classic example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, other drawings-in at this attraction include an 1850 Boxwood parterre garden and what is perhaps the world’s oldest surviving bowling alley.

8. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
   258 Main Street
   Ridgefield, CT   06877
   203-438-4519
   

   A Mecca for the art-loving masses, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum takes art seriously and will convince you of its verity. Step into its massive walls and enjoy twelve galleries of some of the world’s finest contemporary art. Enjoy the avant-garde styles of famous masters, and feign to interpret exactly what all those squiggly lines really mean. Also contained within this expanse is an intimate 100-seat performance space for the likes of chamber music and chorales, an education center, and an outdoor sculpture garden.

9. Weir Farm National Historic Site
   735 Nod Hill Road
   Wilton, CT   06897
   203-834-1896
   

   You’ve taken to Connecticut so much you’ve decided to move there for the beautiful summers which its gorgeous wilderness absorbs and reflects so magnificently. You’ve even purchased your ideal summer home, around which you have at your disposal your favorite activities: fishing, cross-country skiing, and hiking trails. It sounds ideal, right? There’s one catch – it’s the year 1878, and your name is J. Alden Weir. You’re a prominent American impressionist, and although the country’s art community reveres you, neither they nor you will be able to predict that your summer residence and the surrounding gardens and wildlife will someday be converted into a National Park for the preservation of both wildlife and nature.

10. Beardsley Zoo
    1875 Noble Avenue
    Bridgeport, CT   06610
    203-394-6565
    

    Lovers of animals will delight in the opportunity to see this multifaceted collection of species from around the world, focusing primarily on North and South American species. See the endangered species whose last remaining members this zoo is so committed to preserving; browse through the lush and exotic foliage of a tropical rainforest with free-flight aviary. A carousel and café along with a gorgeous picnic grove featuring a Victorian Greenhouse are sure to make this Connecticut destination well-worth every second.

[Back to Top]